The Punjab Assembly on Monday passed the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research Bill 2025 and also adopted a resolution condemning terrorism in both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The session, presided over by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, saw the bill presented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman. The House approved the bill, rejecting all proposed amendments from the opposition.

During the debate, an opposition member highlighted that PTI founder Imran Khan had established three state-of-the-art cancer hospitals and deserved recognition for his efforts. He questioned the naming of the new institute after Nawaz Sharif, citing the Sharif family’s business interests and alleging corruption. “Their own mills don’t bear Nawaz Sharif’s name, yet a public hospital does,” he remarked, claiming Nawaz Sharif’s name appears frequently in corruption-related searches online.

In response, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique defended the bill, stating that the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research will be a 935-bed facility. He added that the Punjab government had provided Rs 500 million and land for the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital and acknowledged its quality. “Bone marrow cancer treatment is difficult even at Level-4 facilities. We plan to establish a 130-bed dedicated ward,” he said.

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He also noted the absence of a cancer hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and added that the Punjab government is consulting global experts, including those in archaeology, for the project.

Details of the newly passed bill reveal that the institute will function as an autonomous corporate body with authority to acquire, hold, and manage land. The sale or transfer of any government land to the institute will require official approval.

According to the bill, a Board of Governors, Executive Council, Dean, and expert directors will be appointed. A special selection board will oversee all major appointments. The institute’s funding will come from government grants, donations, and international aid. Following its passage in the Punjab Assembly, the bill will now be sent to the Governor for final approval.