Punjab approves relief supplies for Parachinar

The Punjab Cabinet has approved the dispatch of medicines and other supplies to Parachinar residents along with other developmental initiatives.

The 21st meeting of the provincial cabinet was chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister instructed that relief supplies be sent immediately to Parachinar residents.

Maryam Nawaz stated that a mobile health unit would also be sent according to the needs of the Parachinar residents. She emphasised that the people of Parachinar are part of the nation and must not be left alone during hardships and crises.

The provincial cabinet also congratulated Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on her successful visit to China.

She noted that the exceptional reception given to the delegation in China is a source of pride for the people of Punjab. She added that China’s remarkable achievement in transforming its 1.6 billion population into a strength is an inspiring example of progress.

"We, too, can achieve similar success through hard work," she said, mentioning how clean and organised China's schools, hospitals, and roads are.

Maryam Nawaz highlighted that the Chinese people's respect for authority and their unparalleled harmony are qualities worth emulating. She expressed her hope that Punjab continues to develop and prosper like China with each passing day.

Earlier the Adviser to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Dr. Saif, criticised the federal government for its alleged indifference to the escalating situation in Kurram, calling the government’s response a mere “spectacle” from afar.

“Kurram is a border area, and the Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, also has responsibilities,” he added, calling on Asif to focus on his duties rather than making provocative statements.

The adviser also took a jab at the Prime Minister’s office, stating that if the real Prime Minister, who he referred to as 'Form 45', were in charge, arrangements for an air ambulance would already have been made for Kurram. He contrasted this with what he described as the “fake” Prime Minister, referring to ‘Form 47’, who was preoccupied with false claims.

Saif further criticised the Punjab government, claiming that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had been using his own helicopter for emergency airlift operations in Kurram, while Maryam Nawaz’s supposed promises of an air ambulance had yet to materialise.

On Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur's directive, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's third consignment of essential medicines was airlifted to Kurram on Tuesday to address an acute shortage of emergency supplies.

Using the provincial government's MI-17 helicopter, a two-month stock of medicines valued at Rs12.4 million, including emergency drugs and vaccines, was delivered. This initiative follows the closure of ground routes due to ongoing tensions.

To date, emergency medicines worth Rs200 million have been transported to Kurram via helicopter. The supply operations are being monitored by the Chief Minister's health adviser and the provincial health secretary.

Additionally, Faisal Abdul Sattar Edhi, chairman of the Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation, reached the conflict-affected area with vital supplies after securing approvals from Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi.