Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) entered the general election of 2024 with a bold plan to deliver on its commitments to the people. Voters know that the PML-N has a proven track record of fulfilling promises and improving lives. By the grace of Allah, we have been entrusted with leading a coalition government at the Centre and bringing our manifesto to life in Punjab, the nation’s largest province.
The newly-elected Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz has announced her vision for the next five years in line with the party’s manifesto. In her speech, she didn’t just stop at mega projects and big cities but also talked about bringing government services down to the Union Council level and the people’s doorsteps, be it the renewal of a driver’s license, issuing a marriage certificate, or delivering food aid.
The salient features of PML-N’s plan for Punjab outlined in the manifesto and CM Nawaz’s speech, are as follows:
Support to businesses
The main plank of PML-N’s agenda is the economic revival of the country. In her maiden speech, Maryam Nawaz vowed to make Punjab a business hub. She iterated that the government’s job is to make business-friendly policies, create an enabling environment, provide incentives, and minimise paperwork for setting up businesses so that anyone with capital can set up a business. She pledged her government’s support to all small, medium, and large enterprises by taking the above measures.
Governance
PML-N governments from 2013-2018 and 2022-2023 are known for strengthening the country’s governance structures that ease service delivery and curb corruption. PML-N’s 2024 manifesto has underlined several measures to further improve governance. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced that her government would digitise 43 basic services, making them accessible from people’s homes under the initiative called Digital Punjab. She pledged to ensure transparency and show zero tolerance for corruption in the province. Clear project timelines would be spelt out at the inception stage to ensure efficiency, which would be properly monitored and evaluated. As part of good governance, the CM would hold regular communication with the public.
Price control and poverty alleviation
As a first step, Maryam Nawaz announced a Ramzan Package for seven million deserving families, to be delivered to them directly to save them from the indignity of standing in queues. The government would ensure that prices of food items remain affordable for the people province-wide. It would also work to develop an accurate and reliable database of the underprivileged to be able to reach those families easily.
Youth initiatives
Recognising Pakistan’s youth bulge, the PML-N has devoted a section of the manifesto towards initiatives to boost youth entrepreneurship and overseas job and business opportunities. Maryam Nawaz has announced merit scholarships for youth studying at educational institutions through the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF), alongside scholarships for admission to international universities. The government would offer interest-free loans, launch skill development training and mentorship focused on jobs and business opportunities in international markets, training for the skills development, including artificial intelligence, needed in local and international markets, and laptops, iPads, tablets, etc. to support young entrepreneurs. The government would initiate paid internship programmes and incubators for IT startups. In addition, electric motorbikes would be provided to young people to facilitate their mobility.
Sports
The government has also announced to transform Punjab’s sports infrastructure so that the youth can engage in healthy activities and have an opportunity to excel in sports. As stated in the PML-N manifesto, the government would establish sports academies at all levels to identify and nurture talent from grassroots to professional levels, launch a Talent Hunt Youth Sports League, and promote inclusive sports programmes across all educational institutions. Maryam Nawaz announced that the government would establish a sports ground in every Union Council in the next five years.
Education
Being a provincial subject, the PML-N is giving education the place it deserves for the future of our country. In her inaugural address, Maryam Nawaz said no student should be out of school due to financial difficulties, and each school-going child should receive an excellent education atmosphere and good teaching quality. To achieve this, the government would launch extensive teacher training programmes and induct new teachers. To ensure education quality and infrastructure, the government would launch public-private partnership programmes. The government would also revisit the curriculum to meet modern standards. Another transformative step would be a school transport system in the entire province.
Lauding the flagship initiative of Mian Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz announced the expansion of Daanish Schools and the establishment of such schools in all districts of the Punjab. Likewise, she pledged to develop special education institutions in each district of Punjab where transport, treatment, and education for special children would be free. Scholarships for child labourers at brick kilns will be revived to bring the most underprivileged children into the mainstream. The government would also revive the E-libraries programme and expand it to more districts.
Health
Within five years, the government would fully equip Punjab’s Basic Health Units, Rural Health Centres, and Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals with imaging and testing equipment, medicines, and trained medical and paramedical staff. In the next five years, all districts of Punjab will have a state-of-the-art hospital, which will have specialty units for cancer, liver, kidney, etc. Maryam Nawaz also announced that all hospital emergencies will provide free medicines from the first day of her tenure. The government would conduct screening of the population for hepatitis and tuberculosis so that these diseases could be diagnosed and treated. Maryam Nawaz pledged to give special attention to maternal and neonatal health.
A first in Pakistan, the Punjab government would initiate an air ambulance service for inaccessible areas. In addition, the 1122 rescue service would initiate a motorway ambulance service. The Punjab government would also issue a new health card that would include expensive surgeries related to kidneys and liver.
The government has announced that it would establish new nursing schools and upgrade the existing ones in line with international specifications so that Pakistan’s nurses can meet local needs and also find employment opportunities abroad.
Safe Punjab for women
Maryam Nawaz has announced that her government will work to empower women financially, socially, and professionally. It will provide them with a safe environment. To tackle harassment of women, the government has announced a dedicated helpline. Hostels will be established in all major cities to facilitate working women. She also called for inclusive infrastructure in public buildings, such as separate washrooms and daycare centres.
Transgender persons and minorities
For the first time, the government has announced a package for transgender persons to bring them to the mainstream. Maryam Nawaz called for changing social attitudes towards the transgender community and minorities.
Public transport and safe cities
Underscoring the importance of respectable public transport, Maryam Nawaz announced that Metrobus projects will be built in all big cities of Punjab.
Likewise, all districts of Punjab will have Safe City Projects. Initially, 18 cities will be brought under the Safe City Project to reduce the crime rate.
Police reform
Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced that model police stations would be built specifically with women in mind; these will have dedicated desks for women. Separate stations for women will also be built. The government would reduce the response time of police. She also called for proper medical facilities in prisons.
Agriculture and livestock
In its manifesto, PML-N has outlined Pakistan’s transition to smart agriculture by incentivising the adoption of modern technology, tech-driven storage solutions to minimise post-harvest losses and enhance agricultural efficiency, biotechnology integration to enhance crop yield, quality, and overall farm productivity, and using drone technology for precision farming, e.g. precise fertiliser, pesticide application, and pest and disease assessment, as well as introducing mobile grain dryers for rice and maize, all to ensure efficient post-harvest processing.
In the next five years, smart agriculture zones will be built throughout Punjab with a focus on facilitating small farmers. The government would initiate a one-window operation for farmers where they can secure seeds, fertilisers, and loans. Maryam Nawaz announced the establishment of processing plants for the export of citrus to international markets.
In line with the manifesto, the PML-N government would also implement a province-wide initiative to construct ‘Farm to Market Roads,’ facilitating the seamless flow of agricultural products and machinery. The government would also invest in the livestock sector and boost meat exports.
Infrastructure and Suthra Punjab
The government would work on the up-gradation of intercity and intra-city road infrastructure, in addition to introducing a system for the repair of broken roads, streets, and sewage disposal.
Electricity bills
To help offset the enormous costs of electricity and in line with PML-N’s agenda to promote renewable energy, the government has announced its plan to promote solar energy and offer solar panels to people consuming less than 300 units of electricity at subsidised rates.
Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar
Under this project, 100,000 houses will be built in the next five years to meet the burgeoning need for housing.
The PML-N’s vision is a comprehensive blueprint that addresses a wide range of issues, from economic revival and governance to education, health, and infrastructure development. If implemented effectively, these initiatives have the potential to transform Punjab into a model province.