Day: July 10, 2026

Lahore: The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has launched the ‘Responsible Citizen Award’ campaign to recognise and encourage citizens who actively support law-enforcement agencies in promoting public safety across the province.

According to a PSCA spokesperson, the initiative had been launched in line with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision of citizen-centric governance. Under the campaign, individuals who provide timely information about missing children, harassment incidents, suspicious activities, unattended objects, crimes or other emergency situations would be acknowledged and rewarded for their responsible role in ensuring public safety.

The spokesperson said the first Responsible Citizen Award was presented to a Lahore resident who promptly reported an unattended child through the Public Safety App. Acting on the information, authorities safely reunited the missing child with his family.

The authority appreciated the citizen’s prompt action, describing responsible citizens as key partners in building a safer and more secure society.

The spokesperson urged the public to report emergencies and public safety concerns through the emergency helpline 15 or the Public Safety App to assist law enforcement agencies in preventing crime and responding effectively to emergencies.

He said the PSCA would continue to recognise and encourage citizens who demonstrate civic responsibility and make valuable contributions to public safety and community well-being through the Responsible Citizen Award campaign.

Lahore: Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol has stressed the need to increase Pakistan’s exports and promote import substitution simultaneously to reduce the trade deficit and strengthen the national economy.

Addressing a seminar on ‘Export Opportunities for Pakistan’ here at LCCI on Thursday, he said, Pakistan possesses immense potential, a resilient workforce and abundant opportunities for industrial and economic growth.

He emphasized that sustainable economic progress requires collective efforts, policy continuity, enhanced productivity, support for core sectors and a strong focus on export-led growth. He also highlighted the importance of learning from successful regional economies, encouraging local manufacturing and utilizing Pakistan’s capabilities to their fullest potential.

The seminar was organized under the convenership of the LCCI Standing Committee on Corporate Relationship and Market Committee. Convener of SC Malik Amer Salam and panelists included Reem Rice Mills CFO Amata Gondal, Sapphire Textile Mills Director (Sales) Awais Kamal and P@SHA Vice Chairman Raheel Iqbal, while Majida Naveed and Zahid Iqbal moderated the session.

LCCI President said that Pakistan’s business community must continue playing its role in overcoming economic challenges and contributing to national development.

He said that while foreign remittances have provided significant support to the economy and crossed the USD 40 billion mark, long-term economic stability can only be achieved through higher exports and reduced reliance on imports. He noted that Pakistan’s growing population presents a large domestic market and immense production potential. He urged policymakers and the private sector to work together for industrial expansion, export diversification and import substitution. He reiterated that Pakistan has the talent, resources and entrepreneurial capacity required to achieve strong economic growth and assured that LCCI would continue to advocate policies aimed at improving the business environment and enhancing the country’s export competitiveness.

Speaking on the occasion, Awais Kamal said that Pakistan’s textile sector, which contributes around 60 percent of the country’s exports, must focus on product innovation, design development and alignment with international market requirements. He emphasized the importance of strengthening supply chains, improving access to quality raw materials, adopting modern technologies and enhancing manufacturing capabilities. He said that many products currently being imported can be manufactured locally, which would help reduce imports and strengthen domestic industry.

Vice Chairman P@SHA Raheel Iqbal highlighted the rapid growth of Pakistan’s IT sector and said that the country’s IT exports have reached approximately USD 3.8 billion, while recent performance indicates the potential for even higher growth. He noted that Pakistan’s IT exports are increasing at an annual rate of around 20 percent and could reach USD 10 to USD 15 billion within the next five to ten years if supportive policies remain in place. He stressed the need for policy continuity, facilitation of multinational technology companies, investment-friendly regulations and greater utilization of locally developed software solutions within Pakistan. He also underlined the importance of skills development, international business linkages and expanding opportunities for Pakistani IT firms in global markets.

Amata Gondal, CFO Reem Rice Mills, discussed the opportunities and challenges facing Pakistan’s rice export sector. She highlighted the significance of rice as an essential export commodity and stressed the need for improving competitiveness, value addition and market diversification to enhance Pakistan’s share in international markets. She emphasized the importance of sharing industry knowledge and working collectively to strengthen the country’s export performance.

Lahore: The University of Lahore (UoL) has launched Punjab’s first private-sector PhD Nursing programme after securing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Higher Education Commission (HEC), a development aimed at strengthening advanced nursing education, research and healthcare leadership in Pakistan.

