Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has revived and extended the Prime Minister’s Health Card program to Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan, reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to providing quality healthcare as a basic right for all citizens, regardless of their financial background.
Addressing the launch ceremony, the prime minister said the restoration of the health card initiative marked a significant step towards ensuring accessible medical treatment at people’s doorsteps. He recalled that the program was originally launched in 2016 under the leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and later expanded nationwide, benefitting millions of families.
Emphasising the importance of health, Shehbaz Sharif said that good health formed the foundation of education, employment, and overall national progress. He noted that while wealthy individuals could afford treatment anywhere in the world, the real responsibility of the state was to protect vulnerable segments of society, including labourers, widows, orphans, and daily wage earners.
The prime minister stressed that no Pakistani should be deprived of medical care due to poverty, adding that healthcare was equally a right of both the prime minister and an ordinary citizen. He directed the health ministry to ensure transparent implementation of the scheme through third-party monitoring so that beneficiaries receive treatment at approved facilities with proper standards.
He also expressed hope that the program would be implemented swiftly and personally monitored through visits and inspections in coordination with regional leadership. Responding to calls for extending the program to Sindh, Shehbaz Sharif assured that he would take up the matter with the Sindh government, noting that Punjab was already making significant progress in healthcare spending.
Separately, the prime minister reaffirmed the government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism through national unity. Chairing a meeting of the Qaumi Paigham-e-Aman Committee, he said peace, stability, and prosperity remained Pakistan’s top priorities, and expressed confidence that the country would once again defeat terrorism through collective efforts.
