A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court against the personal promotion of Maryam Nawaz, the Chief Minister of Punjab, on electric buses.
The petition challenges the placement of her photographs on the buses, alleging that it amounts to personal advertising at the expense of public resources.
During the court hearing, Justice Farooq Haider sought responses from the Chief Secretary of Punjab and the Director-General of Public Relations (DGPR) regarding the issue.
The petition, filed by the opposition leader of the Punjab Assembly, Ahmad Khan’s lawyer, argued that the Punjab government used public funds to purchase the electric buses, and subsequently used these buses for personal promotion by displaying Maryam Nawaz’s photos.
The petition further contends that such personal promotion violates a decision made by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The petitioners have requested the court to take contempt of court action against those responsible for the promotion and demand that the expenses incurred for such promotions be recovered.
The petition also urges the court to direct the Chief Secretary of Punjab to remove the promotional material from the buses.
Earlier, The Punjab government has unveiled a plan to introduce trackless electric buses as part of a sustainable public transport initiative.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has instructed the provincial transport department to begin trials for the new system, known as the Automated Rapid Transit (ART).
The ART system, already implemented in cities like Abu Dhabi, Malaysia, and Qatar, will modernise Punjab’s public transit infrastructure.
The trackless electric buses, which are more efficient than conventional buses, will operate on standard roads within dedicated lanes, eliminating the need for specialised tracks.
Each ART bus will have three coaches, accommodating 250-300 passengers, and will feature fast-charging, Wi-Fi, and CCTV.
The buses will be powered by solar energy for an eco-friendly solution. Initially, the ART system will be introduced in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala, with plans to expand to ten cities.
The Chief Minister highlighted the goal of providing modern transport to all urban areas, including smaller cities, with the aim to complete the ART project within four years.
