Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday inaugurated the province’s first electric bus project in Wazirabad’s Gakhar Mandi, unveiling a package of development and relief initiatives. The new electric bus service is aimed at modernising public transport and making it more inclusive.
Women, students, senior citizens, and special persons will be able to travel free of cost, reflecting the government’s focus on accessibility and social welfare.
She also announced plans to establish a cardiac treatment centre in Gujranwala and begin construction of a metro bus service in the city, expanding health and transport facilities for residents.
Alongside transport initiatives, Maryam Nawaz pledged major relief measures for communities affected by recent floods. She announced financial assistance of Rs20,000 per acre for farmers facing crop losses, Rs1 million for families whose houses were completely destroyed, and Rs500,000 for partially damaged homes. For livestock losses, the government will provide Rs500,000 for the loss of cows or buffaloes and Rs50,000 for sheep and goats.
Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister highlighted that livestock is the backbone of rural livelihoods, and the government ensured the safe relocation of animals to secure areas during the floods. She noted that timely evacuations and advance preparations helped mitigate further destruction.
Maryam Nawaz praised her cabinet and provincial officials, commending their dedication during the crisis, as many ministers personally supervised relief operations and remained on the ground with flood-hit families.
She reaffirmed her government’s commitment to standing by the victims until their full rehabilitation, assuring them that no effort would be spared. “The Punjab government will not rest until every flood-affected family has been supported and every loss compensated,” she stressed.
The initiatives mark a blend of infrastructure development and humanitarian relief, signaling her administration’s dual focus on modernisation and social protection.
