CM reaffirms commitment to empowering rural Punjab

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring the provision of education, healthcare, clean drinking water, modern agriculture and basic infrastructure across rural Punjab. In her message on the ‘World Rural Development Day, ’ the chief minister paid tribute to the people of rural areas for their vital contribution to national development and agriculture, and pledged to empower villages through education, skills development, healthcare and sustainable employment. She said rural communities possessed immense potential to strengthen food security, create economic opportunities and support long-term stability, adding that a strong rural economy was indispensable for building a developed Pakistan. “Investing in rural people means investing in the foundations of more resilient societies. Villages play a pivotal role in the progress and prosperity of any country, ” she said. The CM Punjab said villages were the soul of society, whether through agriculture’s key contribution to national production or the preservation of centuries-old traditions. She said the Suthra Punjab Programme was fully operational in rural areas for the first time, similar to urban centres, while electric bus services were, for the first time in history, reaching the village level. The chief minister said the Apna Khet, Apna Rozgar Scheme had been launched exclusively for unemployed people living in rural areas. She further said work was under way on the Model Village Project to equip more than 2, 400 villages with essential civic facilities. Under the project, water filtration plants for clean drinking water, parks and children’s play areas were being developed. She said that under the Local Roads Programme, more than 3, 300 kilometres of rural roads were being constructed and rehabilitated through over 1, 500 development schemes. The CM added that under the Sohna Pind Punjab Programme, paved streets were being constructed in villages alongside road rehabilitation, the establishment of children’s parks and plantation drives. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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