GUJRAT(National times)- Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif criticized the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), claiming people there still live in \u201cstone-age\u201d conditions and are unaware of progress, while children are being exposed to violence. Speaking at an event at Gujrat University, she emphasized that political power is temporary, like sand slipping through fingers. Addressing students, Maryam Nawaz said she came as a mother to make a promise: all of Punjab\u2019s resources are dedicated to the youth. She encouraged students to dream freely, assuring them that scholarships, laptops, and other facilities would be awarded strictly on merit. \u201cI am answerable to Allah. No one can claim scholarships were given on recommendation; merit alone decides,\u201d she said. She added that the success of students brings her more joy than to their parents, calling Generation Z the future of Punjab and the country. \u201cYou will manage the nation\u2019s affairs; the survival of this country rests in your hands,\u201d she asserted. She further declared 2026 as the \u201cyear of youth,\u201d promising full support without expecting anything in return, urging students to appreciate their homeland. Maryam Nawaz contrasted Punjab with KP, claiming KP children are given weapons instead of education, taught violence, and told to block roads and shops. In Punjab, she said, children enjoy merit-based scholarships, laptops, Parwaz Cards, technical training, and free Green Bus transport to educational institutions. \u201cWhere Punjab has progress, KP has chaos,\u201d she said. She concluded by stressing her national identity, saying, \u201cI am first Pakistani, then Punjabi,\u201d and reiterated that Punjab youth must be equipped with modern tools to compete globally. She accused the KP government of merely raising awareness while obstructing development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GUJRAT(National times)- Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif criticized the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), claiming people there still live in \u201cstone-age\u201d conditions and are unaware of progress, while children are being exposed to violence. Speaking at an event at Gujrat University, she emphasized that political power is temporary, like sand slipping through fingers. Addressing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":120757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n