Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif presided over 26th provincial cabinet meeting where 101 agenda points were considered. The Chief Minister has decided to cut power tariffs to curtail electricity bills in a bid to give maximum relief to the masses. Punjab was the first province to voluntarily cut electricity tariffs. The Chief Minister sanctioned to lower the tariffs of power companies of Punjab. At the behest of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the tariffs could be lowered by 30 to 40 percent. The provincial cabinet sanctioned lowering the tariffs of Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power Private Limited and Punjab Thermal Power Private Limited.

 

 

The Chief Minister maintained that the people have full faith in PML-N leadership and government which we accomplish accordingly. Congratulations on the by-election victory in Sambrial were conveyed by the provincial cabinet. It was informed that the victory with a record majority in 80 percent rural provincial constituencies is an expression of farmers' full faith in policies of Chief Minister Punjab. A large number of women and youth voted during the Sambrial by-election.

 

The highest ever votes polled in favour of PML-N at the rural and urban level are a reflection of the reforms initiated by Chief Minister Punjab. The Chief Minister thanked Provincial Minister Zeeshan Rafique and Special Assistant Zeeshan Malik for the efforts. Provincial Minister Zeeshan Rafique told that the masses came out to vote in huge numbers because of public welfare schemes and plans of Chief Minister Punjab. Special Assistant Zeeshan Malik added that masses came out from homes in huge numbers and voted for PML-N.

 

The Chief Minister appreciated the Minister for Health, Minister for Communications and concerned secretaries for providing betterment in hospital and road conditions in Layyah. She ordered taking action for the formation of a medical college in Layyah. The gathering approved a grant-in-aid of Rs 400 million to the Punjab Journalist Housing Foundation. RUDA will be given money by PJHF for Lahore Press Club Housing Scheme Phase II land.

 

The Chief Minister mentioned that an enormous package is going to be provided to the wheat growers. It was reported in the meeting that payment of Rs 5,000 per acre subsidy has been made to 514,000 wheat growers in Punjab. The payment will be made after the process of verification of another 500,000 wheat growers gets finished. Rs. 63 billion was given in the second installment under Kisan Card and farmers have bought Rs 18 billion worth of fertilizer.

 

The cabinet approved Chief Minister Wheat Program 2025. The opening of Punjab's first "Air Punjab Private Limited Company" was sanctioned. She announced a goal to initiate Air Punjab within one year. She ordered to move to shut down vaping centres in the province immediately. She ordered to provide "safety gear" to labourers and workers and assigned a target to the Labour Department to adopt safety SOPs for workers within a month.

 

The Chief Minister stated that workers perish by tumbling from five-story buildings and the administration cannot remain silent about it. The workers who ventured into sewers for sanitation works must be equipped with safety kits in any situation. The provincial cabinet gave the nod to ration cards to workers and miners who were registered at the Labour Department. The meeting also sanctioned the deployment of electric buses in nine Punjab divisions. She ordered to set up charging stations in all major cities at the earliest.

 

The meeting endorsed the Punjab Autism School and Resource Centre Lahore Act 2025. She ordered to enroll all ailing children in the autism center without any discrimination. The cabinet endorsed the transfer of land to set up Pakistan's first Nawaz Sharif Medical City in Lahore. Medical district will possess blood diseases, bone marrow and every other specialized center on five thousand kanals of land. Parks, hotels, food court, play area and city forest will be created in the Nawaz Sharif Medical District. One of the world's most popular institutions has approached for the construction of a children hospital in the Nawaz Sharif Medical District. Chief Minister has made a target of developing basic facilities in every school of Punjab.

 

Classrooms, toilet blocks, furniture and laboratories will be constructed in each school worth Rs. 40 billion. The provincial cabinet approved 1100 interest-free electric taxis to Lahore. The meeting okayed Punjab's first child protection policy to identify the role of institutions to make children safe. Special grant-in-aid was sanctioned for the heirs of martyrs who were killed during the attack in the Attock District Courts. Changa Manga Wildlife, Lal Sohanra, National Park eco-tourism projects were sanctioned. Bus shelters in Lahore were approved to be built, repaired and upgraded.

 

Approval was also sanctioned for constructing depots for electric buses at Thokar Niaz Baig and Railway Station. The meeting cleared a Rs 100 billion Chief Minister Punjab Special Financing Facility to support flour mills and food grains licensees. Approval was given for the introduction of the Electronic Warehouse Reset System (EWR) to ease the burden of farmers. The meeting cleared the presentation of the 2022-23 annual report of the Punjab Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (P-TEVTA) in the Punjab Assembly. The offer of assigning the powers of sub-registrars to Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars was ratified. The establishment of agencies to be formed under the Punjab Road Safety Authority Act 2023 was ratified. The Measurement Book in the Public Works Department was ratified by the cabinet. The Punjab Senior Citizens Welfare Bill 2025 was ratified. The Punjab Motor Vehicle Rules 1969 was approved for amendments for the provision of reflective number plates.

