Day: July 30, 2026

Lahore: Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Tahir Farooq has directed officials to ensure that property transfer cases in LDA City are completed within 24 hours, describing the growing number of transfer applications as an encouraging sign.

The directive was issued during his visit to the LDA Avenue One Citizen Facilitation Centre and various blocks of the housing scheme on Wednesday.

During the surprise visit, the DG interacted with citizens visiting the facilitation centre for property transfers, building period extensions and other services. He sought feedback on the quality of services and instructed the Director Avenue One to ensure maximum convenience for the public.

Later, the DG inspected the under-construction park in H Block of LDA Avenue One, where officials briefed him on ongoing development works. They informed him that a 47-kanal park is being developed under a sustainable development model, while construction of eight new parks across the housing scheme is progressing rapidly.

Lahore: Lahore General Hospital (LGH) organised a hepatitis awareness walk on Wednesday as part of a determined campaign to eliminate the disease from Punjab under the health vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The walk was led by Principal of Ameer-ud-Din Medical College, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farooq Afzal, and witnessed the participation of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff carrying placards highlighting the importance of early screening and prevention.

Addressing the participants and media, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farooq Afzal said timely screening and early diagnosis remain the most effective tools to prevent hepatitis and reduce its devastating impact. He said LGH is providing free diagnostic and treatment facilities for hepatitis patients, including medical check-ups, laboratory tests, medicines and comprehensive care under the Punjab government’s healthcare initiatives. He reiterated that PGMI and LGH would continue their efforts until Punjab becomes a hepatitis-free province.

He called upon the media, civil society, healthcare institutions and the public to play an active role in creating awareness, saying that thousands of lives could be saved through timely diagnosis and preventive measures.

Prof. Dr. Ghiyas-un-Nabi Tayyab described hepatitis B and C as “silent killers,” explaining that the diseases often remain symptomless in their early stages. He urged every healthy individual to undergo regular screening and warned that hepatitis spreads through unsafe blood transfusions, reused syringes and non-sterile dental instruments.

Health experts said nearly 10 million Pakistanis are living with hepatitis B or C, while thousands die every year due to liver cancer and liver failure caused by the disease. They said common symptoms include persistent fatigue, weakness, jaundice, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, pain in the upper right abdomen and dark-coloured urine.

The experts stressed that hepatitis can largely be prevented through six-monthly screening, completion of the three-dose hepatitis B vaccination course, use of disposable syringes, transfusion of properly screened blood, avoiding the sharing of personal items such as razors, toothbrushes and nail cutters, and ensuring that circumcision and dental procedures are carried out only at certified healthcare facilities. They also emphasised the need for strict monitoring of beauty salons to prevent the spread of infections.

Medical Superintendent LGH, Prof. Dr. Faryad Hussain, said the hospital’s dedicated hepatitis clinic is fully operational and providing free testing and treatment facilities to patients.

At the conclusion of the event, Associate Prof. Dr. Ghiyas-ul-Hassan thanked the organisers, participants and media representatives for supporting the awareness campaign. He said public awareness remains the strongest weapon against hepatitis and affirmed that PGMI and LGH would continue organising such initiatives until Punjab is free from the disease.

The awareness walk was attended by Prof. Dr. Ghiyas-un-Nabi Tayyab, Medical Superintendent Prof. Dr. Faryad Hussain, Dr. Ghiyas-ul-Hassan, Dr. Shafqat Rasool, Dr. Waqas Shabbir, Dr. Abdul Aziz, Dr. Mukarram Bajwa, along with a large number of gastroenterology specialists, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff.

Lahore: Acting on the directives of Director General Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Tahir Farooq, the LDA Town Planning Wing has intensified its operation against illegally commercialized buildings and properties defaulting on commercialization fees.

During a large-scale enforcement drive carried out on Tuesday, LDA teams sealed 105 properties in various housing schemes and LDA-controlled areas.

The operation covered Gulberg, Faisal Town, Gulshan Ravi, Canal Road, Poonch Road, Mustafa Town and Azam Town. According to the LDA spokesperson, 31 properties in Gulberg and Faisal Town were sealed for unauthorized commercial use.

Another 53 properties located in Gulshan Ravi, Canal Road and Poonch Road were sealed for illegal commercial activities and non-payment of commercialization fees. Meanwhile, 21 properties in Mustafa Town and Azam Garden were sealed during a recovery operation against fee defaulters.

