Day: July 11, 2026

Lahore: Major progress has been made in the Punjab government’s Model Village Project worth Rs 61.12 billion.

After the tendering process of the project was completed, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approved the inclusion of 485 villages in the project.

Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique has been entrusted with the responsibility of completing the project as soon as possible. The Chief Minister has also issued instructions to complete 40 villages on priority basis in the first phase.

Under the project, development works like provision of clean water, modern drainage system, waste water treatment plants, modern parks for children, street lights and paving of streets will be carried out in the villages so that rural infrastructure can be developed on modern lines.

According to the authorities, contracts for development projects of 463 additional villages have been successfully finalised, while tenders will be issued again for projects of 22 villages. About 3.4 million rural citizens of Punjab will benefit from modern basic facilities through this project.

Lahore: A recently released United Nations report says that climate change is a major threat to the future of children and 34 million children in Pakistan are under the threat of extreme heat, heat waves and floods.

According to the report, be it extreme heat, heat waves or sudden floods, every blow of climate change is falling on children first. Noted child specialist Dr. Abdul Jabbar says that this is an alarming situation. Around 35 million children are at risk. Not only are their lives at risk, but there are also unlimited risks to the health of those who survive.

According to experts, children living near rivers, streams and glaciers in the northern regions are at risk of flash floods, while heat waves and extreme temperatures are becoming the biggest challenge for children living in plains and desert areas. Officials say that in the next few weeks of summer, parents will have to pay special attention to the safety of children, prevention of water shortages and precautionary measures.

Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Rabia Javed, says that either a cloud will suddenly burst in mountainous area very strongly, throwing all the water down, or it will happen that if the heat wave has increased in the areas where individuals are living, and the glaciers that are there due to the heat wave will melt quickly and the water will suddenly come down in the form of blocks.

In both cases, it happens that the children in the houses where they are living with their parents are all affected by flash floods. UNICEF has warned that these same risks of climate change could affect an estimated 296 million children in the region, including millions of children in Pakistan, Nigeria and India.

Lahore: Punjab Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Chaudhry Shafay Hussain on Friday visited the Quran Complex on Upper Mall, where he, along with Punjab Quran Board Chairman Hafiz Zubair Hassan, presided over a meeting of the Punjab Quran Board.

The meeting discussed an eight-point agenda and approved the formation of five committees comprising religious scholars (Ulema) to address key issues related to the protection, publication and promotion of the Holy Quran.

One committee will examine delays in the registration of printing institutions as publishers with the Punjab Quran Board. Another will monitor printing errors in copies of the Holy Quran, while a third will deal with incidents of disrespect and derogatory content involving Quranic verses on social media.

A special committee was constituted to oversee the respectful purification (ghusl) and preservation of copies of the Holy Quran currently in the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The committee will also propose amendments to the relevant law concerning the protection and preservation of the sacred pages of the Holy Quran.

The board also recommended banning the controversial book ‘Ajnabiyat’, which has been circulating on social media, and called for legal and disciplinary action against those responsible.

It was further decided to establish a dedicated cell within the Punjab Quran Board to promptly address emerging issues.

Addressing the meeting, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain said promoting the teachings of the Holy Quran was the responsibility of every Muslim. He urged people to read the Holy Quran with translation to better understand its message and called upon religious scholars to actively promote this practice.

The minister directed that strict vigilance be maintained against disrespectful, provocative and hate-based content involving Quranic verses on social media and instructed religious scholars to identify and report such material.

He also asked the Punjab Quran Board to achieve its assigned targets within the stipulated timeframe.

He said the Holy Quran was the most widely read sacred book in the world and had been translated into numerous languages. Islam, he added, is a religion of peace that promotes harmony and security, stressing that the Muslim world must unite to counter anti-Islam elements.

The minister said the Quran Complex would be fully utilized for the promotion of Islamic teachings.

He informed the meeting that efforts were underway to establish ‘Khatam-un-Nabiyeen University’ at the complex and expressed hope that academic activities would commence soon.

