CM Inaugurates Electric Bus Project In Wazirabad, Announces Relief & Development Initiatives

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Sep, 2025) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated the Electric Bus Project in Wazirabad, announcing a series of landmark initiatives aimed at strengthening public transport, providing relief to flood-affected communities, and accelerating development across the province.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the chief minister announced the establishment of a cardiac treatment centre in Gujranwala, and declared free travel on electric buses for women, students, senior citizens, and differently-abled persons, said a handout issued here. She further announced that the Metro Bus Service would soon be launched in Gujranwala to provide modern and affordable transport to the public.

In a major relief package for flood-affected farmers, she declared compensation of Rs. 20,000 per acre, Rs. 1 million for completely destroyed houses, Rs. 500,000 for partially damaged homes, Rs. 500,000 for the loss of cows and buffaloes, and Rs. 50,000 for the loss of goats and sheep. She stressed that the government would not rest until every flood-affected family was fully rehabilitated.

Highlighting progress on housing, she said that under the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” scheme, 80,000 houses were already under construction, with a target of 100,000 houses to be completed by December.

The CM also announced that 1,100 electric buses would arrive in Punjab by December, followed by an additional 1,500 buses next year. She said these buses would offer modern facilities such as free Wi-Fi, mobile charging ports, and safe transport for women and female students. She also revealed that fares on the Wazirabad, Gakhar Mandi route would be reduced from Rs.

200 to only Rs. 20, making public transport affordable for all.

CM Maryam Nawaz paid tribute to the resilience of the people of Punjab, who bravely faced the devastating floods, and said the displaced would not be called “flood victims” but rather “guests of the Punjab government.” She informed that Punjab was facing the worst floods in its history, with 2.5 million people evacuated and rehabilitated. Timely action, she said, prevented widespread devastation as water levels in three rivers reached critical levels.

She lauded the coordinated rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts of the Pakistan Army, Navy, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, Police, and local administration, and also praised her cabinet members including Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Kazim Pirzada, and Rana Sikandar Hayat for supervising operations on the ground.

The CM said that the Punjab government was committed to serving the people day and night, ensuring the supply of food, rations, medicines, animal fodder, and tents in flood-affected areas. She emphasized that modern transport projects would no longer be confined to big cities alone, noting that electric bus projects had already been launched in Mianwali and now in Wazirabad.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed gratitude to the people of Wazirabad for their warm welcome and conveyed greetings on behalf of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. She remarked, “A few days earlier, I visited Wazirabad during the floods; today, I have returned to present the people of Wazirabad with the gift of electric buses.”