LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed taking practical measures to prevent short circuits and fatal accidents caused by hazardous overhead power cables, with Lahore selected for the first phase of a comprehensive underground cabling initiative.
Chairing a meeting, she approved a citywide plan to remove dangling and unsafe electricity wires, directing that a pilot project be completed in the inner city ahead of Basant to avert any untoward incidents during the festival. The meeting reviewed proposals to divide Lahore into three zones for phased underground cabling. A principled decision was taken to make underground electricity supply mandatory in all new housing schemes. The chief minister directed authorities to ensure alternative arrangements for internet and other affected services during the cabling process.
Seeking a permanent solution to fires and loss of life caused by short circuits, CM Maryam Nawaz called for an emergency safety plan to address electrical hazards across the province.
Briefing the meeting, Lesco officials said approximately 40,000 kilometres of electricity wires and 50,000 kilometres of internet cables were spread across Lahore. Referring to recent tragedies, the chief minister said the government wanted to prevent incidents like the Karachi Gul Plaza fire, stressing that public safety was a fundamental responsibility of the state. She noted that exposed power cables often became a cause of accidents during rainfall, posing serious risks to people. “Dangling electricity wires are not only visually unpleasant but a constant threat to human lives as well,” she said.
A steering committee has been constituted on the chief minister’s directions to oversee the initiative. The committee includes provincial Minister Faisal Khokhar, representatives from Lesco, housing and local government departments, and senior administrative officers.
Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz has reaffirmed her government’s resolve to accord top priority to education, describing it as the cornerstone of peace, progress and sustainable development. In her message on the World Education Day, she said the importance of education for national development was universally acknowledged, adding that providing modern learning opportunities to youths remained a key priority of the Punjab government. She said skilled, enlightened, resilient and educated youths were the true architects of a nation’s future.
Highlighting key initiatives, she termed the Honhaar Scholarship Programme a ray of hope for students across Punjab, while noting that the CM Laptop Scheme was playing a vital role in facilitating access to modern knowledge. The chief minister said innovations were being introduced in schools, colleges and universities across the province, while the curriculum was being aligned with modern educational standards. Students are being introduced to emerging fields such as artificial intelligence from the early grades.
Referring to institutional reforms, she said the Nawaz Sharif Centre of Excellence for Early Education emerged as a model initiative. IT and technical education has been aligned with market-based needs to ensure better employability and practical skills for students. Reiterating her commitment, she said investing in education was an investment in the future of Punjab and Pakistan.
