LAHORE (Dunya News) - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has inaugurated a meal provision programme for special students on Thursday.
Addressing the launch ceremony in Lahore, the Chief Minister said that special children are “our heroes” and that God has blessed them with exceptional abilities. She praised the entire Special Education Department team, recalling her promise to establish Centres of Excellence for special children in every district. She added that Sania Ashiq had turned this dream into reality within a short period.
Maryam Nawaz stated that Centres of Excellence for special children have been completed in 28 districts, while Punjab now has 303 institutions dedicated to special education, all of which will undergo complete reconstruction.
She said mothers of special children need not thank her, as serving them is her duty as Chief Minister. Special children, she noted, bring blessings to their homes, and she saluted the courage of parents raising them.
The Chief Minister said the state is responsible for every need of its citizens—from roads, sanitation, healthcare and education to agriculture and basic food costs. People may consider the chief minister’s office ceremonial, she said, but in reality, “no office carries a greater responsibility.” A high position without service, she added, becomes a burden.
Maryam Nawaz said Punjab has launched a school meal programme across the province, adding that she wants every household to be approached to identify special children so they can be enrolled in government institutions.
She further announced that every school will be provided with CCTV-monitored buses. Sixty buses have already arrived. When given the right environment, she said, special children do not become a burden on their parents. The government is issuing Himmat Cards to 70,000–75,000 differently-abled individuals, and thousands of special children will also receive these cards.
Earlier, the Chief Minister formally inaugurated the meal programme for special students by ringing a bell, and also took photos with the children.