Forbes Applauds Maryam Nawaz’s ‘Clean Punjab’ Program

Punjab’s Information Minister Uzma Bukhari has said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is cleaning Punjab “as if it were her own home,” adding that her governance model is now receiving international recognition, including praise from the global magazine Forbes.

In an official statement, Bukhari said that Maryam Nawaz’s Suthra Punjab (Clean Punjab) program has gained worldwide attention in just a few months. She said that after the recognition from the U.S. Congress, Forbes magazine has also acknowledged the chief minister’s performance, noting that she has resolved a “75-year-old problem” within months.

The minister said that in the past, cleanliness services were restricted to the upscale areas of major cities. Now, she added, the same standard of cleanliness is being ensured in rural areas as well. According to Bukhari, the Suthra Punjab initiative has eliminated the urban-rural difference in waste management, and Forbes has praised Maryam Nawaz’s governance approach as a model worth learning from at the global level.

Meanwhile, Punjab’s Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the province is emerging as a symbol of education and human development. She stated that under Maryam Nawaz’s leadership, Punjab will become an exemplary model of technology and human development in the next four years.

Aurangzeb further said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has launched the first IT policy, and the Punjab government is aligning youth development, skills training, and technology-centered education with future needs. She highlighted major initiatives such as Pakistan’s first AI University and the IT City, both being developed under the chief minister’s supervision.

The senior minister also pointed to the largest education budget in Punjab’s history, calling it evidence of the government’s long-term vision. She added that Maryam Nawaz has transformed past political promises about universal education and technology access into a practical mission. With improvements in curricula, classrooms, laboratories, and the introduction of AI, robotics, and engineering in schools — as well as the launch of school meal programs — Aurangzeb said that “a modern Punjab has begun to take shape.”