Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced land allocation in industrial zones for beneficiaries of the Asaan Karobar loan scheme and directed authorities to accelerate its implementation while expanding the number of recipients. Speaking at a cheque and card distribution ceremony under the scheme, she urged the Bank of Punjab to disburse maximum loans and emphasized the need for policies that ensure businesses start immediately.
She assured that no-objection certificates (NOCs) and licenses would continue to be issued to facilitate entrepreneurs, encouraging recipients to take loans and launch businesses. The government plans to introduce a free plot scheme in Ramazan, and 3.3 million families will receive Rs10,000 each at their doorsteps during the month. Additionally, a laptop scheme for students is set to be launched after Ramazan.
The chief minister said Pakistan’s economy was improving and emphasized that interest-free loans were necessary for private sector stability. She noted that economic conditions had been challenging over the past seven years but claimed the situation was now recovering. She reiterated that economic progress and improved living standards were priorities for the government.
Highlighting the PML-N’s governance approach, she said Nawaz Sharif had consistently fulfilled promises and that economic development remained central to the party’s policies. She noted that people from other provinces and the media had expressed surprise at the rapid launch of projects in Punjab. Under the Asaan Karobar schemes, loans starting from Rs1 million were being disbursed, with no interest charged. She also stated that the loan application process had been simplified to avoid complex conditions.
She claimed inflation had dropped from 38% to below 4% since the PML-N formed the government, adding that flour prices in Punjab were the lowest among all provinces. She said she personally monitored the prices of essential commodities daily. The scheme has received 185,000 applications, including 71,000 applications each for the Rs5 million and Rs30 million financing categories. She pledged to monitor loan disbursements closely.
Maryam Nawaz stressed the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in economic growth, stating that not everyone could establish large businesses. She expressed confidence that loan recipients would soon expand their ventures and generate employment opportunities for others. She also criticized political opponents, alleging that calls for protests had failed to mobilize the public and that only government employees from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had participated.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif met members of the Punjab Assembly from various districts, including Sahiwal, Khanewal, Multan, Lodhran, Vehari, and Bahawalnagar. He said political instability had damaged Pakistan’s development and accused previous governments of introducing malice and revenge into politics. He asserted that the economy had been brought back from the brink of default and credited Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s efforts for restoring economic stability.
He further stated that corruption, inflation, and economic mismanagement were consequences of past political decisions, adding that the PML-N’s focus remained on economic development and public welfare. He reiterated that the government’s priority was to stabilize the economy and reduce inflation through policy continuity.
