Punjab govt backtracks on renaming Jinnah Institute of Cardiology after CM Maryam

Punjab senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb denied reports claiming that the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore is being renamed after Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz. She urged the public and media not to share such news "without verifying facts."

Her statement came in response to reports alleging that the Punjab Cabinet had approved a proposal to alter the hospital’s administrative and functional status.

In a recent post on X, Ms Aurangzeb clarified, “The name ‘Jinnah Institute of Cardiology Lahore’ remains ‘Jinnah Institute of Cardiology Lahore.’” She further stated, “Not even a proposal for changing the name is under consideration.”

She emphasised that funding in the Punjab government’s Annual Development Program for the fiscal year 2025–26 has been allocated under the existing name, Jinnah Institute of Cardiology.

Read: Jinnah Institute of Cardiology renamed after Maryam Nawaz Institute

However, she did confirm that the Punjab government is planning to establish new hospitals named after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

As part of this initiative, at least fourteen new hospitals are being planned in the Nawaz Sharif Medical District, with a focus on world-class treatment for heart diseases and other ailments. The master planning for these facilities is reportedly nearing completion.

The Minister appealed to journalists and media houses to “report the news after verifying the facts.”

"جناح انسٹی ٹیوٹ آف کارڈیالوجی لاہور" کا نام "جناح انسٹی ٹیوٹ آف کارڈیالوجی لاہور" ہی ہے اور کسی قسم کی تبدیلی زیر غور نہیں۔ پنجاب حکومت کے مالی سال 2025-26 کے سالانہ ترقیاتی پروگرام میں فنڈنگ ” جناح انسٹی ٹیوٹ آف کارڈیالوجی“ کے نام سے ہی رکھی گئی ہے۔ امراض قلب اور دیگر بیماریوں… pic.twitter.com/xgqvrZhokG

— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) July 1, 2025

However, contradictory statements emerged when Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafiq confirmed to a news channel that the facility had become a standalone institution.

“It is now a standalone facility governed by its own board and is no longer under the administrative control or affiliation of Jinnah Hospital,” he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz herself made a speech in the National Assembly on June 27, announcing that the Punjab Institute of Cardiology had been renamed the Maryam Nawaz Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases.

The project has become controversial due to its shifting identity. Initially launched as a trauma center during the PTI government in Punjab, it was later declared a cardiac institute under Mohsin Naqvi’s administration. Now, as the project nears completion under the current PML-N government, Maryam Nawaz has announced plans to rename it after herself.

مریم نواز خود بتا رہی ہیں ’’مریم نواز انسٹی ٹیوٹ آف کارڈیو ویسکولر ڈیزیز‘‘ بنا رہے ہیں، ساتھ تصویر بھی دکھائی۔ نام کیسے تبدیل نہیں ہوا ؟؟؟ تقریر میں کوئی غلط فہمی ہوئی ؟؟؟pic.twitter.com/aN9ir50Zgv https://t.co/EeGrmNxFHv

— Ahmad Warraich (@ahmadwaraichh) July 1, 2025