Month: July 2026

Faisalabad: The police ensured stringent security arrangements for churches across the district by deploying more than 1, 100 officers and personnel for the Christian community during their religious services.

Police said on Sunday that comprehensive security measures had been implemented at all churches to provide peaceful and secure environment for Christian worshipers.

He said that all Station House Officers (SHOs) were directed to personally inspect security arrangements at churches, while senior police officers were continuously monitoring deployment and security protocols to ensure effective implementation of the plan.

He said that surveillance was maintained through the Safe City system and CCTV cameras while worshippers were screened through walk-through gates and metal detectors before entering church premises.

The Elite Force and Dolphin Force had also been assigned special patrolling duties around churches and adjoining areas to strengthen security and ensure a prompt response to any emergency, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, City Police Officer (CPO) Tanveer Hussain said that the police were utilizing all available resources to safeguard lives and property of Christian community in addition to ensure their religious obligations in a peaceful and secure atmosphere.

The police were committed to maintain law and order and protect all places of worship through proactive security measures and constant vigilance, he added.

Faisalabad: The agriculture experts urged sugarcane growers to adopt timely and integrated pest management practices to protect their crop from destructive insect attacks and said that effective control of harmful pests is imperative for achieving high per-acre yields and maintaining crop quality.

A spokesman of Agriculture (Extension) Department said that the sugarcane pyrilla, a major sap-sucking pest, poses a serious threat to the crop by feeding on the underside of leaves.

Both nymphs and adult insects suck plant sap, while the honeydew they excrete promotes the growth of black sooty mould, which blocks photosynthesis and severely reduces the plant’s ability to produce food, he added.

He advised the farmers to encourage biological control by preserving and releasing beneficial parasitic insects wherever they are found in sufficient numbers.

He recommended cutting six-inch portions of sugarcane leaves carrying the eggs and cocoons of the beneficial parasite and transferring them to affected fields to naturally suppress pyrilla populations.

He said that sugarcane whitefly is another damaging pest whose nymphs feed on leaf sap, causing leaves to turn yellow and dry under severe infestations while stunting plant growth.

In case of pyrilla attack, the growers should manually collect and destroy adult insects and nymphs by using hand nets. Where infestation is confined to a limited area, the affected leaves should be removed and buried in the soil to prevent further spread, he added.

He also recommended the application of granular insecticides, in consultation with local agricultural specialists of the Punjab Agriculture Department, before the sugarcane crop reaches a height of six feet, if required under field conditions.

He strongly advised farmers against burning sugarcane trash after harvesting, as it destroys beneficial insects that naturally help keep harmful pest populations under control.

For chemical control of harmful insects, he urged the growers to use only recommended pesticides after consulting local experts of the Agriculture Department’s Extension and Pest Warning Wing to ensure effective pest management while safeguarding crop productivity.

Rawalpindi: Police have launched a crackdown against one-wheeling and arrested 16 individuals for performing dangerous stunts on public roads here on Sunday. According to police, 10 motorcycles used by the suspects were also taken into custody during the operation.

Cases have been registered against the accused, who have been formally arrested.

SP Saddar Anum Sher commended Saddar Barooni police and said that strict action will continue against those involved in one-wheeling and reckless motorcycle riding, warning that individuals who endanger their own lives as well as the safety of other road users will not escape the law. She made it clear that it is prime duty of police to protect the lives and properties of people.

Faisalabad: City Traffic Police (CTP) has issued a comprehensive traffic advisory after construction work officially commenced at Station Chowk and GTS Chowk under the Mass Transit Project.

The commuters were urged to avoid unnecessary travel, use alternate routes, and allow extra travel time as traffic congestion is expected to intensify on major city arteries. CTP spokesman said that the large-scale construction activities at Station Chowk, GTS Chowk and adjoining roads were likely to disrupt the normal flow of traffic during the execution of the project.

He advised citizens to minimize non-essential travel and opt for alternative routes to reduce inconvenience and ease traffic pressure in the affected areas.

He said that motorists should plan their journeys in advance and leave earlier than usual to ensure timely arrival at their destinations.

He also urged road users to strictly follow directions issued by traffic police personnel deployed on roads during the construction period.

He said that CTP officers and officials would remain stationed at key points to regulate traffic, facilitate commuters, and ensure smooth vehicular movement despite the ongoing construction activities.

He appealed the public to demonstrate civic responsibility by observing traffic regulations and extending full cooperation to the traffic police so that the road network could be managed effectively throughout the construction phase.

He expressed confidence that with public cooperation, traffic flow would remain organized during the execution of Mass Transit Project while inconvenience to commuters would be kept to a minimum.

Rawalpindi: Rawalpindi Police have implemented comprehensive security arrangements at churches to ensure the safety of worshippers and maintain public order.

According to a police spokesperson, Senior police officers remained present in the field to supervise the security measures, while entry into churches was allowed only after thorough body searches of all visitors, according to police.

City Police Officer (CPO) Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera directed officers to ensure the security of people attending worship services while treating them with courtesy and respect. He said Rawalpindi Police are utilizing all available resources to safeguard the rights of minority communities and maintain peace and law and order across the district.

Peshawar: A fresh spell of rainfall has increased water flows in the Kabul and Indus rivers across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with a low-level flood recorded at the confluence of the two rivers at Kund Khairabad and Nowshera.

According to the district administration, inflows into Tarbela Dam have risen due to continuous rainfall, prompting authorities to open the dam’s spillways. The increased discharge has raised water levels at the confluence of the Indus and Kabul rivers.

Officials have warned residents living along riverbanks to remain vigilant and avoid going near the rivers as a precaution against possible flooding.

Meanwhile, rainfall resumed in Peshawar and surrounding areas after a two-day break. Light winds accompanying the rain have brought pleasant weather to the region.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast that the current spell of rain is likely to continue until July 29. It has warned of possible landslides, falling rocks and flash floods in vulnerable areas of the Malakand and Hazara divisions due to heavy rainfall.

The PMD said most districts of the province will experience partly cloudy and humid weather. Rain accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds is expected in Chitral, Upper and Lower Dir, Swat, Shangla, Malakand, Buner, Bajaur, and Upper and Lower Kohistan. Similar weather conditions are also forecast for Kolai-Palas, Torghar, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Mohmand, Khyber and Kurram.

Heavy rainfall is expected at isolated locations in Malakand and Hazara divisions, while thunderstorms with gusty winds are also likely in Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Kohat, Orakzai, Hangu, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Tank and North Waziristan.