He also said the park and surrounding grounds of the complex were being upgraded.

He further directed that officers from the relevant government departments be included in the newly formed committees.

Punjab Quran Board Chairman Hafiz Zubair Hassan said safeguarding the Holy Quran was a religious, moral and constitutional obligation, adding that the board would discharge this responsibility in the best possible manner.

Auqaf Secretary Dr Ahsan Bhatta assured the meeting that the objectives of the Punjab Quran Board would be implemented in letter and spirit and that all recommendations approved by the forum would be acted upon.

The meeting also reviewed a proposal to increase the honorarium of board members.

Special prayers were offered at the conclusion of the meeting for the peace, progress and prosperity of the country.

Lahore: Nauman Yousaf on Friday assumed charge as the commissioner of Lahore Division.

Upon his arrival at the Commissioner Office, he was warmly received by senior officers, who presented bouquets to welcome him.

A senior PAS officer of Grade-19, Nauman Yousaf previously served as Special Secretary (Budget), Finance Department, Punjab.

After assuming charge, the newly appointed commissioner met staff officers and received briefings on administrative and developmental affairs of the division.

Among those who welcomed him were Additional Commissioner (Coordination) Bilal Hassan, Additional Commissioner (Revenue) Rao Abdul Jabbar, Additional Commissioner (Consolidation) Arshad Bhatti, Director Development Javed Rashid Chauhan, Assistant Commissioner (General) Wajeeha Samreen, Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) Aleem Ahmad and other officers.

Lahore: A meeting of the Admission Committee of the University of the Punjab was held under the chairmanship of Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Mahmood Saleem, to review matters relating to undergraduate admissions for the Academic Session 2026-27.

To facilitate applicants from Azad Jammu and Kashmir who could not appear in the first admission test due to exceptional circumstances, the Committee approved a special concession allowing them to appear in the second admission test without payment of an additional fee.

The Committee reviewed the ongoing undergraduate admission process and directed all concerned offices to ensure timely completion of admission-related activities and effective coordination for the smooth conduct of the admission process.

To streamline admissions for international students, the Committee constituted a sub-committee to prepare comprehensive procedures and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for admissions against foreign reserved seats.

The Committee also approved exemption from the University Pre-Admission Entry Test for applicants applying under the reserved quota for Children of Overseas Pakistanis, except in programmes where the relevant accreditation councils require the entry test as mandatory.

Lahore: A meeting chaired by Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique at Town Hall, MCL reviewed the aspects of maintenance of schemes after the completion of Lahore Development Program (LDP).

Advisor to the Chief Minister on Political Affairs Zeeshan Malik, Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian and Deputy Commissioner Lahore Captain R Muhammad Ali Ijaz also attended the meeting.

The provincial minister priased the Deputy Commissioner/Administrator Lahore Municipal Corporation Muhammad Ali Ijaz and MD WASA Syed Ghufran Ahmed on the completion of LDP Phase One and Two saying that both the departments demonstrated excellent teamwork to fulfill the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. He said that 16,500 streets measuring 1,800 kilometers were paved under LDP. “741 kilometers of new sewer lines were laid in Lahore while 12 new disposal stations were built. In addition, 75 units of new machinery were added to deal with urban flooding”, he observed.

The Minister for Local Government said that LDP has also reached areas where no development work has been done till date. “The use of eye-catching colored tiles in the streets has enhanced the aesthetic beauty”, he added. He said that the installation and maintenance of 22,423 street lights has also been completed in Lahore. Zeeshan Rafique said that LDP is a unique project of the government of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. “It was in the light of the experience of LDP that the foundation of the Punjab Development Program was laid, which is now being successfully carried forward in 60 cities”, he figured out. The provincial minister directed that the finishing work of the few schemes that are left to be completed soon.

Advisor to the Chief Minister Zeeshan Malik urged that the Lahore Municipal Corporation should ensure the maintenance of the completed streets because regular maintenance can avoid many potential challenges. During the meeting, the provincial minister and advisor also directed the Deputy Commissioner Lahore to get the LDP validated by a third party.