Punjab Chief Minister Launches New School of Eminence in Sahiwal

In Sahiwal, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz officially opened the first Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence for the division on Thursday.

The institution was set up independently inside a private housing society located on Pakpattan Road in Arifwala City.

She also unveiled a plaque highlighting the planned establishment of ten additional NSSE schools, one in each tehsil of the Sahiwal division.

A temporary helipad was erected within the housing society to facilitate the chief minister’s arrival.

Housing society’s wall collapses due to CM’s copter air pressure

Officials reported that the downdraft from the helicopter during landing caused the society’s boundary wall to collapse.

A large pandal was set up for the event, accommodating over 500 attendees, most of whom were students and administrative staff.

During her speech, the chief minister announced plans to open NSSE campuses in 300 tehsils throughout Punjab.

She also pledged to distribute 100,000 laptops to students within the next three to four months, alongside 50,000 scholarships via the Honhaar Scholarship Programme.

The chief minister stated that Rs40 billion has been earmarked for building washrooms, supplying furniture, and upgrading classroom infrastructure under the School Meals Facility Fund.

Maryam Nawaz stressed that financial limitations should not impede education, saying, “Do not worry about resources; your mother will provide them. It is my duty to ensure they are available.” She further announced a scheme to provide 100,000 electric bikes to students, offering zero down‑payment and interest‑free financing.

She noted that 1.2 million children in southern Punjab are receiving milk packs and biscuits at school, a measure that has markedly increased enrollment in public institutions.

While touring the facility, she examined classrooms, laboratories, and the robotics lab, expressing particular interest in the Maryam Nawaz Sahara Robot—created by students from Lahore’s Pilot School—which detects the emotions of paralyzed individuals by analyzing their eye movements.

Education Minister Rana Sikander Hayat also spoke, noting that four million students are currently enrolled in the public‑private partnership program administered by the Punjab Education Foundation, and that 10,376 public schools province‑wide have undergone upgrades.

E-bus service in five districts

In Nankana Sahib, CM Maryam Nawaz digitally inaugurated the e‑bus service in Layyah, Okara, Sialkot, Chiniot and Murree districts.

She announced that 5,000 electric buses will be deployed across the province over the next five years, positioning Punjab with the largest public transit fleet in the country.

She explained that 1,100 e‑buses will enter service in the initial phase, with an additional 1,500 slated for deployment during the current fiscal year.

Transport Minister Bilal Akbar outlined the plan, noting that 51 e‑buses will serve ten routes in Sialkot, Layyah, Okara, Chiniot and Murree, and that another 101 buses will be rolled out in nine additional Punjab districts by the end of July.

Speaking at the event, the chief minister directed deputy commissioners to oversee the building and upkeep of electric‑bus stations, charging assistant commissioners with swiftly addressing any issues that arise.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2026

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