Dera Ghazi Khan – Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, has said that her administration is committed to providing full meals to students in all public schools across the province, aiming to offer the same facilities available in private schools. Speaking at an event for the School Nutrition Program in Dera Ghazi Khan, Maryam Nawaz expressed her joy at meeting the children and shared her deep affection for them, stating, “I care for you as a mother cares for her children.”
She highlighted that despite the geographical distance between Lahore and Dera Ghazi Khan, her focus is on the entire province. “Punjab has 49,000 schools, with millions of students, and my goal is to provide regular meals in schools. However, Pakistan is not a wealthy country, and our resources are limited,” she noted, adding that better times are ahead.
Maryam Nawaz emphasized her dedication to improving educational facilities, saying, “I constantly think about how to enhance your education, school buildings, learning environment, and academic standards.”
She further explained that her visit to Dera Ghazi Khan was specifically to meet the children, and she had chosen to launch the program in South Punjab rather than starting from Lahore or Rawalpindi.
The Chief Minister announced free milk distribution initiative for children in kindergarten, pre-nursery, and up to grade 5. Under this program, children will receive a daily packet of milk, with the scheme being piloted in Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, and Rajanpur.
Maryam Nawaz stressed the need to extend this initiative across Pakistan and highlighted that Punjab is the only province where inflation has been successfully reduced, thanks to Nawaz Sharif’s vision. She stated, “We have managed to stabilize the prices of essential items like flour, bread, and vegetables, bringing inflation down from 35% to 9% for the first time in Pakistan.”
