A delegation of students from the National Workshop Balochistan met Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday, describing their visit to Lahore and the meeting as a memorable experience.
The delegation, comprising students from various educational institutions across Balochistan, expressed happiness at meeting the chief minister. On the occasion, Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced the provision of laptops to all students included in the delegation, presenting them as a gift from the people of Punjab. In return, the students presented traditional Baloch shawls to the chief minister.
Addressing the gathering, Maryam Nawaz Sharif welcomed the delegation and said their arrival was a source of joy. She remarked that students are the pioneers of Pakistan and that the future of the country lies in their hands. She said her election as the first female chief minister was an honor for all the daughters of Pakistan.
The chief minister highlighted various welfare and development initiatives in Punjab, including the launch of a special helpline for economically deprived citizens to ensure immediate assistance for medical treatment. She said people from all provinces benefit from Punjab’s hospitals, colleges and universities, including children from other provinces who have received treatment under the Children’s Heart Surgery Programme.
Maryam Nawaz said the 1,000-bed Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital was established to serve patients from across Pakistan, adding that no distinction was ever made between provinces. She rejected the notion that Punjab receives a disproportionate share of resources, stating that all provinces receive their due share and that public funds in Punjab are spent directly on people’s welfare.
She also spoke about governance reforms, saying merit-based appointments have replaced the culture of recommendation and bribery. She claimed that crime rates in Punjab have significantly declined, with suspects now being arrested swiftly, and credited safe city projects, surveillance systems and technology-driven policing for improved law and order.
Outlining development initiatives, the chief minister referred to housing projects, free healthcare services, doorstep delivery of medicines, establishment of Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics, expansion of cardiology facilities, large-scale cleanliness drives under the “Suthra Punjab” programme, green bus services, free Wi-Fi zones, education reforms, school meal programmes, ration cards for workers, road infrastructure projects, clean drinking water schemes, air ambulance service and merit-based scholarships.
She said Punjab has launched Pakistan’s largest merit-based scholarship programme, under which the government is paying the fees of 80,000 students, adding that this year 100,000 students will receive laptops, scholarships and electric bikes.
Maryam Nawaz said students from Balochistan are also benefiting from Punjab’s education initiatives, noting that 260 Baloch students are currently studying in Danish schools while 1,500 have already graduated. She urged students to remain vigilant and ensure that public resources are spent on the people.
During the interaction, Maryam Nawaz Sharif also answered questions from the students. Members of the delegation appreciated the people-friendly projects of the Punjab government and praised the hospitality of Lahore.
Sharing their impressions, students from Makran and Turbat said they were pleased to visit Lahore and meet the chief minister, with some recalling that scholarships for Baloch students had been initiated in the past but later discontinued. Others described the visit as inspiring and expressed hope for stronger inter-provincial harmony.