The doctoral programme, offered through the Lahore School of Nursing, is designed to produce nurse scientists, researchers, educators and policymakers capable of contributing to evidence-based healthcare and improving nursing education standards.

With the launch, UoL has become the first private university in Punjab to offer a PhD in Nursing, while the University of Health Sciences (UHS) remains the only public-sector institution in the province offering doctoral-level nursing education.

The programme completes UoL’s academic pathway in nursing, comprising BS Nursing, Post-RN, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and PhD, enabling students to pursue advanced education within a single institution.

Healthcare experts said Pakistan’s growing population, increasing disease burden and continued migration of trained nurses have highlighted the need for doctoral-qualified nursing professionals to lead research, strengthen teaching and help formulate healthcare policies.

According to the WHO verified data, Pakistan has 5.2 nurses per 10,000 population and a nurse-to-doctor ratio of 0.4, among the lowest in the region, underscoring the need for investment in advanced nursing education.

Experts also stressed the need to improve academic standards, strengthen regulatory oversight and expand research capacity in nursing institutions to address longstanding structural challenges facing the profession.

The university authorities said the initiative also reflects its growing international academic profile, with a QS 5-Star University Rating and inclusion in the 601-800 band of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, alongside strong performances in global sustainability rankings.

Experts termed the launch a significant milestone, saying expansion of doctoral nursing education would help develop qualified faculty, promote indigenous research and strengthen Pakistan’s healthcare system through evidence-based practice.

Lahore: A proposal has been made for important changes in the driving licence laws for hearing impaired people in Punjab. According to sources, the Provincial Motor Vehicles Bill 2025 was presented in the Punjab Assembly, which aims to make the system of obtaining driving licences for special people easier, safer and more effective.

Under the proposed amendments, it has been proposed to issue driving licences to people with hearing loss up to 40 decibels with the use of hearing aids, while in case of hearing loss of more than 40 decibels, it has been recommended to make the use of government-approved assistive technology mandatory.

According to the bill, a driving test of a hearing-impaired candidate is also proposed to be taken in the presence of an examiner or an interpreter. In addition, it has been recommended to eliminate the fee for issuing and renewing driving licenses of such people so that more convenience can be provided to them.

The proposed law also proposes that it will be mandatory to affix a special identification sticker on the vehicles of hearing-impaired drivers, while they will be exempted from the issuance of licenses to drive emergency vehicles.

Furthermore, it has been proposed to include hearing-impaired people in the legal definition of disability. According to the government’s position, the main goal of these amendments is to make the driving license system more accessible by providing safe and equal opportunities for disabled people.

Lahore: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday adjourned the hearing on the post-arrest bail application of PTI activist Falak Javed until July 15 in a case relating to the alleged attack on Islamabad Police at Zaman Park.

ATC Judge Malik Abid Hussain heard the application. During the proceedings, the prosecution sought time to produce the case record, following which the court postponed the hearing. Falak Javed, who is currently on judicial remand, filed her post-arrest bail application through her counsel from jail. Her petition argued that the investigation has been completed and requested the court to grant her bail. The case, FIR No. 410/23, was registered at Race Course Police Station over the alleged attack on police.

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has said that there is a fear of temperature increase and urban flooding during July, August and September, while climate change is a reality, so all relevant institutions should be fully prepared.

Addressing a meeting here on Thursday, she said that there is a fear of temperature reaching 52 degrees Celsius in some cities, and more than usual rainfall has also been predicted in some areas.

The Punjab Chief Minister said that advance measures are being taken to deal with monsoon rains and the Early Warning System is being fully activated for timely forecasting.

Maryam Nawaz directed that all institutions should remain active to deal with the flood situation, while rescue and other institutions should continue mock exercises. She said that learning from last year’s severe floods, all necessary safety measures have been taken, and food arrangements have also been made for livestock.

The Punjab Chief Minister said that timely advisories should be issued to the public regarding the heat wave and weather conditions, and she urged the citizens not to allow the elderly, women and children to leave their homes unnecessarily.

Maryam Nawaz said that the Punjab government’s arrangements to deal with the heat wave are complete. She said that rainwater is drained immediately in Punjab, without naming other provinces, saying that water remains stagnant there.

She said that to prevent tragedies like Kahna, the “Apna Ghar, Mahfuz Ghar” program has been launched, under which citizens of all over Punjab can apply. Interest-free loans of up to Rs 1 million will also be provided under the scheme.