LAHORE: Despite concerns from the Lahore High Court, the Punjab government held an e-balloting process here on Saturday to provide motorcycles to students on interest-free and soft installments. Under the Chief Minister’s Youth Initiative programme, Punjab Minister for Transport Bilal Akbar Khan conducted e-balloting of the applications for giving e-bikes and petrol bikes on interest-free and soft instalments at the CM office.

LHC Justice Shahid Karim raised concerns regarding the distribution of motorcycles to students, linking the initiative to potential misuse for one-wheeling and harassment of girl students outside their institutions. In the four different categories of the e-balloting process, motorcycles will be given to students. Vice-chancellors of various universities along with male and female students were also present.

The minister said all the institutions worked with a great amount of devotion and dedication to make this programme successful. He said that it was not just infrastructural change with regard to the provision of bikes on interest-free and soft installments but also a cultural transformation. He added that the number of e-bikes would be increased in the second phase.

Secretary of Transport Ahmed Javed Qazi, while giving a detailed briefing regarding the provision of bikes on interest-free and soft installments, said that male and female students were being provided 1,000 e-bikes and 19,000 petrol bikes through a transparent e-balloting process. Electric bikes will be given to students in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, and Bahawalpur divisions. Students from all districts across Punjab submitted online applications for getting bikes on interest-free and soft installments under the Chief Minister’s Youth Initiative programme, with 72,640 students submitting online applications.

UAE royal: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif met with Sheikh Ahmed Dalmouk Al Maktoum, a member of the royal family of the United Arab Emirates and discussed digitalisation of land transactions and reforms in Lahore’s real estate sector.

“Together, ADM Holding, Emirates Real Estate Solutions (ERES) and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) may revolutionize Lahore’s real estate sector, setting new standards for efficiency, transparency, and innovation,” the chief minister said. She said partnership of LDA and Emirates Real Estate Solutions (ERES) would prove instrumental in the development of real estate sector of Lahore by raising investors’ confidence.

“This strategic partnership aims to modernise and streamline land transactions, ensuring they are more efficient, transparent, and secure. By leveraging advanced technologies and best practices, the initiative seeks to elevate Lahore’s overall real estate ecosystem by encouraging investment and fostering economic growth in the region,” she said.

Expressing commitment to supporting Pakistan’s development, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum said: “We are excited to collaborate with LDA and Emirates Real Estate Solutions to deliver positive change in Lahore’s real estate sector.” Khalifa Al Suwaidi, CEO of Emirates Real Estate Solutions said: “We are eager to partner with the LDA and the office of Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum to bring transformative change to Lahore’s real estate sector. Our collective expertise and resources will enable us to implement innovative solutions that will benefit investors, developers, and the community at large.”

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2024