SARGODHA: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday distributed laptops among 93 students of medical colleges in Sargodha division.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM announced further increase in the number of meritorious scholarships from next year.

She said she handed over Rs110 billion to the education department for construction of 50,000 new classrooms in Punjab schools besides provision of toilets and other facilities including potable water in every government school.

The chief minister announced provision of state-of-the- art AI computer labs in 6,000 government schools. She said now every student in government-run schools all over Punjab would get proper classrooms and sitting arrangements of chairs, desks and other furniture.

She said Mian Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology will be completed in record time and will be opened for the patients for Sargodha division and adjoining districts.

Earlier, she inaugurated the largest flyover in Sargodha and named it Nawaz Sharif flyover. She said the 1.3km bridge was completed in record time of eight months at a cost of Rs2.2 billion and more than 30,000 vehicles will benefit from the flyover on a daily basis.

Criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, the chief minister said: “There is not much difference between what happened on May 9 [2023] and what India did by attacking on May 6 and 7. Rather, perhaps this political party caused more damage to Pakistan. What the enemy could not do in decades, that [damage] was done by a political party.”

The CM assured the students that she would take every step to ensure a bright future for students in the next four years.

Maryam said: “I am to manage over 49,000 schools all over Punjab and I want to see students of government schools equal or better than those of private schools.”

She said the state is like a mother, and a mother feels for every child. She said loans worth Rs61 billion have been given to more than 110,000 people for easy business scheme.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2025