The sealed properties included private schools, bakeries, beauty salons, hardware stores, marble and building material outlets, caf©s, restaurants, food points, pharmacies, grocery and electrical stores, real estate offices, clinics, auto workshops, shops and offices.

The operation was supervised by Chief Town Planner-I Asad Uz Zaman. The LDA said indiscriminate action against illegal commercial establishments and commercialization fee defaulters will continue.

Lahore: A sessions court on Wednesday restrained police from arresting the station house officer (SHO) and other police personnel nominated in a case concerning a raid on the residence of Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Zulfiqar Ahmad Naeem heard the interim bail petitions filed by SHO Ejaz Haider and other police officials. The court granted them interim bail until August 12 against surety bonds of Rs50,000 each and directed the police officials to join the investigation.

SHO Ejaz Haider and the other police personnel approached the court seeking interim bail, apprehending arrest in the case.

Sarwar Road Police had registered the case against the officials in connection with the alleged raid on the Attorney General’s residence in Lahore.

According to the FIR, a police team led by the Sarwar Road SHO allegedly entered the Attorney General’s residence at around 6pm on July 27 after scaling the main gate. The FIR further alleged that the officials harassed employees present at the residence and damaged flower pots outside the house during the operation.

Lahore: A delegation comprising water supply and sanitation experts from Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa undertook a learning exchange visit to the Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company (PMDFC).

The visit was organized in collaboration with AGAHE and Welthungerhilfe to promote the interprovincial exchange of innovative approaches and best practices.

The delegation included representatives from the Public Health Engineering Departments of Sindh and Balochistan, the Planning and Development Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, other government institutions working in water supply, sanitation and the WASH sector, and development partners.

Managing Director PMDFC, Syed Zahid Aziz, welcomed the delegation and briefed the participants on PMDFC’s ongoing initiatives for urban development, water supply and sanitation, institutional capacity building and improved municipal service delivery. He stated that such learning exchange visits play an important role in strengthening collaboration among provinces, promoting knowledge sharing and identifying sustainable solutions to challenges confronting the WASH sector.

Mudassir Javed, Director Planning and Evaluation, WASA Lahore, delivered a detailed briefing on WASA Lahore’s projects, institutional reforms and measures being undertaken to improve water supply and sanitation services for citizens. Mubarak Ali Sarwar, Chief Executive Officer of AGAHE, highlighted the objectives of the visit and the importance of strengthening interprovincial linkages in the WASH sector.

The delegation was also briefed on the projects, successful experiences and institutional reforms of the Pakistan Water Operators Network (P-WON), PMDFC and WASA Lahore. Special documentary highlighting the initiatives and achievements of PMDFC was also screened on the occasion.

Tahira Jabeen, National Coordinator P-WON; Umair Butt; Shahid Ibrahim; Ali Mufti; Amir Mahmood Shah, SPO GIS; and other officers also attended the meeting.

The participants appreciated the initiatives undertaken by PMDFC, PWON and WASA Lahore and emphasized the need to further promote the interprovincial exchange of experiences, technical expertise and replicable models.

Lahore: A meeting chaired by Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique reviewed the progress on the Punjab Development Program (PDP) at the Civil Secretariat here on Wednesday.

Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian and Special Secretary Shahid Zaman Lak also attended.

The meeting was briefed that 87 underground tanks have been completed in 51 cities under the ‘Maryam Nawaz’s Beautiful Punjab’ program, while 90 percent of 17 water storage tanks have been constructed in different cities. The meeting also considered the construction of additional tanks in cities with high rainwater pressure.

Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique said, “Rainfall pattern has changed due to climate change, so we need to move forward keeping in mind the uncertain rainfall situation.” He said that additional water pumps and machinery will be provided for drainage.

Zeeshan Rafique said that the construction of roadside water tanks has made a significant difference in urban flooding in the cities included in the PDP compared to last year. “Due to the encouraging results, work has started on constructing additional tanks.” He said that dewatering of tanks is being done in places where drains have not been constructed yet. “Dewatering the tanks will help in the drainage of rainwater again”, he figured out.

On this occasion, Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian said that in light of the alert of the new spell of rains, excavation in PDP schemes has been stopped immediately. He directed that effective safety and security arrangements should be ensured at the excavation sites.