LAHORE : Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said Pakistani Pavilion at World Urban Forum held in Azerbaijan attracted considerable international attention.
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the pavilion and presented province’s flagship development initiatives.
Addressing a press conference here, she said projects such as ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ and ‘Suthra Punjab’ received appreciation from international delegates, adding construction of 100,000 houses is currently underway.
She said CM’s public welfare initiatives have become a matter of national pride, with several countries expressing strong interest in adopting these models. She said Punjab successfully achieved all wheat production targets this year. She noted farmers received better prices than officially announced support price, and wheat-related trade exceeded Rs100 billion. She said government prays world remains safe from wars and conflicts so that global and national economies can stabilise, petroleum prices can decline. She observed that inflation is a global challenge.
She clarified CM was invited to international forums purely on merit. She said UN-Habitat conducted a detailed study of Punjab’s flagship ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ programme and prepared a report. Azma Bokhari said the Punjab government initiatives are receiving global appreciation, and various countries are interested in understanding and replicating these models. She said Punjab is also willing to share its governance experiences with other provinces.
She said Pakistan’s international image has improved significantly and recent diplomatic engagements have strengthened country’s global standing. She remarked certain political elements attempt to create chaos and negativity, while government remains fully focused on public service, development, and economic stability. Regarding wheat, she confirmed Punjab has sufficient reserves and is fully capable of meeting the needs of other regions as well.
