CM Maryam vows to transform rural Punjab through infrastructure, modern agriculture

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jul, 2026) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday said the government was committed to ensuring quality education, healthcare, clean drinking water, modern agriculture and basic infrastructure across rural Punjab.

She added the government was implementing a comprehensive development agenda to improve the lives of people living in villages.

In her message on World Rural Development Day, the chief minister paid tribute to the people of rural areas for their invaluable contribution to agriculture and national development, and pledged to empower villages through education, skills development, healthcare and sustainable livelihood opportunities.

She said rural communities possessed immense potential to strengthen food security, create economic opportunities and support long-term national 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.

CM Maryam Nawaz said villages represented the soul of society, not only because of agriculture’s vital contribution to national production but also due to their role in preserving centuries-old traditions and cultural heritage.

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Highlighting the Punjab government’s initiatives, she said the Suthra Punjab Programme was now fully operational in rural areas for the first time, similar to urban centres, while electric bus services were also being extended to villages for the first time in the province’s history.

The CM said the Apna Khet, Apna Rozgar Scheme had been launched specifically to support unemployed people living in rural areas by providing them with sustainable livelihood opportunities. She further said work was in progress on the Model Village Project to equip more than 2,400 villages with essential civic facilities, including water filtration plants for the provision of clean drinking water, parks and children’s play areas.

Maryam Nawaz 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.

She added that under the Sohna Pind Punjab Programme, paved streets were being built in villages alongside road rehabilitation, the development of children’s parks and extensive plantation drives aimed at improving the rural environment and quality of life.