Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Meets US Chargé d’Affaires, Discusses Cooperation in Education, Security and Investment

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif met US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker to discuss cooperation in education, security, investment, artificial intelligence, digital assets, energy and other areas of mutual interest.

The meeting also discussed expanding cooperation in security, artificial intelligence, digital assets and the energy sector. Both sides agreed to engage US experts to help Punjab address challenges related to floods and smog.

The proposal to hold a Punjab-US Business and Investment Forum in Lahore was also discussed, with a view to promoting business-to-business linkages and creating new investment opportunities.

US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker appreciated Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s initiatives for women’s empowerment. She also welcomed the holding of the Basant Festival in Lahore and appreciated the Punjab government’s measures to ensure a safe celebration.

Baker said she liked Pakistan, particularly Punjab and Lahore, describing the people of the province and its capital as lively and warm-hearted.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the Basant Festival would be expanded further next year. She said the Punjab government was taking legal and practical measures to empower women and was formulating new policies for development and addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

The chief minister said around one million overseas Pakistanis from Punjab living in the United States were a valuable asset for the country and could play an important role in its development.

Maryam Nawaz said advance measures had been taken ahead of the monsoon season, while the establishment of district water and sanitation agencies had helped ensure the timely drainage of rainwater.

She said Punjab was changing, with reforms being carried out in both its cities and villages.

The chief minister said that, as Pakistan’s first woman chief minister, she had sought to make women’s empowerment a practical reality rather than merely a symbolic initiative. Electric scooters and an electric bus service had been introduced to facilitate women’s mobility, while interest-free loans were being provided to help women establish small businesses and achieve financial independence.

She said initiatives such as the Direct Pink Button and Virtual Police Stations had also been introduced to strengthen the protection and security of women.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment to expanding cooperation between Punjab and the United States in investment, technology, security, education, energy and other areas of mutual interest.