‘Aircraft belongs to CM office, not me’: Maryam

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has defended her use of the Punjab government’s official aircraft for a personal visit to London, saying the aircraft belongs to the office of the chief minister and is not her personal property.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Metro Green Electric Bus Service in Multan on Thursday, Maryam said she had paid Rs27.5 million from her own funds for her recent trip to the United Kingdom to attend her daughter’s graduation ceremony.

She said criticism over the Punjab government’s purchase of the aircraft was misplaced. According to her, the aircraft was acquired for official use by the chief minister’s office and was not meant for her personal ownership.

Maryam also questioned why criticism over the aircraft was focused on her when other provincial ministers were also entitled to use it. She said that before the government acquired the aircraft, she had travelled by rented planes when required.

Responding to demands for proof of payment for her London trip, the chief minister said she was accountable to the people and taxpayers. She dismissed criticism from social media personalities and said she had personally covered the expenses of the visit.

Maryam said she continued to perform her official duties while travelling and claimed that she worked long hours rather than taking extended holidays. She also defended her use of official air travel for visits to countries including China, Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Brazil, where she attended the COP conference.

During her address, the chief minister also highlighted her government’s anti-corruption campaign. She claimed that hundreds of police officials had been arrested and dismissed over allegations of corruption and said action was also being taken against officials in other departments.

She said her administration would not tolerate officials taking money from the public and claimed that corruption existed across all four provinces, but cases were being exposed in Punjab because her government was taking action.

Maryam also outlined several development initiatives, including public transport, healthcare, housing, agriculture and education projects.

She said the first phase of the Metro Green Electric Bus Service in Multan would operate with 60 buses, with the fleet expected to increase to 160 in the coming weeks. The fare has been set at Rs20, while women, students, senior citizens and people with disabilities would be able to travel free of charge.

The buses will feature air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, charging facilities and CCTV connectivity. Maryam said the service would eventually be expanded to all districts of Punjab.

She also announced plans to increase the number of electric buses operating across the province to 3,000 by the end of the current financial year and 5,000 within three years.

The chief minister said 100,000 electric bikes would be distributed to students of public and private colleges. She urged eligible students to register before October 4 and said women would not have to pay the down payment under the scheme.

On healthcare, Maryam said a newly established cancer hospital in Multan had been equipped with a PET scan machine worth Rs2.5 billion. She said specialised doctors were being recruited and claimed that advanced cancer treatment facilities were being expanded beyond Lahore.

She said a machine capable of treating certain cancer tumours without surgery had also been installed at the Multan facility. According to her, the Punjab government had allocated Rs5 billion for cancer treatment and planned to establish similar facilities in every division by the end of the year.

Maryam further highlighted the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar housing programme, saying more than 200,000 houses had been completed or initiated under the scheme in two years. She said the government aimed to provide at least 500,000 houses during its five-year tenure.

She also discussed agricultural land distribution, road infrastructure and education initiatives, including the Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence programme. According to her, 150 of the planned 300 schools had been built across Punjab.

The chief minister said the government was also expanding water and sanitation services across the province and had extended the WASA network from five cities to all 40 districts.

She described the projects as part of her government’s broader development agenda and said further initiatives would be launched across Punjab during the remainder of her tenure.