Punjab CM inaugurates Rs5.61b projects and orders Sahiwal University hostel

What happened

On Friday, October 16, 2026, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated four development projects totaling Rs5.61 billion in Sahiwal [1]. During the event, she also laid the foundation stones for 10 model agriculture malls to be established across Punjab [1].

While addressing a ceremony at the University of Sahiwal (UoS) for the distribution of laptops and Honhaar Scholarship cheques, the Chief Minister issued several directives [1, 2]:

• She ordered authorities to take steps to construct a girls’ hostel at the University of Sahiwal [1, 2].
• She directed the restoration of scholarships for nurses [1, 2].
• She noted that nurses and students of religious seminaries have been included in government schemes for the first time [1, 2].

Regarding other provincial initiatives, the Chief Minister reported that:

• 500,000 youths have been trained under a skills development programme over the last two years [1].
• One million Kisan Cards have been issued and 30,000 tractors provided to farmers [1].
• Under the Work for Punjab programme, university graduates are offered internships with monthly stipends between Rs60,000 and Rs65,000 [1].
• The government is providing assistance, including air tickets, to skilled workers traveling abroad via the Parwaaz Card [1].
• More than 600,000 applications have been received for the electric bike scheme [1].
• Two Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence have been established in every district of Punjab to provide quality education [1].
• 300,000 acres of land are being provided to landless people for cultivation [1].
• The Clinic on Wheels initiative has benefited 30 million people [1].

Who is affected

• Students at the University of Sahiwal will see new hostel facilities for girls and the distribution of laptops and Honhaar Scholarship cheques [1, 2].
• Nurses and students of religious seminaries are now included in government schemes [1, 2].
• University graduates can access internships through the Work for Punjab programme [1].
• Students from other provinces are eligible for the laptop scheme under a specific quota [1].
• Farmers are supported through Kisan Cards and tractor provisions [1].
• Skilled youth seeking employment abroad can use the Parwaaz Card [1].
• Residents in Sahiwal, Okara, and Pakpattan are identified as areas deserving urban beautification [1].