Day: July 14, 2026

Bahawalnagar: A man and his wife were killed after a speeding bus struck and ran over their motorcycle on the Bahawalnagar-Haroonabad road , the police said on Monday. The victims were identified as Muhammad Shamoon and Anwar Bibi.

The Rescue 1122 team transported the bodies to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Bahawalnagar. The police said the bus driver fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle. The police registered a case and started investigation.

Faisalabad: Faisalabad Police have exposed a fabricated robbery claim and arrested a man who allegedly made a false emergency call to Rescue 15 in an attempt to implicate his rivals over a monetary dispute, warning that misuse of emergency helplines would invite strict legal action.

According to a police spokesman, the caller informed Rescue 15 that two unidentified suspects had robbed him of cash. Therefore, a police team from Saddar Samundri police station rushed to the spot for immediate action.

Upon verification, the police however found that no robbery had taken place, rather the incident stemmed from a minor dispute over a financial transaction between the parties and the complainant Bahadar Ali had allegedly staged the robbery drama to initiate false legal proceedings against his opponents by misleading law enforcement authorities.

Therefore, Saddar Samundri police arrested the accused and registered case against him under relevant provisions of the law while further investigation was under progress, he added.

Tank: Two policemen were killed and two others injured on Monday in a blast near a police van in the Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to police sources quoted by television channels.

Initial reports indicate that the explosion occurred as the police van was passing through the area. The blast claimed the lives of two police personnel on the spot, while two others sustained injuries.

The bodies of the deceased and the injured officials were shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital for legal formalities and medical treatment. Police have launched an investigation to determine the nature and cause of the explosion.

Gilgit: Adviser to the Chief Minister on Finance Muhammad Ali Akhtar on Monday presented a three-month interim budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, saying the government had opted for an interim budget instead of a full-year financial plan due to ongoing negotiations with the federal government over resource allocation and wheat subsidy.

Presenting the budget, he said the interim arrangement was aimed at ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of government departments, continuation of public services and timely payment of salaries and allowances to government employees.

According to the budget documents, the total estimated resources available for Gilgit-Baltistan during FY2026-27 stand at Rs158.54 billion, an increase of around Rs12.23 billion compared to the previous fiscal year. A major portion of the budget depends on federal support, including a non-development grant of Rs88 billion, while the region’s own non-tax revenue has been estimated at about Rs6.08 billion.

The adviser said approval had been sought for Rs20.478 billion to meet expenditure during the first quarter of the fiscal year, while Rs15.225 billion had been earmarked for the payment of salaries and allowances of government employees.

He said Rs15 billion had been allocated for wheat subsidy to ensure the continued supply of subsidized wheat to the people, while wheat sales were expected to generate Rs3 billion in revenue. Efforts were also underway to secure additional financial support from the federal government for the subsidy.

Muhammad Ali Akhtar said the interim budget proposed an additional allocation of Rs300 million for the Health Endowment Fund to facilitate treatment of deserving patients. It also earmarked Rs25 million for tuberculosis eradication during the first quarter and Rs100 million for the purchase of new ambulances.

He said Rs138 million had been allocated for the Gilgit-Baltistan Waste Management Company and Rs202 million for local government institutions to improve sanitation and municipal services across the region.

The adviser said Rs100 million had been proposed as the government’s contribution under the new pension policy, Rs200 million for group insurance and Rs250 million as seed money for the General Provident Fund. A special block allocation of Rs500 million had also been set aside to meet unforeseen emergencies and natural disasters.

He said the budget included Rs23 billion under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) and externally funded projects, while development projects worth Rs16.97 billion would be executed under the Federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). In addition, Rs1.27 billion would be provided under the Prime Minister’s grant for the rehabilitation of flood-affected areas.

He expressed the hope that, following the conclusion of ongoing negotiations with the federal government, the Gilgit-Baltistan government would present a comprehensive budget for the remaining fiscal year.

Hyderabad: Sindh Traders Association Division President Salahuddin Ghauri has said that rising inflation, business uncertainty, rising electricity and gas costs, mobile and internet service issues and lack of basic civic amenities have increased the miseries of the business community and the common citizen to an unprecedented extent.

In a statement on Monday, Salahuddin Ghauri said that today a large part of business depends on digital connections, online banking, mobile payments and the internet, but frequent call drops, weak mobile signals and unstable internet are creating severe problems not only for traders but also for students, freelancers, industrialists and common consumers.

Salahuddin Ghauri said that a strong economy is not built on data or claims alone, but for this, strong institutions, transparent systems, reliable communication infrastructure, justice, investor confidence and business-friendly policies are also necessary.

Anjuman Tajiran Sindh demands the federal and provincial governments, relevant institutions and telecommunication companies to immediately improve the quality of mobile and internet services and introduce business-friendly policies for traders.

Sargodha: Commissioner Hafiz Shoukat Ali, accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Hussain Ahmad Raza Chaudhry on Monday visited the Government Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology (NSIC) to review administrative and medical preparedness ahead of the facility’s full-scale operationalization.

According to the spokesperson for the Commissioner office here, during the visit, officials briefed the Commissioner on the institute’s ongoing preparations, medical equipment, emergency services, catheterization laboratory (Cath Lab), wards, and other healthcare facilities. The institute has been established to provide specialized cardiac care services in Punjab.

Inspecting various departments, Commissioner Hafiz Shoukat Ali directed the concerned authorities to complete all remaining arrangements on time to ensure the hospital becomes fully functional at the earliest, enabling the public to benefit from modern and quality cardiac healthcare.

He said that, in line with the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, improving healthcare services and ensuring access to quality medical treatment remain among the government’s top priorities.

He stressed that no negligence would be tolerated in patient care, cleanliness, maintenance of medical equipment, or administrative affairs.

Deputy Commissioner Hussain Ahmad Raza Chaudhry assured that the district administration would extend full support to ensure the institute’s smooth functioning and the provision of the best possible healthcare facilities to patients.

Additional Commissioner Coordination Ashfaq-ur-Rehman Khan, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Ahmad Haroon, and Assistant Commissioner Sargodha Ahmad Sher Gondal also accompanied the Commissioner during the visit.