LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday approved the establishment of Punjab’s second IT City in Rawalpindi while chairing the 31st meeting of the provincial cabinet, which took wide-ranging decisions on governance reforms, education, technology, health, infrastructure, youth development and public welfare.
The cabinet directed all provincial departments to complete employee-related inquiries within three months, reinforcing the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. “I cannot tolerate a single penny of corruption. The public treasury is a sacred trust,” the chief minister said, stressing accountability in the use of public funds.
The meeting set an annual target to train 2,300 youth as skilled professionals and approved the installation of modern traffic signals, mandatory zebra crossings on all roads and immediate filling of potholes across cities to improve road safety and public convenience. A cash reward of Rs100,000 was also announced for traffic wardens who strictly enforce traffic laws.
To improve transparency in education, the cabinet approved the establishment of Punjab’s first independent examination authority in line with modern standards. The allowance for head teachers of government schools was increased from Rs500 to Rs10,000. The cabinet also approved a policy to provide honorarium to mosque imams.
In the livestock sector, the cabinet decided to form a livestock company with a target of exporting cattle. The chief minister congratulated the Agriculture Department for achieving the wheat cultivation target ahead of schedule and commended the Lahore PHA team for its performance.
The cabinet approved multiple relaxations in recruitment rules across departments, including health, education, forestry, wildlife, fisheries, and financial advisory services, to fill vacant posts and strengthen service delivery. It also endorsed appointments to key positions in Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education and allowed ad hoc recruitment of healthcare professionals in newly established medical institutions.
Key infrastructure decisions included approval for the construction and expansion of a 46-kilometre road connecting Chichawatni, Kamalia, Pir Mahal and Shorkot Road, along with the establishment of WASAs at all divisional headquarters. Funds were also approved for the uplift of Kamran Baradari in Lahore.
In the health sector, the cabinet cleared the purchase of essential equipment for Holy Family Hospital Faisalabad, conversion of the 100-bed Mother and Child Hospital Murree into a general hospital, and establishment of the Maryam Nawaz Institute of Cardiology in Gujranwala. It also approved honorarium for members of the Board of Governors of Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology Sargodha and honorary membership for the board of Jinnah Institute of Cardiology Lahore. A supplementary grant of Rs484 million and an endowment fund were approved for the Punjab Autism School and Resource Centre, while Rs742 million was sanctioned for mosques and madrasas.
Several major projects were included in the Annual Development Programme (ADP), including 66 schemes for Kasur district, a water testing laboratory and surveillance project at the Institute of Public Health, Model Agriculture Mall Phase II, mass transit projects in Faisalabad and Gujranwala, and establishment of horticulture agencies in nine districts.
The cabinet also approved the Chief Minister Punjab Livestock E-Credit Scheme, changes in the Dhee Rani programme, establishment of special courts under the Punjab Control of Narcotics Substances Act 2025, amendments to the Punjab Drug Rules 2007, and an expansion of the scope of the Punjab Defamation Tribunal.
Further approvals included affiliation of Government Girls Associate Degree College Chelawala with the University of Rasool, establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Phool Nagar, formation of a research committee for appointment of vice-chancellors to public universities, and issuance of notification for the University of White Rock Act 2025. Decisions were also taken regarding mining leases, public sector nominations, and inclusion of education sector reform projects in the ADP.
The Punjab provincial cabinet approved a series of legislative, administrative and development measures aimed at strengthening governance, public services and social welfare across the province.
Key legislative approvals included the Punjab Film Development Authority Act 2025, Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research Act 2024, Punjab High Security Zone (Establishment) Act 2025, PHATA Affordable Housing Joint Rules 2025, and amendments to laws related to excise duty on minerals, waqf property, missing persons, local government survey rules, police traffic warden service rules, and PHATA regulations.
In the health sector, the cabinet approved the provision of MRI and CT scan machines to the Punjab Institute of Mental Health Lahore, allowed postgraduate trainees in military hospitals, and endorsed plans to link Punjab health facilities with NADRA through a pilot project. Funding for irrigation remodelling works ahead of the next flood season and urban regeneration and rehabilitation in various cities was also approved.
The cabinet sanctioned e-bikes for athletes under the Khelta Punjab programme, approved changes in mass transit schemes included in the ADP, and cleared the establishment of the fourth Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore. It also approved formation of a negotiation team to secure an AFD loan for the Babu Sabu Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Welfare-related decisions included expansion of the Chief Minister’s Minority Card with additional funding, allotment of housing units in Sundar Industrial Estate Kasur and Worker Welfare Complex Taxila, renewal and issuance of Christian and Hindu marriage licences, and appointment of a Hindu marriage registrar.
