Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has said that sustainable urban development goes beyond road construction and infrastructure, stressing that cities must remain connected to human progress and improved living standards.

Addressing the World Urban Forum in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, CM Maryam said it was an honour to participate in the global gathering and that she carried a message of goodwill from the leadership and people of Pakistan.

The Punjab chief minister praised the leadership of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and acknowledged the contributions of Azerbaijan’s founding president Heydar Aliyev, describing him as a sincere friend of Pakistan.

CM Maryam said the Punjab government was pursuing multiple urban and rural development initiatives, including the “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar” housing scheme, the Model Village Programme and the Punjab Economic Registry Survey.

She said the provincial government was working to equip 2,000 villages with modern facilities as part of its rural uplift programme.

The chief minister further stated that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation had recognised Lahore as an important cultural city, while the “Suthra Punjab” mega project had introduced a comprehensive cleanliness system across the province.

She added that the government had also taken “revolutionary measures” to tackle smog and improve environmental conditions, saying infrastructure development, pollution control and the provision of a clean environment remained among the administration’s top priorities.

During her visit to Baku, CM Maryam and her delegation also toured the city’s historic old quarter, where she inspected cultural and heritage sites and expressed particular interest in Azerbaijan’s traditional architecture.

Speaking during the visit, the Punjab chief minister said brotherly relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan were growing stronger and that cultural ties played an important role in bringing the two countries closer together.