PM Shehbaz praises Punjab development projects, says PML-N set for 'historic results' in next polls

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for launching a series of public-oriented mega projects across the province, expressing confidence that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz would achieve “historic results” in the next general election.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of a new mass transport system on Saturday, the prime minister said the recent election results in Punjab reflected public trust in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership.

“In the next three years, the incumbent government of PML-N has the mandate to serve the people,” he said, urging party officials to work tirelessly under the leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

In remarks broadcast live on national television, Shehbaz said he was optimistic that ongoing development projects and the government’s “hard work” would translate into favourable results in the next polls. “The journey of progress and prosperity has just commenced, and we will move on the path of development rapidly. In the next election, owing to this hard work, PML-N will get historic results,” he added.

The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal and provincial ministers, lawmakers, senior officials and local residents.

Shehbaz described the new mass transport project as a major initiative aimed at easing urban mobility and improving access for commuters, including students, patients, labourers, lawyers and daily travellers. He said the project was a “gift” from the Punjab chief minister and would help transform the district.

The prime minister said Punjab’s development journey began in 1985 under Nawaz Sharif, who launched major infrastructure and economic initiatives at a time when national politics was dominated by slogans and confrontation. These initiatives, he said, laid the foundation for a new political narrative that continued through the 1988 elections and beyond.

He said history would record Nawaz Sharif’s achievements “in golden words,” citing Pakistan’s nuclear tests. “If it had not been the case, the situation in the recent war with India in May would have been different,” he said.

Shehbaz added that development in Punjab was advancing rapidly under Maryam Nawaz’s “dynamic and young leadership,” noting projects such as a new cancer hospital, metro bus expansions, environmental initiatives, housing schemes for the poor, flood relief efforts and improvements in school facilities.

“These works speak for themselves and, like truth, cannot be ignored even by political opponents,” he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif also addressed the ceremony, highlighting key initiatives launched by her government.