Day: July 10, 2026

Hyderabad: The residents and shopkeepers of Al Raheem Police Shopping Center in Hyderabad, built on a police department owned land around 4 decades ago for residential and commercial purposes, have been asked to vacate their flats and shops.

In an order of seal served by the SSP Hyderabad on Wednesday, the residents and the shopkeepers had been apprised about the orders of the apex court and the Sindh High Court barring the police from commercial use of their land.

The residents of more than 100 apartments and dozens of shops had been asked to pack up at the earliest failing which the police would seal the shops and flats.

The notice had been served 2 days after the police sealed shops in Chotti Ghitti commercial market because those shops were built on the land of City police station.

Rawalpindi: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has intensified its crackdown on adulterated milk, disposing of 1,000 litres of water-adulterated milk on the spot and imposing fines totaling Rs 270,000 on 13 milk transport vehicles for supplying substandard milk.

According to a PFA spokesperson, the operation was conducted during a checkpoint set up at the Motorway Toll Plaza, where milk consignments being transported from Jhang to Rawalpindi and Islamabad were thoroughly inspected.

During the operation, officials tested samples from around 25,000 litres of milk carried by 29 milk transport vehicles. Laboratory checks confirmed water adulteration in 1,000 litres of milk, which was immediately discarded. Owners of 13 vehicles transporting poor-quality milk were fined a combined Rs270,000.

The spokesperson said the authority carries out daily inspections of milk transport vehicles to ensure the supply of safe and quality milk to consumers. He added that strict action against food adulteration will continue without discrimination.

Citizens have been urged to report food-related complaints to the Punjab Food Authority’s helpline 1223 for prompt action.

Chichawatni: Commissioner, Sahiwal, Dr. Asif Tufail on Thursday directed all relevant government departments to remain on high alert and fully prepared to respond to heavy monsoon rains and any potential flooding, stressing that protecting lives and property must remain the top priority.

Speaking during a review meeting , he said all emergency response agencies should ensure that personnel, equipment and relief resources were ready for immediate deployment to deal with any emergency arising from the monsoon season.

District Emergency Officer, Rescue 1122, Khalid Abdullah, briefed the meeting on the district’s monsoon preparedness, including emergency response plans, available machinery, rescue equipment, boats, trained personnel and contingency measures for possible flooding.

Following the briefing, Dr. Tufail instructed authorities to complete all precautionary measures without delay and strengthen coordination among Rescue 1122 and other relevant departments.

He said a swift, coordinated and effective response to emergencies would be crucial in minimising potential losses and urged all agencies to remain fully prepared throughout the monsoon season.

Faisalabad: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) have agreed to strengthen coordination and speed up official procedures for applicants seeking housing finance under the Prime Minister’s ‘Apna Ghar’ programme.

The decision was made during a meeting at the FDA Complex, chaired by FDA Director General Muhammad Asif Chaudhry and attended by SBP Chief Manager Fouzia Aslam, senior FDA officials and representatives of commercial banks.

Addressing the meeting, Fouzia Aslam said the low-cost housing initiative had received more than 76,000 applications nationwide over the past six months, with over 18,000 approved and financing disbursed to more than 3,000 successful applicants. Under the scheme, eligible applicants can obtain housing finance of up to Rs10 million at a subsidised markup rate of five per cent annually for up to 10 years to construct houses on plots of up to 10 marlas.

The participants reviewed administrative and procedural arrangements to ensure timely loan approvals and agreed to appoint dedicated focal persons from the SBP and FDA to improve communication and streamline implementation.

DG FDA Muhammad Asif Chaudhry assured full administrative support, saying all required formalities, including the issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs), would be completed on a priority basis to facilitate applicants. He said the housing initiative would help address the growing demand for affordable housing while boosting the construction sector, creating jobs and contributing to economic growth.

Sargodha: The Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) arrested 54 proclaimed offenders (PO’s) and 10 court absconders during the last month. Talking to reporter here on Thursday,Superintendent of Police (SP) PHP Farrukh Sohail said that the teams arrested 54 POs ,10 court absconders. while 577 cases were registered against illegal gas carrying vehicles,5 cases against illegal weapon holders and 2 cases against drug dealers.

The SP highlighted that 419,320 individuals and 308,191 vehicles checked through the “e-Police” mobile application during June. A total of 41,392 commuters were fined for various traffic violations, including 6,391 actions taken against motorcyclists without helmets.

The PHP conducted 30 road safety seminars to raise awareness among citizens and provided on-road assistance to 4,347 commuters facing different difficulties.

Bishkek: President Asif Ali Zardari departed from Manas International Airport for Pakistan after concluding his official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic.

Marlen Mamataliyev, Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament, saw off the President at the airport.