Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif presided over the 36th meeting of the provincial cabinet, which celebrated the Pakistan Muslim League-N’s win in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections and approved numerous policy, administrative, and development initiatives.
According to Directorate General Public Relation – Govt of Punjab, the cabinet announced that kidnapping for ransom had been eradicated from the riverine area for the first time in three decades, maintaining a zero crime rate since last November. An allocation of Rs1.1 billion was approved for weapons and protective equipment for police in the area, along with a hard-area allowance, a martyrs’ package for police personnel, and a recruitment package for Rojhan youth. Furthermore, the cabinet highlighted the successful organization of the first-ever cricket tournament in the Katcha belt.
The “Apna Khet, Apna Rozgar” program has issued allotment letters for 30,000 lots out of 171,000 applications, with 60,000 applicants deemed eligible. The cabinet also endorsed wheat cultivation across Punjab, the integration of the Literacy Department with the School Education Department, and the recruitment of 900 Union Council secretaries. It also sanctioned the establishment of the Gujranwala Regional Command for the Prisons Department.
In other discussions, Chief Minister Sharif lauded Punjab’s matriculation examination system and recognized the accomplishments of girls, who constituted 78 percent of successful candidates. Efforts to address monsoon rains and urban flooding were praised, and the chief minister underscored the commitment to extend electric bus services to every district by December.
The cabinet expressed appreciation for the arrangements during Ashura and Chehlum and acknowledged recent prison reforms. The meeting also reviewed the National Wheat Policy 2026-2030 and agreed to form a committee for the medical entry test.
During the session, tributes were paid to PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif for the party’s electoral success. The cabinet addressed concerns regarding perceptions of wheat shortages despite good harvests and emphasized encouraging both foreign and local investment in Punjab.
The cabinet ratified various administrative decisions, including the approval of medical treatment expenses, land acquisition for infrastructure projects, and the establishment of funds for several departments. Additionally, contracts and recruitment relaxations in multiple departments were sanctioned, alongside significant financial provisions for upcoming local government elections and infrastructure projects.