LAHORE – Punjab Minister for Information and Broadcasting Azma Bokhari said that protecting the life and properties of the citizens is the government’s foremost responsibility.
Azma warned that closing roads and causing public hardship is unacceptable.
She was talking to the reporters outside the provincial legislative assembly in Lahore on Monday.
The minister said that Pakistan would not allow its territory to be used by other states or non-state actors to carry out terrorism.
She also shared the provincial government’s ongoing relief and development measures and warned against security threats along the western border.
Azma said the Punjab government’s survey of flood damage is in its final stages and that cash assistance to flood victims would begin very soon. She said the Southern Punjab card initiative and the Suthra Punjab flagship programme are being rolled out vigorously, with special mail programmes under way across the region.
Highlighting social-sector gains, the minister said measurable improvements are visible in children’s health indicators. Under the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” housing scheme, some 60,000 houses are under construction while 924 homes have been completed so far. A livestock card scheme for rural households has been launched, she added.
Bukhari said a Saudi delegation has expressed interest in Punjab’s livestock sector and in the province’s railway projects. She said 4,014 people have had their identity cards registered under relevant programmes, and 9,400 tractors have so far been provided to farmers.
Turning to security and political developments, the minister criticized recent statements by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leadership and accused KP rulers of grandstanding in the Assembly. She voiced concern about rising terrorist incidents in KP and alleged cross-border incursions from Afghanistan, saying such attempts to destabilise Pakistan must be resisted collectively.
The minister also commented on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying life there is being restored. She reiterated Islamabad’s readiness to hold local government elections and called for united action to secure the country against any attempts to undermine internal stability.
