CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif Launches Pakistan’s Biggest-Ever Agriculture Graduates Internship Program

LAHORE, 25 September 2024:
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif launched the biggest agriculture graduate internship program in the history of Pakistan at Faisalabad University of Agriculture. A scholarship of 60,000 rupees per month will be given to 1,000 agriculture graduates. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif distributed appointment letters among the agriculture graduate students. She also met the teachers and students of the University of Agriculture. She went to the students and inquired about the selection on merit. Students also took selfies with her. CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif congratulated the student Anila Hussain who recited Naat Rasul Maqbool (SAW) by getting up from her seat.
The CM while addressing said, “Thanks be to Allah that today we are starting the implementation of Pakistan’s biggest historic Kisan package. Having actually worked on the Kisan package, the students being here and receiving the internship letter is proof that the implementation of the Kisan package has started in a very short period of time. When someone exploits the youth, politics gets defamed. Politics is part of life.”
She said, “Those who raise slogans of the youth should stand up and tell me that if any youth has got a job on merit in the last six years. I broke the traditions of the past, invited the displeasure of the party and 95% of my cabinet comprises young people. In my cabinet there are educated and hard working young people whose hard work is the result of their sitting here today. The ministers of my cabinet are not the representatives of PML-N but representatives of the people. Within a short period of 6 months this project has not only been launched but people have been given employments.”
CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif said, “I swear that none of these youths were given jobs on any recommendation but on merit only. Such transparency is unprecedented in the past. Approximately, 1,000 youths have been given employments at Rs. 60,000 per month. People have expectations that if someone close to them holds any position, it should make it easier for them. I promise you that as long as I am holding this office, I will never let merit to be violated. Today Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was asked by a foreign ambassador what is his opinion about the political chaos. I want to ask the youth, do you want a Pakistan that in which abusive language is used and and false accusations are levelled. I realize that when a young person pursues a degree, there is a burden on him to support his parents financially. The purpose of this internship is to strengthen the youth financially. During the interview, no youth was given the job on political basis but the job criteria is only merit. One MPA told me during the meeting that a vehicle from our clinic on Wheels was seen parked in front of the opposition camp. I thought that as a Chief Minister of Punjab, if I consider political affiliations and provide facilities, then what will I answer to Allah?”
CM Punjab said, “It is an easy task that I can say to go to another province to hold a meeting or hold a vandalism. My opponents have no work to do and when they talk, they pour out heaps of filth. The system of disbelief can work but the system of oppression cannot because oppression is based on lies.”
She added, “Wherever I go to any hospital, I meet patients coming from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. We started a heart surgery program in which more than 15 thousand children will undergo heart surgery. More than 100 heart surgeries h ave been carried out within a week out of which many patients came from KPK. KPK government’s only priority is to spread chaos in other provinces. I am not afraid of slogans from the opposition and I will not hesitate to speak the truth. During the tenure of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, there was talk of GDP growth and development. But today the only focus is on who can abuse whom loudly. Do the youth want such a Pakistan for themselves? When I go to office, I spend every single moment in making things easy for you.”
She said, “Before today has any government taken any step to protect the girls. We have ensured the safety of girls through virtual police stations. With Safe City and Pink Button, you can get help from the government in difficult times. More than 5000 applications were received for the internship program out of which 1000 were selected. All these youths belong to agriculture universities and their age is less than 25 years. It is a matter of happiness for me that 25% of them are girls. You all are the source of communication between me and the farmers. Next year we are going to launch the biggest Kisan package worth Rs 400 billion in the history of Punjab. Punjab is the biggest food basket of entire Pakistan. We have decided this year that the government will not buy wheat. The government buys wheat not from farmers but from mafias and commission agent, who hold the farmers hostage. There is immense corruption in this whole process, each bag of Bardana is sold for many thousands. The farmer never gets fixed rate settled by the government. By stopping this corruption, the price of bread has significantly decreased. In no other province except Punjab does bread cost 12 or 13 rupees? I also ask my team members to take care of the person who has to run his house for 30 thousand rupees. Punjab is the only province of Pakistan where the inflation graph has been going down continuously for the last six months. We are going to give an interest-free loan of one and a half lakh to the small farmers for the crop. We have received ten lakh applications for the Kisan Card across Punjab. 3.5 lakh farmers have been declared eligible, whose cards have already been distributed.”
CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif said, “Kisan cards will be activated from October 15. The message to the farmer is that plant wheat without fear, I will not let you lose. If they give profits to the commissioner agent and the mafia, the price of bread will increase. I also want to benefit the farmer and make the bread of the poor cheap. Our effort is to ensure that the farmer gets loan and is not exploited. We have started the green tractor scheme in which the government will pay 10 lakhs out of the tractor price of 40 lakh rupees. The government will give Rs 10 lakh subsidy on tractor worth Rs 25 lakh for small farmers. By the grace of Allah, farmers have complete trust in the government of Punjab, Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The farmer knows that we will get loan and machinery too. It is easy to shout the slogan of the farmer but no one has taken practical steps till date for his prosperity. More than 8 lakh applications have been received in Apna Chhat Apna Ghar scheme. Agriculture malls have started to be built in Bahawalpur, Multan, Sahiwal and other cities where the farmer will have all the facilities under one roof. We are close to creating an agricultural bank for the farmers which will be launched soon. We are taking tubewells towards solarisation.”
The CM added, “As soon as I became the Chief Minister, I received a message from a farmer that even today a farmer’s hand is cut off by the usage of manual cutter. Now, we decided to create a mechanism to provide modern machinery to the farmers. We are going to set up an agricultural machinery centre in every district where the machinery will be available on rent to the farmers. Don’t support the leader who grabs your weapon or forces you to burn and surround you or teaches you to attack the memorials of martyrs. His own children are sitting outside, but he asks the youth of Pakistan to leave their duties and jobs and come to the streets every day. The youth who are arrested in May 9 cases are undergoing distressed and difficult life. A Chief Minister entered into the jurisdiction of Punjab and broke the windows of a bus with AK-47. Control the ongoing hooliganism and terrorism in your province, Maryam Nawaz Sharif will not allow the people of Punjab to become terrorists. Your own people are dying of hunger and disease, pay attention to them. Punjab runs under law and order. Two police officers ended their rally at the decided time. In case of any crime, I immediately seek details from the concerned DPO. What is a Chief Minister of a province teaching the youth by standing in the meeting and making such accusations against me? Paying full attention to the vandalism, not fulfilling one’s duties is criminal negligence.”
The CM said, “I don’t have time for rallies and humiliating anyone. If Allah Almighty has given you a responsibility then fulfill it. By driving one-way vehicles on the highway, they endangered the lives of thousands of people. If you break the law by coming to the border of Punjab, you will get a harsh response. All their rallies have failed due to the relief being given to the people. Opponents started getting angry over the relief given in our electricity bills. God willing, Punjab will develop by leaps and bounds. I pray that Allah Almighty gives wisdom and understanding to my opponents to fulfill their responsibilities. Terrorism and misbehaviour cannot provide youth a job. There is a government in Punjab that thinks about the people of Punjab. God willing, in five years, Punjab will become a developed province. I am proud of the youth who got the agriculture graduates internship and your parents will be proud of you too.”
Provincial Agriculture Minister Ashiq Hussain Kirmani and Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Sahoo also addressed the event. Senator Pervez Rasheed, Federal Advisor Rana Sanaullah, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Provincial Minister for Information and Culture Azma Zahid Bokhari, Special Assistant Zeeshan Malik, Talal Chaudhry, MPA Sania Ashiq, Abid Sher Ali, Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, IGP, Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Sahoo, Secretary Information Dr. Shahinshah Faisal Azim and other relevant officers were also present.