Day: July 11, 2026

Hyderabad: Mayor of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) Kashif Shoro has directed the officials of HMC and Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation (HWandSC) to desilt all the drains in the city prior to the start of the monsoon rainfall.

Mayor’s spokesman informed here on Friday that Shoro had directed the officials to pace up the exercise of desilting the storm drains as well as the sewerage lines.

He added that on the mayor’s instructions the desilting of Doman Wah, which passed through densely populated localities in City taluka, was carried out on Friday.

According to him, the cleaning of the drains had been started simultaneously in all the 9 Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs).

He said the Mayor had asked the officials to ensure that no drain became choked or spilled over during the upcoming rains.

Shoro also urged the people to avoid throwing solid waste in the drains.

Abbottabad: Commissioner Hazara Division Fayyaz Ali Shah on Friday chaired a meeting to strengthen coordination between the National Highway Authority (NHA) and the Kaghan Development Authority (KDA), emphasizing the need for closer inter-agency cooperation to ensure the timely completion of public welfare projects.

The meeting, held at the Commissioner’s Office, was attended by the Director General of KDA, the General Manager of NHA, and senior officials from both organizations.

Participants reviewed inter-agency matters, ongoing development projects, and issues requiring coordinated efforts for timely resolution. Discussions focused on improving collaboration and streamlining administrative processes to address operational challenges more effectively.

Addressing the meeting, the commissioner said that strong coordination among government institutions is essential for the efficient implementation of development projects and effective public service delivery. He directed officials to resolve routine issues through mutual consultation and regular communication, preventing minor matters from being unnecessarily referred to higher authorities.

Fayyaz Ali Shah also instructed the two organizations to establish a permanent coordination mechanism to facilitate the timely and sustainable resolution of issues.

The meeting concluded with a commitment from both the NHA and KDA to continue working closely together to improve the execution of development projects and enhance public services across the Hazara region.

Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan, in a video message regarding the Parliamentarians’ Privileges Act, said that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi held a meeting with members of the provincial cabinet on the matter.

He said that Speaker of the Provincial Assembly Babar Saleem Swati also participated in the meeting through video link.

On the directives of the Chief Minister and after consultation with the Speaker, it was decided to withdraw all controversial clauses of the Act.

Shafi Jan said that the controversial provisions would be restored and corrected in accordance with the 1988 Act. He added that a meeting would be held on Monday, with invitations extended to all parliamentary leaders.

The Information Minister stated that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was established through the public mandate and that no decision would be taken against the aspirations of the people.

He further said that the concerns of journalists and the public would be heard and addressed.

Multan: Dehli Gate police busted a notorious thief gang and arrested its two members during a special crackdown launched here on Friday.

In line with special directives of the City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Ali Dogar, the Dehli Gate police under the supervision of Station House Officer (SHO) Tanveer Aslam, launched a crackdown and busted the notorious Gul Faraz Gang. The police also arrested two members of the gang including the ring leader Gul Faraz and Shahzad.

Police also recovered stolen valuables worth Rs 400,000 including two motorcycles and cash from their possession by tracing five cases from them.

Further investigations were underway from the arrested criminals and more recoveries were expected from them, police sources added.

Bahawalpur: The Agriculture Department Bahawalpur region on Friday advised rice growers to irrigate nursery beds before uprooting seedlings to ensure easier transplantation.

According to an official advisory,farmers should irrigate rice nurseries one to two days before removing seedlings so that the soil becomes soft.

The department advised growers to maintain a nine-inch distance between rows and plants and transplant two seedlings per hole.

It said seedlings should be transplanted in standing water with a depth of 1 to 1.5 inches while the water level during the first week should be kept at around two inches and not exceed three inches.

The advisory directed farmers to complete the transplantation process within 10 days.

It recommended 25 to 30-day-old seedlings for puddled fields and 35 to 40-day-old seedlings for dry-seeded cultivation.

Farmers were also advised to drain excess water from fields after heavy rainfall and use fertilizers and pesticides according to the recommendations of agriculture experts.

Peshawar: A high-level delegation of the Polio Oversight Board on Friday met with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah in Peshawar and reviewed measures for polio eradication and strengthening of the routine immunization system in the province.

The delegation comprised Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sania Nishtar, Dr. Chris Elias, and other senior officials.

During the meeting, it was highlighted that the immediate priority of the provincial government was to completely eliminate the transmission and spread of poliovirus, while the long-term goal was to establish a robust immunization system capable of effectively reaching every child across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The provincial government, through its Immunization Roadmap, has set a target of increasing full immunization coverage to 85 percent by March 2027.

Officials informed the delegation that significant progress had been made in routine immunization coverage, which increased from 55 percent in 2022 to 71 percent in 2026. The functionality of immunization centres has reached 92 percent, while vaccination services are now accessible to 86 percent of the province’s population.

The meeting was also informed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had successfully transitioned to the National Electronic Immunization Registry, enabling real-time maintenance of children’s vaccination records and identification of missed and zero-dose children.

Preparations for the cervical cancer vaccination programme have also been completed, with its launch scheduled for November 2026.

The provincial government reiterated its commitment to achieving complete eradication of polio and further strengthening the routine immunization system, while appreciating the support of development partners in achieving this national objective.