Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said public service required timely decisions, professional integrity and the courage to take risks, adding that she remained unfazed by criticism despite facing more criticism than praise.
“Every decision taken by the chief minister can bring a change in the lives of millions of people,” she said while addressing participants of the Common Training Programme from the Sindh government on Oct 17.
The chief minister said the responsibilities of the chief minister’s office were demanding, with new challenges emerging every day. She stressed that public officials could not afford to waste time, adding that punctuality and efficient decision-making were essential to governance.
“I proudly say that I am made in Pakistan, educated in Pakistan and live in Pakistan,” she said, urging public servants to recognise their responsibility towards a country that had invested in their education, identity and professional development. She said personal feelings should not influence professional decisions, particularly in positions of authority. Officials must know what decision was required and take it at the appropriate time, she added.
Referring to her political journey, CM Punjab said she had never held an elected office before becoming chief minister and had worked hard to reach her current position. She said public interest took precedence over personal considerations and that she did not entertain recommendations in the appointment of senior officials.
The chief minister cited the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar housing programme as an example of the government’s approach to public welfare, saying it had received the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour in Muscat for its rapid implementation and sustainable, low-cost housing model. She said more than 200,000 housing loans had been disbursed in 18 months and 125,000 houses had been completed. The scheme, she added, had a recovery rate of 99.9 per cent, with no defaults. She said the government had introduced checks and safeguards because the money being spent belonged to the public.
CM Maryam Nawaz said more than 100 schemes were under way in Punjab and urged citizens to place their trust in the government, describing it as a “new social contract” between the state and the people. She said merit was the guiding principle in the appointment of district police officers and deputy commissioners, adding that she personally interviewed candidates for key positions and resisted political pressure and recommendations.
Emphasising the need for a citizen-centred state, she said people in need should not have to stand in queues or repeatedly approach government offices for assistance. Instead, the state should reach out to them. She cited mobile health services, field hospitals and home delivery of medicines for patients requiring cardiac care, hepatitis treatment and insulin as examples of efforts to bring public services closer to citizens. The government, she said, was also monitoring essential commodity prices through daily dashboards.
The chief minister highlighted other initiatives, including mobile police stations for women, emergency assistance against harassment, the Dastak app for accessing government services and ambulance services for the transportation of deceased patients from hospitals.
She said 700 buses were providing transport services, while women, students and senior citizens could travel free on electric buses. The government planned to distribute 100,000 electric scooters to female students in November to facilitate their mobility, she added.
On law and order, CM Punjab stated that crime in Punjab had declined by 70 percent following the establishment of the Crime Control Department (CCD). She said Safe City cameras were operational across the province and enabled authorities to detect criminal activity within seconds.
She also highlighted the government’s response to floods that affected around five million people, saying the displaced families had been accommodated and treated with dignity. On environmental issues, she said brick kilns and industrial chimneys were being monitored in real time and that a forest protection force was working to safeguard the province’s forests.
The chief minster urged women to strengthen their professional capabilities and believe that they could perform any task undertaken by their male counterparts. She said governing Punjab, Pakistan’s largest province, carried enormous responsibilities, leaving little room for treating any public issue as a secondary priority.
“If people do not feel safe, their trust in the system will erode,” she said, adding that she personally followed up on projects to ensure their completion.
She said public officials must remain prepared to respond to emergencies and ensure that citizens could access essential services without having to travel long distances for treatment.