 

Grant of Personalized Vanity Plates (PVP) in Punjab / Reserve Price and Transfer Fee was approved. Province cabinet approved the registration of electric vehicles in Punjab. Reward system of officers/officers and informants of the Excise Taxation and Narcotics Department was approved. Amendments to the Punjab Price Control of Essential Commodities Act, 2024 were approved. The session endorsed the Mines and Minerals Act, 2025, to align the rules and regulations of the sector of mineral resources. A service level agreement for technical support between the Higher Education Department and the Punjab Information Technology Board was endorsed. The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Services Bill, 2025 was endorsed. The abolition of the Board of Management of the Punjab Institute of Mental Health, Lahore and the establishment of an Administration Committee in accordance with the Punjab Medical and Health Institutions Act, 2003 were granted. The cabinet sanctioned the monitoring and evaluation allowance for the Directorate General Monitoring and Evaluation, Planning and Development Board, Lahore officers. The Punjab Horticulture Authority Act, 2024 was sanctioned. The steps to reduce smog were sanctioned through establishing green spaces to make Lahore environment-friendly. The Legal Framework for the Management of Auqaf, Trust and Cooperative Societies Act, 2024 was sanctioned.

 

A scheme to rectify the issues of water logging and land erosion in Rahim Yar Khan was approved.

 

An arrangement for transformation of expenses of Lakhodeer Landfill into carbon credits was approved. The cabinet approved the Punjab Public Awareness and Information Dissemination Act, 2025. The reconstitution of the Punjab Film Censor Board was approved. Approval was accorded for the establishment of a Board of Management for Institute of Public Health, Lahore under the Department of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education. Approval was accorded for the establishment of Boards of Management for Gujranwala Medical College, Gujranwala and Sahiwal Medical College, Sahiwal under by Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education department.

 

The meeting sanctioned the release of funds for the acquisition of equipment and furniture in tertiary care hospitals in Punjab. Sanction was accorded for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for exchanging data between the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and revenue authorities. Sanction was accorded for the launch of the Punjab Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and the Pension Fund Manager Agreement. Amendments to the Punjab Subsidiary Treasury Rules were sanctioned. Sanction was accorded for pension on re-appointment or employment after retirement. The cabinet sanctioned the constitution of a cabinet committee to consider proposals under the Grant-in-Aid Policy 2025. Sanction was accorded for the supply of retro-reflected number plates for fitting on Punjab vehicles. A Special allowance was sanctioned for the Punjab Environment Protection Authority employees.

Sanction was accorded for addition of the office of Secretary Ombudsman Punjab in the First Schedule Part-I of the Punjab Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 2016. Supplementary grant was sanctioned for the acquisition of branded customized motorbikes for field personnel during the financial year 2024-25. Additional grant was sanctioned for payment of arrears of Ramzan Bazaars 2022. Sanction was accorded for release of amount for payment of amount awarded as per court decree. The meeting sanctioned modifications in Punjab Public Procurement Rules 2014. Punjab Clean Air Program (PCAP) being implemented with the assistance of World Bank was sanctioned. Contract renewal of 20 Komatsu bulldozers between Agriculture Department and Heavy Industries Taxila/Margalla Heavy Industries Limited approved. Contract between Agriculture Department and Green Corporate Initiatives (GCI) for setting up Model Agriculture Malls approved.

 

"Safe Jails Punjab" program was approved. Extension of the term of Tauqeer Ahmed Nasir as Chairman, Punjab Film Censor Board was approved. Reconstitution of the Board of Directors of Punjab Rural Municipal Services Company was approved. Appointment of member in Punjab Labour Appellate Tribunal No. I, Lahore was ratified. Construction and maintenance of 3.3 km long different roads was ratified in Village Satra, Tehsil Daska, District Sialkot ratified. Sanction was accorded to place the issue related to the Standing Committee on Finance and Development of the Cabinet for sanction of the amount of Rs. 1.7 billion for the opening of 4 new Sahulat Bazaars and solarization of 32 Model Bazaars in Punjab by way of supplementary grant in the ongoing financial year 2024-25. The approval was accorded to submit the issue to Standing Committee on Finance and Development of the Cabinet for approval of the supplementary grant for the ongoing financial year 2024-25 for launching the "Sahulat on the Go" scheme in 15 hotspot areas of Lahore. Restructuring of Punjab Green Development Program was approved.

 

Amendments to Punjab Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 2016 was approved. Sanction to disburse funds under Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs. 2.5 billion on flagship project for financial year 2024-25. Reorganization of City Traffic Police, Lahore sanctioned. Recruitment on 35 new positions in Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) and modified organogram of the organization sanctioned. Relaxation of ban on recruitment in Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) sanctioned by the meeting. Relaxation in ban on recruitment on 16 vacant posts in Lahore Walled City Authority allowed. Application for relaxation in ban on recruitment on vacant posts in Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab was allowed. Statistical Assistant post in Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department was allowed to be upgraded from BS-15 to BS-16. The cabinet approved the exemption from the prohibition on recruitment of the University of Rasul, Mandi Bahauddin.

 

Recruitment of 35 new positions in the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) and the updated organogram of the organization was approved. Nomination of Presiding Officer of Punjab Labour Court No. IX, Multan was approved. Nomination of admitting university for holding MDCAT-2025 was approved. Approval for appointment of Secretary, Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department as Government Nominee Director in Board of Directors of Punjab Skills Development Fund was approved. Approval for appointment of Chairpersons, Secretaries and Controllers of Examination of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education was approved.

 

Approval to ratify the proceedings of 25th meeting of provincial cabinet was approved. Approval for payment of medical bill of various persons was approved. The application for approval to treat the wife of a retired government officer from a private hospital before a special medical board was approved. The application for approval of treatment of cancer patient Hidayatullah son of Saeeda Begum, resident of Gilgit district, was approved. The meeting sanctioned payment of medical bills of Uzma Rashid, Deputy Drug Controller, Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi.