Day: July 26, 2026

Lahore: The Civil Services Academy (CSA) held a condolence reference in memory of renowned educationist Prof Sheikh Imtiaz Ali, where speakers paid glowing tribute to his lifelong services to education and the training of generations of civil servants.

Justice (R) Khalilur Rehman Ramday chaired the event, held here on Saturday, which was attended by Acting Chief Secretary Punjab Ahmad Raza Sarwar, Director General CSA Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Secretary Home Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi, Secretary Auqaf Dr Ehsan Bhutta, Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Sahoo, former Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Cheema, senior advocate Muhammad Akram Sheikh, former DG CSA Umar Rasool, DG NIPA Farooq Mazhar, Chairman Punjab Higher Education Commission Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad, Vice Chancellor of Punjab University Dr Muhammad Ali, senior officers, members of the late professor’s family and 217 probationers of the 54th Common Training Programme.

The participants were informed that Punjab University would nominate Prof Sheikh Imtiaz Ali for the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in recognition of his outstanding academic services.

The speakers highlighted that Prof Sheikh Imtiaz Ali served as vice chancellor of the Punjab University and Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, and also headed the University Grants Commission, now the Higher Education Commission. They noted that he trained countless civil servants from 1962 to 2014 during his association with the Civil Services Academy.

Justice (R) Ramday said seven former chief justices of Pakistan had been students of Prof Sheikh Imtiaz Ali, adding that vibrant societies always honoured their true heroes.

Acting Chief Secretary Ahmad Raza Sarwar said the late professor devoted his entire life to spreading knowledge and considered it a privilege to have been among his students after his father.

CSA DG Farhan Aziz Khawaja said Prof Sheikh Imtiaz Ali taught at the academy for 35 years and counted many of Pakistan’s senior bureaucrats, judges and lawyers among his students.

Former IG Zulfiqar Cheema described him as an exceptional teacher and administrator, while senior advocate Muhammad Akram Sheikh said the late scholar had selflessly shared his wisdom with generations of students.

Special prayers were offered for the departed soul, while participants also viewed a documentary featuring photographs from Prof Sheikh Imtiaz Ali’s life and a video of one of his memorable addresses.

Prof Sheikh Imtiaz Ali, who was also the teacher and maternal grandfather-in-law of Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi, passed away on July 5 at the age of 103. The Government of Pakistan had earlier honoured him with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in recognition of his distinguished services.

Lahore: The Punjab government has intensified its province-wide drainage operation amid torrential monsoon rains, deploying more than 1, 000 modern dewatering machines across 41 districts to ensure the timely disposal of rainwater from streets, neighbourhoods and roads.

According to a handout issued here on Saturday, the operation is being carried out under the supervision of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who is personally monitoring the performance of all departments involved and remains in direct contact with district administrations.

For the first time in the province’s history, modern drainage machinery had been provided to all 41 district administrations and was being fully utilised during the ongoing monsoon spell.

Authorities said rainwater had been cleared promptly from various areas of the Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Sargodha divisions following heavy downpours.

Officials and personnel of district administrations, Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASA) and municipal corporations continued drainage operations in Wazirabad, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Narowal, Sahiwal and other cities.

In Hafizabad, dewatering pumps were used to remove accumulated rainwater from Misri Khan, Sagar Road, College Road, the Post Office area and Madranwala Chowk, while WASA teams in Mandi Bahauddin ensured the timely drainage of rainwater through modern machinery.

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said roads, markets, streets and neighbourhoods across the province remained clear despite continuous monsoon rains over the past 10 days due to the effective performance of the provincial administration and drainage teams.

According to a handout, Punjab has set a new benchmark in the timely disposal of rainwater during the ongoing monsoon spell, with accumulated water now being cleared within hours instead of taking weeks as in the past.

The CM said she was personally monitoring drainage operations in every district and city, while commissioners, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) teams remained present in the field throughout the rainfall in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Sargodha divisions.

The drainage system remained fully operational in Lahore, Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad, Chichawatni, Gujrat, Sheikhupura and Kasur, ensuring prompt disposal of rainwater. Rain continued overnight in different parts of Lahore, but the city’s drainage system remained active, with WASA teams deployed at Liberty Roundabout and adjoining areas to prevent water accumulation.

Drainage operations also kept Circular Road, Sheranwala Gate, Farooq Ganj Mohalla, Mazang Chungi, Jain Mandir Chowk and Lakshmi Chowk free of stagnant water, ensuring uninterrupted traffic flow despite several hours of heavy rainfall.

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed authorities to maintain strict monitoring across Murree following a landslide near Jhika Gali, where relief operations are continuing under the supervision of the district administration.

According to a handout, Rescue 1122 teams and Scouts personnel are carrying out relief activities in the affected area under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Murree Zaheer Abbas Shirazi.

The CM sought a report on the situation near Jhika Gali and appreciated the district administration as well as Rescue 1122 officers and personnel for their timely and safe response.

She also directed the authorities to remain on high alert in view of the possibility of further landslides in Murree and ensure continuous monitoring of vulnerable areas.

‘Standing with the people in every difficult time is the essence of good governance, ‘ the chief minister said.

Lahore: Four members of a family were injured, two of them critically, after the roof of their house collapsed in Lahore’s Garhi Shahu area in the early hours of Saturday, Rescue 1122 officials said.

According to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson, the emergency control room received an alert at 5:52am regarding a roof collapse at a house near Farooqia Mosque in Railway Colony, Garhi Shahu.

An Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team was immediately dispatched to the site.

The spokesperson said the roof, made of mud and T-iron girders, gave way, trapping four members of the family beneath the rubble.

Rescue personnel launched a search operation, pulled all the victims from the debris and administered first aid before shifting them to a nearby hospital.

The injured were identified as Emal(14), Fatima(11), Mubeen(45) and Mrs. Mubeen(40).

Two of the victims suffered minor injuries, while the remaining two were reported to be in critical condition.

Twenty rescuers and six emergency vehicles took part in the operation.

Rescue officials, citing eyewitnesses said no one else was believed to be trapped under the debris, following which the search operation was concluded.

Lahore: Punjab University Pakistan Study Centre (PSC) in collaboration with the Department of Political Science, Sangat Development Foundation and Women in Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) organised an orientation ceremony for the 4th batch of the ‘Post Graduate Diploma in Local Self Government’.

On this occasion, Dean Faculty of Arts and Humanities Prof Dr Mahboob Hussain, Director PSC Prof Dr Amjad Abbas Khan, Prof. Dr. Rana Eijaz Ahmad, Prof. Dr. Rehana Saeed Hashmi, Zahid Islam, Ms. Bushra and Mr. Farooq Khara were present.

Speakers highlighted the significance of effective local governance, participatory democracy, community empowerment, and the role of academic institutions in strengthening local government systems in Pakistan.