Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday inaugurated a dedicated meal program for special students, reaffirming her government’s commitment to inclusive education and social welfare.
Speaking at the launch ceremony in Lahore, the chief minister said special children are “our heroes” and that God has blessed them with exceptional abilities.
She praised the Special Education Department for its efforts, saying she had promised to establish Centres of Excellence for special children in every district, and “Sania Ashiq has turned this dream into reality in a very short time.”
Maryam Nawaz announced that Centres of Excellence for special children have been completed in 28 districts, while Punjab currently has 303 institutions dedicated to special education.
“We are going to rebuild all 303 institutions,” she said, adding that mothers of special children should not thank her because providing these services is her duty as chief minister.
She emphasised that homes with special children are “places of blessings,” and commended parents for their strength. The state, she said, is responsible for meeting every need of its citizens—roads, cleanliness, healthcare, education, agriculture, and even food prices.
The chief minister said her government has launched a school meal program from one end of Punjab to the other.
She expressed the desire for government teams to visit every home across the province to identify children with special needs and ensure their enrollment in government institutions.
Maryam Nawaz also announced that every special education school will receive CCTV-monitored buses. “Sixty buses have already arrived,” she said.
She added that when special needs are provided a supportive environment, they do not become a burden on their families.
The government is currently providing Himat Cards to 70,000–75,000 differently-abled individuals, and the program will now be expanded to include thousands of special children as well.
Earlier, the chief minister formally launched the meal program by ringing a bell. She also took photographs with the children during the event.
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