DG Khan
\nPunjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz firmly rejected suggestions to seek international aid for flood relief, asserting that the provincial government would handle the crisis using its own resources. She also accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of politicising the disaster.
\nDuring the launch of the first-ever electric bus service in Dera Ghazi Khan, Maryam addressed the devastation caused by four consecutive months of rainfall, which led to the worst flooding in Punjab\u2019s history.
\nShe took aim at PPP leadership, specifically Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, for interfering in Punjab\u2019s affairs instead of focusing on their own province.
\n\u201cKeep your advice to yourself. We will manage Punjab ourselves,\u201d she said, adding that while Bilawal is like a younger brother to her, his party\u2019s spokespersons should refrain from commenting on Punjab\u2019s situation.
\nThe CM also addressed calls for Punjab to request international donations, insisting her government would never \u201cbeg\u201d for help. \u201cI am Nawaz Sharif\u2019s daughter. I will not beg. How can a self-respecting person hold their hand out?\u201d she said, reiterating that her government would rely on its own resources.
\nMaryam stressed that Punjab had not requested any financial assistance from the federal government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for flood relief. \u201cI haven\u2019t taken or even asked for one rupee from the prime minister,\u201d she affirmed.
\nShe also criticised the Benazir Income Support Programme for offering insufficient aid to flood-affected families. \u201cWhat can someone do with Rs10,000 if they\u2019ve suffered a loss worth millions?\u201d she asked. In response, she pledged up to Rs1 million in compensation for affected families.
\nThe CM also emphasised her commitment to all of Punjab, dismissing efforts to divide the province along regional lines. \u201cSouth Punjab is as dear to me as my own son, Junaid,\u201d she said, highlighting the PML-N\u2019s real developmental work in the region.
\nShe added that under her leadership, schoolchildren in South Punjab were receiving milk and other practical welfare measures were being implemented.
\nIn her speech, the chief minister discussed welfare measures targeting families that struggle to make ends meet. She clarified that her administration\u2019s ration cards were intended for hardworking individuals, not those who rely on government assistance without effort.
\nElectric bus service for South Punjab
\nMaryam launched the new electric bus service, calling it a historic milestone in the modernisation of South Punjab\u2019s transport system.
\nA total of 101 buses will be deployed across DG Khan Division, covering areas like Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Taunsa, and Kot Addu. The service will offer free travel for women, students, and senior citizens, and will be fully accessible for people with disabilities.
\nThe first phase includes 24 buses on routes in DG Khan, which will feature air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, charging ports, CCTV cameras, and separate compartments for women.
\nIn her concluding remarks, she urged citizens to treat the new buses as their own, stressing that damaging public property is akin to harming the public itself. \u201cThese buses belong to the people. Keep them clean and safeguard them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DG Khan Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz firmly rejected suggestions to seek international aid for flood relief, asserting that the provincial government would handle the crisis using its own resources. She also accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of politicising the disaster. During the launch of the first-ever electric bus service in Dera Ghazi Khan, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":504979,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-504957","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n