Lahore (Bureau Report)
Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bukhari on Tuesday met a delegation of journalists from Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Secretary Information Punjab Syed Tahir Raza Hamdani and Director General Public Relations (DGPR) Sheikh Fareed Ahmed were also present during the meeting.
The minister briefed the visiting delegation in detail on various welfare and development initiatives launched by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Azma Bukhari said that Kashmir and Pakistan are inseparable and no force can divide them. She added that the sacrifices of the people of occupied Kashmir would not go in vain and the end of oppression is near.
She assured the delegation that the Punjab government would provide all possible facilities to Kashmiri journalists. Expressing pride in being part of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s team, Azma Bukhari said Punjab is achieving a prominent position at the global level under her leadership.
Talking about politics, the information minister said that political competition should be based on performance rather than abuse. She emphasized that only those who truly serve the public deserve to move forward in politics, adding that false narratives have harmed the country while truth and performance are the only paths to success.
Highlighting the importance of youth, Azma Bukhari termed them the nation’s most valuable asset and said that empowering young people is the top priority of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. She said that under the “Asaan Karobar” program, loans worth over Rs80 billion have been provided, while the “Suthra Punjab” project has become a global-standard initiative, creating over 1.5 million job opportunities. Additionally, she noted that 120,000 families have benefited from the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” scheme.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the visiting delegation appreciated the Punjab government’s initiatives and thanked the information minister for the briefing.