Month: July 2026

Peshawar: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in an important consultative meeting on Wednesday, discussed the holding of local government elections in 23 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has formally invited the provincial government to participate.

According to an official communication issued by the ECP, the meeting will be held in Islamabad on July 14, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Election Commissioner.

The meeting will review preparations for local government elections in the 23 districts where the local bodies have completed their constitutional tenure and will deliberate on the roadmap for the electoral process.

The Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Secretary Local Government have been invited to attend the meeting. According to the agenda, the first phase of the proposed elections is likely to include Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi and Kohat. Bannu, Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan, Tank, Abbottabad, Haripur, Battagram and Torghar are also expected to be included in the first phase.

The agenda further includes Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Buner, Lower Chitral, Lower Dir and Upper Dir, where the proposed local government elections will also be discussed and the final course of action is expected to be decided during the meeting.

Peshawar: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in an important consultative meeting on Wednesday, discussed the holding of local government elections in 23 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has formally invited the provincial government to participate.

According to an official communication issued by the ECP, the meeting will be held in Islamabad on July 14, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Election Commissioner.

The meeting will review preparations for local government elections in the 23 districts where the local bodies have completed their constitutional tenure and will deliberate on the roadmap for the electoral process.

The Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Secretary Local Government have been invited to attend the meeting.

According to the agenda, the first phase of the proposed elections is likely to include Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi and Kohat. Bannu, Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan, Tank, Abbottabad, Haripur, Battagram and Torghar are also expected to be included in the first phase.

The agenda further includes Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Buner, Lower Chitral, Lower Dir and Upper Dir, where the proposed local government elections will also be discussed and the final course of action is expected to be decided during the meeting.

Multan: Punjab Agriculture Department seized counterfeit and expired pesticides worth over Rs 613.3 million during a raid on an illegal manufacturing facility in Multan, arresting two suspects, officials said on Wednesday.

The operation was carried out under the standing instructions from Punjab Minister for Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani and Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahu as part of the department’s ongoing crackdown on fake and substandard agriculture inputs.

Director Pest Warning and Quality Control of Pesticides Syed Ismat Bukhari led the operation with his team after receiving information about an illegal factory operating in the Industrial Estate, Multan.

During the raid, officials recovered 11,673 litres and 1,541.6 kilograms of counterfeit and expired pesticides with a total estimated value of Rs 613,335,426.

The factory was allegedly manufacturing and repackaging fake pesticides. The counterfeit products were being filled into new containers and prepared for sale in the market.

The inspection team collected 12 pesticide samples for laboratory analysis, while all seized products were handed over to the police as case property.

Two suspects, Muhammad Arif and Muhammad Mohsin Raza, were arrested during the operation. A prosecution complaint has been filed for registration of a case against them at Muzaffarabad police station, Multan.

Director General Pest Warning and Quality Control of Pesticides Dr. Aamir Rasool and Additional Director General (South Zone) Ilyas Raza commended the raiding team.

Multan: Punjab Agriculture Department seized counterfeit and expired pesticides worth over Rs 613.3 million during a raid on an illegal manufacturing facility in Multan, arresting two suspects, officials said on Wednesday.

The operation was carried out under the standing instructions from Punjab Minister for Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani and Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahu as part of the department’s ongoing crackdown on fake and substandard agriculture inputs.

Director Pest Warning and Quality Control of Pesticides Syed Ismat Bukhari led the operation with his team after receiving information about an illegal factory operating in the Industrial Estate, Multan.

During the raid, officials recovered 11,673 litres and 1,541.6 kilograms of counterfeit and expired pesticides with a total estimated value of Rs 613,335,426.

The factory was allegedly manufacturing and repackaging fake pesticides. The counterfeit products were being filled into new containers and prepared for sale in the market.

The inspection team collected 12 pesticide samples for laboratory analysis, while all seized products were handed over to the police as case property.

Two suspects, Muhammad Arif and Muhammad Mohsin Raza, were arrested during the operation. A prosecution complaint has been filed for registration of a case against them at Muzaffarabad police station, Multan.

Director General Pest Warning and Quality Control of Pesticides Dr. Aamir Rasool and Additional Director General (South Zone) Ilyas Raza commended the raiding team.

Tarbela: A delegation of the National Defense University’s (NDU) first Project Director Certification (PDC) Course visited the Tarbela Dam Project for a technical training tour aimed at enhancing participants’ understanding of large-scale infrastructure and hydropower project management.

The delegation comprised 22 senior engineers and project leaders from various public sector organizations, accompanied by NDU faculty members. The visit formed part of the professional curriculum designed to provide participants with practical exposure to the planning, execution, operational management, and strategic importance of one of Pakistan’s largest hydropower projects.

During the visit, officials of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) briefed the delegation on the overall operations of Tarbela Dam, progress on the under-construction Tarbela Fifth Extension Hydropower Project, and the performance of the operational Tarbela Fourth Extension Power House.

The participants also toured the dam’s main site, spillways, and the Tarbela Dam model to gain firsthand knowledge of its engineering design and operational systems. The delegation later visited the Martyrs’ Memorial to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during the construction of the project.

The visit concluded with a detailed inspection of the powerhouse, where participants received a technical briefing on electricity generation and transmission to the national grid.

The delegation appreciated WAPDA’s continued support for professional capacity-building initiatives and expressed confidence that the operational insights gained during the visit would contribute to improving project management and strategic decision-making in their respective organizations.

Tarbela: A delegation of the National Defense University’s (NDU) first Project Director Certification (PDC) Course visited the Tarbela Dam Project for a technical training tour aimed at enhancing participants’ understanding of large-scale infrastructure and hydropower project management.

The delegation comprised 22 senior engineers and project leaders from various public sector organizations, accompanied by NDU faculty members. The visit formed part of the professional curriculum designed to provide participants with practical exposure to the planning, execution, operational management, and strategic importance of one of Pakistan’s largest hydropower projects.

During the visit, officials of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) briefed the delegation on the overall operations of Tarbela Dam, progress on the under-construction Tarbela Fifth Extension Hydropower Project, and the performance of the operational Tarbela Fourth Extension Power House.

The participants also toured the dam’s main site, spillways, and the Tarbela Dam model to gain firsthand knowledge of its engineering design and operational systems. The delegation later visited the Martyrs’ Memorial to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during the construction of the project.

The visit concluded with a detailed inspection of the powerhouse, where participants received a technical briefing on electricity generation and transmission to the national grid.

The delegation appreciated WAPDA’s continued support for professional capacity-building initiatives and expressed confidence that the operational insights gained during the visit would contribute to improving project management and strategic decision-making in their respective organizations.