Month: July 2026

Lahore: The National School of Public Policy (NSPP) on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kinnaird College for Women University, Lahore, to strengthen collaboration in public policy research, publications and joint academic activities.

The ceremony began with the welcome address by Dr. Naveed Elahi, Dean, National Institute of Public Policy (NIPP). He briefly introduced NSPP’s integral and constituent units – the National Institute of Public Policy, the Administrative Staff College and the National Institutes of PublicPolicy (NIPAs)- and shared the Rector’s vision of building strong linkages with the country’s most prestigious academic institutions. He said the greatest dividend of the MoU would be the interaction it opens up with the youth of Kinnaird College.

Rector NSPP, Mr. Farhan Aziz Khawaja, said the partnership would create new opportunities for joint research, faculty interaction, seminars, internships and capacity building, adding that students who engage early with real policy problems develop a lasting sense of public purpose.

Prof. Dr. Iram Anjum, Principal, Kinnaird College, said the collaboration marked an important step towards bridging academic research and policy practice, giving faculty and students the chance to learn from real policy challenges.

The MoU was signed by the Rector and the Principal on behalf of their respective institutions. Senior representatives of both institutions attended the ceremony.

Lahore: A woman and an eight-year-old girl were injured after the roof of a house collapsed near Bobby Plaza on Bund Road Lahore on Friday morning.

According to Rescue 1122, the emergency control room received the call, following which the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team rushed to the scene and launched a rescue operation.

The spokesperson said the roof, constructed with mud and T-R girders, collapsed, trapping the victims under the debris.

Rescue personnel successfully pulled both injured persons from the rubble and provided them with first aid.

The injured, identified as 18-year-old Maimoona and eight-year-old Madiha, were shifted to Mian Munshi Hospital. Rescue officials said Madiha was in critical condition, while Maimoona sustained injuries.

A total of 18 rescuers, assisted by five emergency vehicles, participated in the operation. Rescue 1122 said eyewitnesses and rescue teams confirmed that no other person was trapped under the debris, and the operation was subsequently concluded.

Lahore: Punjab supplied a total of 786, 404 bags of 10kg flour across the province during the previous day, according to the Food Safety and Consumer Protection Department spokesperson.

The spokesperson said the supply of flour across Punjab is continuing without interruption and there is no shortage in the market.

According to the department, flour mills ground government wheat and supplied 114, 079 bags of 10kg flour priced at Rs1, 100 per bag. In addition, after purchasing wheat from the private sector and grinding it, flour mills supplied 364, 655 bags of 10kg flour and 153, 835 bags of 20kg flour across all districts of Punjab.

Overall, the market received 786, 404 bags of 10kg flour during the day.

The spokesperson said the Punjab government is continuously monitoring the situation to ensure the uninterrupted availability of quality flour.

Flour mills across the province are operating normally, and all necessary measures are being taken to maintain flour availability and the supply chain.

Lahore: Ring Road Police has arrested a patrolling officer for watching Facebook and Rails on his mobile phone while on duty and registered a case against him under Section 155-C.

According to the Ring Road Authority, the officer was given to concerned custody after taking strict action for using social media instead of effectively monitoring public service and traffic.

The authority clarified that a zero tolerance policy is in place for unnecessary use of mobile phones during duty.

The Commandant of the Ring Road Police says that the primary responsibility of officers and personnel is to effectively manage traffic and provide timely facilities to citizens, while legal action will be taken without discrimination for negligence in duties or violation of discipline.

Lahore: The Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) has intensified its crackdown on illegal housing schemes, sealing several offices in the Chung and Mohlanwal areas and halting the operations of an unapproved housing colony for violating planning and development regulations.

The operation was carried out by RUDA’s Development and Building Control Department as part of the authority’s ongoing campaign against unauthorised housing projects operating within its jurisdiction. Enforcement teams also inspected a number of other housing schemes and issued notices to developers found violating applicable rules and regulations. According to RUDA, the action was aimed at protecting citizens from fraudulent real estate ventures and ensuring compliance with legal requirements.

RUDA officials reiterated that the authority maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal housing schemes and warned that strict enforcement actions, including the sealing of offices, suspension of development activities and legal proceedings, would continue against projects operating without the required approvals.

The authority has already declared dozens of housing schemes and land subdivisions within its jurisdiction as illegal, including several located in Chung and Mohlanwal. The official list includes schemes such as Gulshan-e-Chung, Theme Park Chung, Al-Noor Housing and Developers, Madina Colony, RA Developers, Al-Wahab Housing Society and Bismillah Housing Scheme in the affected localities. RUDA has advised the public to verify the legal status of any housing project before making investments.

The latest operation is part of RUDA’s broader enforcement campaign against unauthorised developments. In previous crackdowns, the authority sealed offices of multiple illegal housing societies, dismantled infrastructure and stopped the sale and purchase of plots in unapproved schemes, warning that enforcement operations will continue to curb illegal development and safeguard investors.

Lahore: The Punjab Planning and Development (PandD) Board has issued new guidelines related to PC-I for approval of development projects for the financial year 2026-27.

According to the new instructions, all provincial departments will have to ensure implementation of approved development schemes as per the set targets and timeline.

According to the PandD Board, it will be mandatory for each development project to clearly state its total cost, completion period, responsible officer, expected results and performance indicators, while regular monitoring of the progress of the projects and the results achieved will also be done.

Under the new policy, departments will have to provide the names, cost, location and all other details of development schemes in advance, correctly and completely, so as to ensure transparency in the approval and implementation of projects.

The guidelines also direct that unnecessary changes in development schemes should be avoided during the financial year, while safety measures should also be made a mandatory part of every project to deal with the possible risks of floods, natural disasters and climate change.

The PandD Board has clarified that government funds can be spent only on regularly approved development schemes.

Furthermore, all provincial departments have been directed to submit their annual performance reports by August 31, while the government will also issue a ranking of departments based on effective use of the budget and performance.