Daily Balochistan Times

Rawalpindi: Police have finalized comprehensive security arrangements for the Chehlum procession of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) with more than 3, 600 police officers and personnel have been deployed to ensure the safety of mourners.

In addition to the security deployment, over 300 traffic police officers and traffic personnel have also been assigned to maintain smooth traffic flow and implement diversion plans along the procession route, said police spokesperson.

City Police Officer (CPO) Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera said walk-through gates will be installed at all entry points of the procession, while participants will be allowed to enter only after undergoing thorough body searches.

He added that the procession will be monitored through Safe City cameras and other surveillance systems to ensure the security. The security arrangements will be implemented in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Government of Punjab.

As part of the enhanced security measures, specially trained snipers will be deployed on rooftops along the procession route, while adjoining streets, lanes and access points will be sealed to prevent unauthorized entry.

CPO Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera said all available resources are being utilized to ensure foolproof security and the peaceful observance of the Chehlum procession.

Lodhran: Provincial minister for Communication and Works, Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bharath, on Monday visited the under-construction Multan-Vehari and Lodhran-Kahror Pacca road projects to review the pace and quality of ongoing development work.

During the visit, officials briefed the minister on the overall progress of the projects, pending land acquisition issues, and drainage construction. He was informed that Rs920 million funds were required to complete the remaining land acquisition process and outstanding construction works.

The briefing revealed that construction activities were in progress rapidly on Part B of Phase-II of the Lodhran-Kahror Pacca/Mailsi-Vehari Road Project, where 3. 34 kilometres of carpeting, sub-base, base course, aggregate base course (ABC), and asphalt wearing course have been completed. All 14 culverts in this section have also been completed, while work on the median and drainage system was underway.

Officials further informed the minister that in Part C of Phase-II, 7 kilometres of carpeting, sub-base, base course, and ABC have been completed. The asphalt wearing course has been laid over 4 kilometres, while work on the remaining section is progressing swiftly.

Malik Sohaib Ahmed directed the officials to further accelerate construction work and ensure the projects are completed within the stipulated timeframe. He warned that there would be no compromise on construction quality and the highest standard must be maintained at every stage.

The minister also directed officials to complete the remaining asphalt wearing course, road shoulders, and road furniture at the earliest. He emphasized ensuring proper compaction of all construction layers, durable installation of tough pavers, and prioritizing drainage work in populated areas. He further directed to maintain standard cross slopes during the installation of pavers and remove all hurdles hindering the timely completion of the projects.

Patoki: The police arrested 12 persons accused of gambling on partridge fights during a joint operation with the Wildlife Department, the officials sources said on Monday.

The raid was carried out by Phoolnagar City Police Station in coordination with wildlife officials at a private housing society in Patoki, where the suspects were allegedly organizing and betting on partridge fights.

The police said they seized 23 partridges, cash amounting to several thousand rupees believed to have been staked in the gambling activity, and mobile phones from the suspects.

A case has been registered against the accused, the police said.

The rescued birds were handed over to the Wildlife Department for further care and legal action.

District Police Officer (DPO) Aftab Ahmed Phulrawan commended the police team for the successful operation, eulogizing their efforts to curb illegal gambling and protect wildlife.

Hyderabad: Deputy Commissioner Matiari, Muhammad Danish Zakir on Monday said that all concerned departments must work in close coordination and adopt an effective strategy to completely eradicate polio, ensuring that no child in the district would be deprived of the polio booster dose during the upcoming campaign.

He directed the authorities to focus on comprehensive micro-planning, effective training of field teams, strict monitoring, public awareness and special attention to hard-to-reach areas so that all campaign targets would be achieved successfully.

He expressed these views while chairing a meeting of the District Polio Eradication Committee (DPEC) at Deputy Commissioner Secretariat Matiari, where arrangements for the Polio Booster Dose Campaign, scheduled from August 20 to 31 were reviewed in detail.

Representing the health department, Dr. Ali Raza briefed the meeting that a total of 76, 672 children aged from birth to 10 years across 24 Union Councils of Matiari district had been targeted for the campaign. He informed the participants that 153 vaccination teams had been constituted to carry out the campaign. He also presented details of previous campaign performance, ongoing preparations, available resources and the targets set for the upcoming drive.

On the occasion, District Health Officer, Dr. Zahid informed the meeting that all necessary preparations for the campaign were being finalized by the health department. He said that comprehensive planning had been finalized for the training of field teams, availability of vaccines, effective cold chain management, a robust supervisory mechanism, continuous monitoring to ensure timely and efficient vaccination of every eligible child.

Speaking at the meeting, SSP Matiari Abdul Aleem Bullo stated that complete security would be provided to all polio teams throughout the booster dose campaign. He said that the district police had devised a comprehensive security plan under which additional personnel would be deployed in sensitive areas to ensure that vaccination teams could perform their duties without fear. He further directed the concerned officers to maintain constant coordination with the polio teams and ensure prompt response to any emergency situation.

The meeting was attended by officers of the health department, representatives of various government departments, partner Non-Government Organizations and other relevant stakeholders.

Multan: Shah Shams police in Multan claimed to have arrested three alleged drug traffickers, including a woman and recovered over 16 kilograms of drugs worth over Rs1. 3 million.

Addressing a press conference along with SSP Operations Haider Ali, SP Cantt Dr Khadija Umar and SHO Muhammad Bilal, CPO Sadiq Ali Dogar said that Multan Police remained firmly committed to eliminating the menace of narcotics and would continue its crackdown against drug traffickers.

The arrested suspects were identified as Aminullah son of Din Muhammad, r/o Chaghi district, Adam Khan, and Rukhsana Bibi. During the operation, police recovered 10 kilograms of hashish and six kilograms of heroin from their possession.

The CPO said, the suspects were allegedly part of a major narcotics network involved in supplying drugs across Punjab. They were arrested during separate operations conducted in the Sol Garden area on Muzaffargarh Road and Ashiqabad within the jurisdiction of Shah Shams Police Station.

Cases have been registered against the accused at Shah Shams Police Station, and further legal proceedings are underway.

Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has stepped up efforts to modernise irrigation infrastructure and promote efficient water management as part of its strategy to strengthen agricultural productivity and address growing water challenges.

The renewed focus came during a meeting chaired by Adviser to the Chief Minister on Agriculture, Mian Muhammad Umar to review progress on the World Bank-assisted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irrigated Agriculture Improvement Project and outline priorities for its next phase.

The meeting reviewed the implementation of key interventions, including the construction and rehabilitation of watercourses and the installation of high-efficiency irrigation systems such as drip, sprinkler and rain gun technologies aimed at reducing water wastage and improving irrigation practices.

Officials informed the meeting that the Rs 40 billion project, launched in 2020, was helping expand modern irrigation methods across the province to enhance crop yields, improve water-use efficiency and support sustainable agricultural development.

Mian Muhammad Umar said the adoption of advanced irrigation technologies would not only conserve water but also improve crop quality, optimise fertiliser use and reduce cultivation costs for farmers.

He directed the Agriculture Department and On-Farm Water Management authorities to strengthen coordination with farming communities and ensure their active participation in the planning and execution of development projects to maximise their benefits.

The adviser said timely implementation of development initiatives and wider adoption of climate-smart irrigation practices would remain central to the province’s efforts to enhance food security and improve farmers’ livelihoods.