LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired the 24th Provincial Cabinet meeting which approved the longest agenda items and took important decisions.
The cabinet approved the facility of free travel for differently-abled people, senior citizens, and students in Punjab. The proposal to issue transport cards for students was reviewed.
The Chief Minister directed effective measures to reduce the price of chicken. The meeting approved the establishment of special investigation units for sexual crimes. She directed the authorities to ensure measures to prevent rape incidents. The meeting decided in principle to build airports in Bhakkar and Ba-hawalnagar, and funds were approved for the construction of an airstrip for the air ambulance service in Bhakkar district. The meeting also reviewed the proposal to start Punjab’s airline service.
Punjab CM directed authorities to ensure the collection of traffic challans and fines while adopting a zero-tolerance policy for non-payment. She also sought a plan for legal reforms. The cabinet welcomed the ap-pointment of the new Advocate General, Amjad Pervez. She remarked that as soon as the government came to power, a list of recommendations was submitted to her, but none of them had been implemented. She emphasized that law officers should be appointed purely on merit to maintain the integrity of the re-cruitment process.
Speaking during the meeting, the CM expressed concern over incidents of molestation and rape, stating that such news was shameful. She stressed that pink salt belongs to Pakistan, but other countries are benefiting by merely repackaging it. She appreciated the positive response to the Ramadan Nigehbaan Package, revealing that 2,564,000 households had received cheques under the initiative. She expressed satisfaction that the federal government and other provinces had followed Punjab’s lead in implementing a similar package.
She added that 1.5 million families would soon receive Ration cards. Addressing water distribution con-cerns, she affirmed that Punjab was not taking water from any province and would respond to any allega-tions. She directed strict actions to control the prices of food items during Eid-ul-Fitr, highlighting that for the first time in years, prices had remained stable during Ramadan, with no queues or panic. She congratu-lated Salma Butt and her team for organizing the most affordable Ramadan bazaar in the past 15 years.
The meeting approved an agreement with the World Bank to introduce a grading system for students. It also increased fines for violations of the Punjab Fertilizer Control Act and tightened penalties for illegal arms possession under the Punjab Arms Ordinance. Additionally, the government waived fees for birth and death registration certificates for one year. Amendments to the Punjab Legal Aid Rules were approved to ensure free legal aid for underprivileged individuals.
The Chief Minister rejected the proposal to ban the cultivation of two rice crops in Punjab. The cabinet ap-proved the adjustment of 664 visually impaired persons (VIPs) on daily wages and measures for their social inclusion. Approval was granted for creating 3,904 posts in the Punjab Crime Control Department and re-cruiting staff on an ad hoc and contract basis for the new Cardiac Center at Sheikh Zayed Medical Col-lege/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan. The cabinet also sanctioned the formation of a selection committee for key positions in Punjab Life Insurance Company (PLIC).
New recruitments were approved for vacant positions in the Finance Department’s Specialized Unit. The establishment of 32 new posts for the Nawaz Sharif Center of Excellence for Early Child Education at the Children’s Library Complex, Lahore, was also sanctioned. A 2,000-strong Riot Management Police was approved for the Punjab Crime Control Department, with additional resources allocated to handle public disturbances.
The meeting endorsed the Higher Education Department’s Transfer Policy 2024 and determined reward money under the Home Department. Approval was granted for establishing a Small Industry Estate and a Mineral Processing Unit in Punjab’s Salt Range. Funds were allocated for acquiring strategic land for min-ing and processing iron ore reserves in Chiniot. Renovation of infrastructure in the Spice Market from Delhi Gate to Akbari Gate was also included in the Annual Development Program (ADP) 2024-25.
The cabinet approved the Cotton Revival Plan to encourage farmers and promote early cotton cultivation. Extensions were granted for contracts of employees working under various healthcare and welfare pro-grams, including the Punjab Thalassemia and Other Genetic Diseases Prevention and Research Institute. Public sector testing organizations were also enrolled to provide testing services for government depart-ments.
The cabinet decided to expand the Walled City of Lahore Authority’s scope to cover the entire province. Approval was given for the first phase of the Eastern Waste Water Treatment Plant (33 MGD) in Faisala-bad. The government sought financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to promote child healthcare in South Punjab and enhance pediatric services at the Children’s Hospital, Multan. A project on sustainable pasture and livestock management in North Punjab was approved in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Cooperation agreements with Chengdu, China, and investments in the ICT Hub project in Punjab were en-dorsed. Foreign direct investment was approved for a multi-fuel bio-refinery. The meeting also sanctioned a special salary allowance for employees of the Punjab Probation and Parole Service. Amendments were made to the Punjab Police Rules 1934, focusing on digitizing FIRs, case diaries, and police journals. New jammer vehicles for VVIP/VIP duties and livestock development initiatives were also approved.
Changes in the fund distribution method for the Ramadan Nigehbaan Package 2025 were sanctioned. Other key approvals included a Joint Venture Management Agreement under the Corporate Agriculture Farming Scheme, the reappointment of the Bank of Punjab’s President, and the nomination of a Senior/Special Judge for Anti-Corruption Courts. The cabinet also finalized the appointment of the Rector for the Institute of Southern Punjab, Multan.
A commission under the Punjab Charities Act 2018 was established, while amendments were made to the Punjab Road Safety Authority (PRSA) Act 2023. Changes were also approved for the Punjab Livestock Breeding Act 2014 and Punjab Labour Appellate Tribunal No. II in Multan. The return of protected forest land from the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) was authorized.
Further, the meeting approved amendments to the Punjab Legal Aid Act 2018, additional appellate tribunal provisions in the Punjab Revenue Authority Service Rules 2017, and mandatory registration of service pro-viders for provincial government institutions under the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA). MoUs between the School Education Department and the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) were also endorsed.
The cabinet decided to review the financial assistance policy for private institutions. Several amendments were approved, including revisions to the Punjab Management Pay Scales (MPS) 2023, the Award of Compensation Rules 1989, and the Punjab Human Capital Investment Project (PHCIP). The government also signed a Service Level Agreement between the Board of Revenue, Bank of Punjab, and Punjab Infor-mation Technology Board (PITB) regarding the e-stamping system.
The meeting approved funding for the “Maryam Nawaz Health Clinic” initiative under the ADP 2024-25. Additionally, the Green Pakistan Initiative’s (GPI) “Lining of Watercourses in Cholistan” project was ap-proved. Several other development projects, including the Institute of Urology and Transplantation in Ra-walpindi and various infrastructure projects in Bahawalpur and Gujrat, were included in the ADP 2024-25.
The cabinet sanctioned funds for a feasibility study on the Chiniot-Rajora Iron Ore Project and approved additional grants for Punjab’s secondary health facilities. A supplementary grant for outsourced community health inspectors under the “Maryam Nawaz Community Health Services Program” was approved. Other notable approvals included helicopter maintenance, loan deductions for government employees, and sti-pends for civil defense volunteers.
Several administrative and legal appointments were finalized, including the Punjab Human Organs Trans-plantation Authority (PHOTA) Administrator and key officials in the Punjab Danish Schools Authority. Addi-tionally, salary packages for vice-chancellors of Punjab’s government universities were revised.
