Day: July 15, 2026

Lahore: The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA), in collaboration with the Special Protection Unit (SPU), has launched an advanced QR panic button system to enhance the safety and security of foreign nationals residing and working across Punjab.

According to PSCA spokesperson on Tuesday, QR Panic Buttons would be installed at the residences and workplaces of foreign nationals across the province. By scanning the QR code, users would gain instant access to Emergency Helpline 15, live chat, video calling and location-sharing services.

In case of an emergency, the user’s live location and other relevant information would be transmitted instantly to the PSCA’s Command and Control Centre, enabling law enforcement agencies to ensure a prompt and coordinated response.

The spokesperson said the QR Panic Button System had been fully integrated with the Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s Command and Control System, allowing the police and the Special Protection Unit to assess situations instantly and respond without delay.

The system would establish a direct communication link between foreign nationals, the PSCA and the SPU, significantly improving emergency response and operational coordination, the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said the PSCA was continuing to strengthen public safety through advanced digital security solutions, smart policing and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based technologies.

The newly launched QR system, he said, was another important component of the authority’s integrated digital security framework aimed at providing a safer environment for foreign nationals while enhancing the operational efficiency of law enforcement agencies.

Lahore: The district administration has intensified its grand crackdown against profiteering across the provincial capital on the directions of Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Ejaz, with the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) force and price control magistrates jointly conducting inspections to ensure the sale of essential commodities at official rates.

According to official figures, teams carried out 66,510 inspections in wholesale markets, retail outlets and bazaars during the current month. As a result, fines amounting to Rs1.9 million were imposed on violators, 38 shops were sealed and 49 persons were arrested over profiteering and other price control violations.

The DC directed officials to ensure the availability and display of government-issued price lists at all markets and ordered indiscriminate legal action against those involved in profiteering and hoarding. He also instructed price control magistrates to conduct daily inspections in their respective areas to ensure strict implementation of official price regulations.

DC Muhammad Ali Ejaz said there would be no leniency for profiteers and those responsible for creating artificial inflation. He said joint operations by PERA and price control magistrates were helping stabilise the prices of essential commodities, adding that the district administration had adopted a zero-tolerance policy against unlawful profiteering.

He further said maintaining a balanced supply chain and stable prices remained the administration’s top priority, while the establishment of PERA had significantly strengthened market monitoring and enforcement.

Lahore: Acting on the directions of Director General Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Tahir Farooq, the LDA Town Planning Wing in its crackdown against illegal commercial buildings and commercial fee defaulters, sealed 108 properties in various housing schemes and LDA-controlled areas.

According to an LDA spokesperson, enforcement teams carried out operations in Gulberg, New Garden Town, Shadman, Wapda Town and Sabzazar. During the campaign, 30 properties were sealed in Gulberg and New Garden Town, 23 properties in Shadman and 30 properties in Wapda Town for unauthorized commercial use. In a separate recovery operation, 25 properties were sealed in Sabzazar for non-payment of commercial fees.

The sealed properties included private schools, grocery stores, caf©s, restaurants, food outlets, bakeries, beauty salons, clinics, workshops, shops and offices, among others.

The operation was supervised by Chief Town Planner-I Asad-uz-Zaman and Chief Town Planner-II Azhar Ali.

Lahore: Punjab Assembly (PA) Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Tuesday met Ombudsperson Punjab Dr Najma Afzal Khan to discuss measures for strengthening women’s protection, preventing workplace harassment and enhancing institutional cooperation to ensure a safe and dignified working environment. During the meeting, Dr Najma Afzal Khan presented the proposed Code of Conduct on Prevention of Harassment to the speaker.

The two sides also discussed the establishment of an Anti-Harassment Committee in the Punjab Assembly and measures to further strengthen institutional mechanisms for addressing workplace harassment. Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan emphasised the Punjab Assembly’s commitment to ensuring a safe, respectful and harassment-free workplace. He said effective implementation of the proposed code of conduct would further strengthen the protection of women and promote transparency and institutional accountability.

Dr Najma Afzal Khan said the Office of the Ombudsperson Punjab was working in line with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision of ‘Zero Tolerance Against Harassment.’ She announced that specialized anti-harassment training sessions would be organised for women members of the Punjab Assembly as well as members of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus to enhance awareness of legal safeguards and reporting mechanisms.

Both sides agreed to strengthen institutional collaboration and continue joint efforts to promote a workplace environment based on dignity, mutual respect and zero tolerance for harassment across public institutions.

Lahore: Punjab Minister for Communication and Works (CandW) Malik Sohaib Ahmad Bharth has directed all field formations of the CandW Department to remain on high alert during the ongoing monsoon season and ensure comprehensive measures for public safety, smooth traffic flow and an effective response to rain-related emergencies across the province.

Chairing a review meeting at the CandW Department, here on Tuesday, the minister instructed officers to remain in the field, closely monitor the rain situation in their respective districts and respond promptly to emergencies caused by heavy rainfall.

The meeting was attended by CandW Secretary Raja Jahangir Anwar, Special Secretary, Additional Secretaries, Chief Engineers and field officers from across Punjab via video link.

The minister directed Executive Engineers and field staff to discharge their responsibilities with dedication to minimise inconvenience to the public. He ordered the immediate deployment of de-watering pumps at low-lying and vulnerable areas for swift drainage of accumulated rainwater.

Malik Sohaib Ahmad Bharth also instructed field teams to carry out daily inspections of road shoulders, bridges, culverts and drainage systems to ensure their functionality and protect public infrastructure from rain-related damage.

Emphasising that public convenience remains the department’s top priority, he directed officers to maintain close coordination with district administrations and other relevant departments to ensure timely drainage of rainwater and prompt restoration of traffic wherever required.

The minister warned that no negligence or laxity in safeguarding public infrastructure during the monsoon season would be tolerated and directed all officers to remain vigilant and continue performing their duties professionally until weather conditions return to normal.

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday directed deputy commissioners across the province to identify areas lacking access to safe drinking water and submit immediate reports as the provincial government accelerated efforts to improve clean water availability.

Chairing a special meeting on the rehabilitation of water filtration plants, the chief minister instructed district administrations to identify localities where residents have to travel long distances to obtain potable water and assess the drinking water needs of areas facing acute shortages.

She also sought immediate reports from the deputy commissioners of Khushab, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan on the prevailing drinking water situation in their districts.

The meeting was informed that bottling plants had been made operational in the worst-affected districts, including Khushab, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan, and bottled drinking water would be transported to affected communities through trucks. Officials said the Khushab bottling plant had the capacity to produce 50,000 bottles of water per hour.

The meeting approved the establishment of four additional bottling plants under the CM Punjab Clean Drinking Water Project. Officials further informed the meeting that 2,258 water filtration plants would be established across the province, while cluster-based plants equipped with water storage tanks would also be set up to improve access to safe drinking water.

In the first phase, 22 cluster-based plants will be established in Bahawalpur Division and 10 in Rajanpur.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also directed the authorities to immediately address complaints regarding non-functional water filtration plants and instructed deputy commissioners to ensure the repair and restoration of damaged or closed facilities in their respective districts to provide uninterrupted access to clean drinking water.