FAISALABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday said the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was not a sufficient solution for flood victims, as it provided only Rs10,000, whereas the Punjab government had compensated each affected family with Rs1 million.
Rejecting repeated calls from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders for a United Nations appeal to seek global support for flood-affected communities, Maryam strongly asserted that “the method of begging should stop now,” stressing that her government was fully capable of rehabilitating victims without international aid.
She made these remarks while inaugurating the Electric Bus Service in Faisalabad, where she also announced major development projects including the upcoming ART Metro Bus Service, establishment of a Faisalabad IT City, a Rs40 billion Water and Sanitation System, and provision of a Co-ablation Machine for cancer treatment at Allied Hospital.
Maryam highlighted that 90,000 houses were being built under the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ scheme and praised rescue teams, health departments, and the provincial cabinet for relocating 2.5 million people and 2.2 million livestock during recent floods.
Reaffirming her stance on provincial autonomy, the chief minister said Punjab neither interfered in others’ affairs nor accepted interference in its own. “It’s our water and our money. Why is it a problem if we build canals?” she asked, adding that Punjab would continue to provide relief to its people despite high electricity costs.
She also unveiled transport initiatives, announcing free public transport for senior citizens, women, students, and special persons across Punjab. Passengers, she added, could now travel in air-conditioned electric buses for Rs20.
Taking aim at political opponents, Maryam contrasted her government’s focus on public service with what she called other parties’ “mudslinging and personal attacks”, saying the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) had remained united in difficult times while rivals faltered.
Maryam asserted that she needed no one’s permission to deliver the rights of Punjab’s people, warning she would not remain silent if anyone spoke against the province or its residents. Paying tribute to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, she said Pakistan had regained respect internationally, citing recent agreements with Saudi Arabia as proof of effective diplomacy.
She concluded by thanking students of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad for their warm welcome, promising to make Faisalabad “an even more advanced and beautiful city than Lahore”.
Earlier, a festive atmosphere gripped Faisalabad as Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the city’s first state-of-the-art electric bus service. The launch turned into a citywide celebration, with thousands of students, citizens, and party workers lining the streets to welcome her.
Dressed in colourful attire, students of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad chanted slogans such as “Maryam Nawaz Sharif — The Guarantee of a Bright Pakistan” while holding portraits of Maryam, Nawaz Sharif, and the late Begum Kalsoom Nawaz. The chief minister personally received some of these portraits from students during her bus ride, thanking them warmly. Supporters showered rose petals, waved flags, and released doves as symbols of peace and welcome along the route from the university to Jinnah Bagh.
Punjab Transport Minister Bilal Akbar briefed the chief minister on the project, announcing that 150 electric buses would be inducted in the Faisalabad division, with 30 buses operating in the first phase. Initially, the service will run on two routes: Yousuf Town to Saigol City (22 km) and University Roundabout to Sidhupur (18 km), serving an estimated 24,000 passengers daily.
