Speaking on the Punjab assembly floor last Saturday, the chief minister announced plans for a new cardiac facility, an extension of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), in response to the growing population and increasing cases of heart disease in the province. She said the “Maryam Nawaz Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases” is in its final stages of development and presented images of the construction site in the assembly.
بہت فخر اورزور و شور سے بتایا جا رہا ہے، صرف اسپتالوں کے نام خود پر رکھتے ہیں، علاج کرانے پھر بھی باہر جانا ہے۔۔!!pic.twitter.com/CYWeVlZ7m5
— Khurram Iqbal (@khurram143) July 1, 2025
After announcing her decision to change the name of Jinnah Institute of Cardiology as the “Maryam Nawaz Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases” the same plan was also revealed by Punjab Health Minister Khwaja Salman Rafique.
Speaking to a private news channel on Monday, Minister Khwaja Salman Rafique explained that the renaming signifies the hospital’s transformation into a distinct and independent institution, no longer operating as an extension of Jinnah Hospital, Lahore.
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He added that the Maryam Nawaz Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases has now been granted autonomous status and will function independently, without administrative oversight from Jinnah Hospital.
After this announcement surfaced, it stirred strong backlash on social media, compelling the Punjab government to reverse its decision to rename the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology, Lahore.
This decision also ignited intense criticism online, with many, even PML-N supporters and journalists, questioning the rationale behind replacing the name of Pakistan’s founder.
PTI senior leader and former federal minister Moonis Elahi posted on X: “This is unacceptable. Renaming an institute originally dedicated to the Father of the Nation after Maryam Nawaz is outrageous.”
PPP Punjab leader Faisal Mir remarked: “This is what happens when unqualified individuals ascend to important positions—erasing Jinnah’s name just to insert their own.”
Recently, Punjab’s Senior Minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, addressed the controversy in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, stating, “The institution will continue to be called ‘Jinnah Institute of Cardiology, Lahore,’ and there are no plans to change its name. The provincial government’s Annual Development Programme for 2025-26 includes funding for the hospital under its original name.”
"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
She added that, as part of a broader initiative to deliver advanced healthcare services, 14 new hospitals are being planned in the Nawaz Sharif Medical District, and the master plan for this development is nearing completion. She also urged journalists to verify facts before reporting on such matters.
Later, Khwaja Salman Rafique also clarified that there had been no official renaming of the cardiac institute in any government documents.
