LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that five years are too short period for public service, as the work is enormous and time is limited.
“My desire is to serve the people in a way that my name is remembered with respect in history,” the CM said while addressing the ceremony of the e-Taxi scheme, here on Thursday.
The CM announced the launch of Green Bus Service in every tehsil of Punjab and said the trackless train project would also be launched soon in the province. “Punjab is the first province to introduce the e-Taxi scheme and I expressed gratitude to Allah Almighty for its successful launch,” the CM said. She termed the e-taxi an environment-friendly vehicle and said the scheme would play a key role in providing employment opportunities, particularly to women.
The chief minister expressed satisfaction over allocating more than 30 percent quota for women in the e-Taxi scheme, saying women often hesitate to enter taxi driving due to fear.
“I urge the women of Punjab to remove fear from their hearts. The government stands with every mother, sister and daughter. No one needs to feel threatened,” she said, adding that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to harm women.
She said women were now working shoulder to shoulder with men and appreciated Transport Minister Bilal Akbar Khan and Secretary Transport Imran Sikandar Baloch for their efforts.
She noted that the green electric buses had revolutionised Punjab’s transport system and become a model for others.
As many as 1,500 buses are being added, with another 1,100 to join the fleet. Work is under way on metro bus projects in Faisalabad and Gujranwala, while students, women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities were being provided free travel on green buses, she said.
The chief minister said the government is providing a subsidy of Rs4 billion under the e-Taxi scheme. In the first phase, 1,100 electric vehicles will be distributed. The Punjab government would pay 60pc down payment for women drivers and 50 percent for men. She said the scheme could enable drivers to earn between Rs 150,000 to Rs 200,000 per month.
Referring to inflation, she said the upward trend witnessed in 2024 had stabilised in 2025 and was now declining in 2026. Across Punjab, a 10kg flour bag is available at Rs 950 and a 20kg bag at Rs 1,850. Prices of onion, tomato and other essential items had declined, while vegetables and pulses had been made affordable to ensure no one slept hungry, she said.
She announced that anyone who had not received a ration card or assistance under the Negahban programme could call helpline 1000 and would receive help within 24 hours.
“My mission is to ensure that every citizen receives their due right and no household in Punjab sleeps hungry,” she said.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that 4.2 million families and 250,000 individuals had received Rs10,000 each under the Negahban Ramazan package. With the support of philanthropists, 450 Negahban dastarkhwans were serving over 125,000 people daily, including attendants of patients in hospital lawns.
She said cardiac care facilities had been expanded across districts, with angiography and angioplasty now available at cath labs in every district. In emergency cases, patients were being shifted through air ambulance services. Free ambulance services had also been introduced for shifting deceased persons from hospitals, making Punjab the first province to offer such a facility, she added.
Highlighting environmental improvements, she said significant progress had been made in controlling smog and environmental pollution. Continuous monitoring was under way, and smog-control measures had yielded visible results, leading to improved public health indicators, she said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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