LAHORE: PML-N candidate for Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz on Wed­nesday described corruption and politically-motivated vandalism as the ‘red lines’ that her government would never allow anyone to cross.

While presiding over a parliamentary meeting of her party at Jati Umra residence, Ms Nawaz pledged a new era of development in Punjab, vowing to deliver on every front, especially in the health, education and IT sectors.

Ms Nawaz will be the first woman chief minister, after securing a majority vote in Punjab Assembly in coming days.

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She expressed her gratitude for the mandate her party had been given by the people of Punjab, but said five years were not enough to address the massive challenges being faced in the country.

Says corruption and politically motivated vandalism are red lines for her would-be govt

Unveiling her game plan, the PML-N leader, daughter of ex-premier and party supremo Nawaz Sharif, vowed to make five IT cities in Punjab. “We will also bring foreign investment and give interest-free loans to the youth to launch their IT projects,” she said.

In the health sector, she said her government would address the shortage of nurses and build training institutes for them. She would reintroduce health cards for free treatment of the poor and ensure “heart, kidney and liver treatment at all [major] hospitals”.

She said government schools would be run on a public-private partnership basis. She vowed that she would try her best to ensure that all out-of-school children be brought back to schools.

She said Rescue ‘1122’ service would be launched on motorways. Also, more Safe City projects would be established in the province, she added.

Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman has said he will summon the Punjab Assembly session upon receiving its requisition. He expressed the hope that the session of the Punjab Assembly would be held within the next few days.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2024