Further approvals covered appointments and nominations to regulatory and academic bodies, market-based salaries and project allowances for ADP PMU employees, notification of sugarcane cess rate for the 2025-26 crushing season, MoU with the World Bank, regulation of illegal housing societies, and adoption of the draft policy of the Social Welfare and Baitul-Maal Department, Punjab.
The Punjab provincial cabinet approved a broad range of legislative, administrative and institutional reforms, covering environmental protection, criminal justice, governance, and development initiatives.
Key decisions included amendments to the Punjab Environmental Protection Act 1997, the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006, the Punjab Criminal Prosecution Services Act 2006, and the Code of Criminal Procedure 1893. Amendments were also approved to the Lease Rules 1934 and relaxations in the Forest Act to support the mining and mineral bed industry, along with changes under the Punjab Wildlife Act 1974 to temporarily reclassify Talur.
The cabinet approved implementation of a €15 million tripartite financing agreement between the Economic Affairs Ministry, Punjab Energy Department and KfW Bank, renewal of agreements related to regional blood centres in Bahawalpur and Multan, and formation of a commission under the Punjab Charity Act 2018. It also cleared the establishment of a Special Investigation Unit for sexual crimes within the CCD and approved the creation of the Punjab Women’s Hostel Authority.
Institutional approvals included establishment of the Aquaculture Task Force Punjab, Pothohar Water Board, a dispensary in the Punjab Provincial Assembly, and issuance of a notification for the Maqbar University of Science and Technology, Gujrat. The cabinet also allowed petroleum rights and licences to Punjab Holding Company (Pvt) Ltd and approved a service-level agreement between the Punjab Counter Narcotics Force and the Punjab Information Technology Board.
The meeting ratified proceedings of previous cabinet and standing committee meetings, approved a Rs22.36 million medical bill for a government school teacher, and reviewed NFC monitoring and audit reports of the Punjab government. Additional approvals covered overseas employment licensing for technical institutions, increased expenditure authority under the School Management Council Policy 2024, and identification of the CBD Attock site under the municipal structure plan.
Key education-related approvals included a merit-based procedure for the appointment of head teachers to government schools along with the introduction of a performance charge allowance. The cabinet also approved the rules of the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Services Act 2025 and sanctioned an honorarium for members of the Board of the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research, Lahore.
In governance and security matters, amendments to the Police Rules 1934 were approved to regulate the determination of reward amounts, along with the establishment of a Sugar Cane Control Board under the Punjab Sugar Cane Factories Act 1950. The cabinet also approved the case to be presented for the establishment of a strike enforcement station and sanctioned armed security vehicles and personnel for law and order duties.
On the development and financial front, the cabinet cleared additional funding for PSDP road sector schemes, approved supplementary grants including Rs5.675 billion for upgrading the forest enforcement mechanism, funds to clear PHA Lahore dues, and an enhanced annual grant under the Artist ‘Khidmat’ Card. Grants-in-aid of Rs400 million for Cadet College Khanpur and special funding for Cadet College Hassan Abdal were also approved.
The meeting further endorsed approaching the Asian Development Bank for a loan under the Punjab Hill Torrent Management Project, appointment of new chairman and members of the Board of Directors of Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power Limited, and inclusion of major development projects in the Annual Development Programme. These include construction of the Environment Complex Lahore, four new development schemes worth Rs360 million for Lahore, and new development schemes for Faisalabad.
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz also formally launched technology-driven shrimp farming, aquaculture and an integrated value chain in the province, marking what she described as the beginning of a new era of the blue economy in Punjab.
The launch follows the successful completion of a pilot shrimp farming research project on 100 acres. The chief minister said the initiative, grounded in scientific research and modern aquaculture practices, would help diversify agriculture, boost exports and create new livelihood opportunities.
She said the project envisages the establishment of hatcheries, aqua malls, processing plants, cold storage facilities and an integrated transport chain. By March 2026, shrimp estates spread over 5,300 acres will be developed in Muzaffargarh and Sargodha, while a feasibility study is underway to expand shrimp farming to an additional 2,600 acres. The project, she added, has been designed with global research input and technical support from experts from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Ecuador, Australia and Mexico. Machinery has already been deployed and implementation teams are working on-site.
Separately, CM Maryam Nawaz congratulated the nation on the successful test firing of the FM-90 NR surface-to-air missile. She paid tribute to the Pakistan Navy and the armed forces, stating that the demonstration of advanced firepower in the North Arabian Sea reflected the country’s strong defensive capabilities. She reaffirmed confidence in Pakistan’s land, naval and air defence systems and acknowledged the Pakistan Navy’s vital role in safeguarding maritime borders.
