Month: July 2026

Islamabad: Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ikhtiar Wali Khan on Wednesday criticized a bill recently passed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly which expands provincial assembly members’ powers and immunities, and called for its immediate withdrawal.

Addressing a press conference at the Press Information Department alongside Member of the National Assembly Ms. Shaista Khan and Member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Jalal Khan, Ikhtiar Wali Khan said that the legislation grants sweeping powers and lifelong privileges to members of the provincial assembly, ministers and advisers.

He said that the bill provides lifetime blue passports to provincial lawmakers and their spouses, grants members exemption from court appearances, and protects them from arrest.

He also added that members of the KP Assembly would be allowed to possess licences for up to eight Kalashnikov rifles, compared with two licences permitted for members of the National Assembly.

Ikhtiar Wali further added that no FIR could be registered against a provincial lawmaker without the approval of the Speaker of the KP Assembly, adding that such provisions were contrary to democratic accountability and the rule of law.

He also criticized clauses which would restrict parliamentary coverage by the media, adding that only journalists approved by the provincial government or the Speaker would be allowed to cover assembly proceedings.

“The freedom of the press is being curtailed through this legislation,” he said, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the bill.

Criticizing the provincial government, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had promised to eliminate elitism and establish equal justice, was instead introducing legislation that would create special privileges for lawmakers.

Ikhtiar Wali Khan said that the provincial government was prioritizing privileges for elected representatives instead of addressing key public issues, including education, healthcare, infrastructure development and law and order.

Referring to the financial situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added that several public universities were facing severe financial difficulties and called on the provincial government to allocate greater resources for education, hospitals and development projects.

He also urged federal accountability institutions, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), to investigate financial irregularities and corruption cases in the province.

Speaking on the occasion, MNA Ms. Shaista Khan expressed concern over restrictions on media freedom through this legislation. “I am deeply saddened that freedom of the press is being taken away,” she said.

Criticizing the provincial government’s health policies, Shaista Khan said that the Health Card programme had created serious administrative problems and placed doctors in difficult situations.

She said that patients from Haripur were routinely being referred to hospitals in Abbottabad because of inadequate healthcare facilities and urged the provincial government not to compromise public health and human lives.

Shaista urged the provincial government to focus on improving education, healthcare and public welfare instead of introducing legislation that would grant special privileges to elected representatives.

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed deep concern and sorrow over the disappearance of a private cargo aircraft in the Arabian Sea.

In separate statements, the president and the prime minister extended their heartfelt sympathies to the families of the missing plane’s crew members.

Praying for the safe recovery of the crew, the president expressed hope for the success of the ongoing search and rescue operation.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, the Pakistan Navy, and the Pakistan Air Force to utilize all available resources and expedite the search and rescue operation in the Arabian Sea.

Islamabad: Scientists at the Vegetable Research Institute (VRI), Faisalabad, are developing high-yielding, heat-tolerant local tomato varieties to help reduce recurring shortages of this important kitchen crop in Pakistan.

“We are currently working on developing hybrid tomato varieties that can withstand high temperatures and exhibit tolerance to viral diseases,” said Ghazanfar Hammad, Principal Scientist at VRI, Faisalabad.

Talking to Wealth Pakistan, he expressed hope that the new varieties would be ready for commercial release within the next two to three years.

He said the new varieties are being developed for cultivation during periods when temperatures are relatively moderate, helping ensure a more consistent supply of tomatoes to the market and reducing shortages during lean production seasons.

Ghazanfar Hammad said VRI is also developing local cherry tomato varieties, which are currently grown mainly from imported seed in home gardens.

“The local cherry tomato varieties will provide Pakistani consumers with vegetables of different tastes, colors and sizes,” he said.

He noted that while tomato demand remains steady throughout the year, supply fluctuates significantly, resulting in periodic shortages and sharp price increases, particularly in Punjab, which accounts for only about 20 percent of Pakistan’s total tomato production.

Pakistan produces around 4.2 million tons of tomatoes annually. However, because the country’s tomato processing industry remains underdeveloped, almost the entire production is consumed as fresh produce.

According to Ghazanfar Hammad, tomato cultivation in Punjab is concentrated in eight districts: Muzaffargarh, Khushab, Sheikhupura, Multan, Faisalabad, Vehari, Khanewal and Gujranwala. The province supplies tomatoes to the market from April to June.

From June to November, supplies mainly come from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, while Sindh meets market demand from December to April. However, disruptions caused by extreme weather events and floods frequently trigger severe shortages, he said.

According to vegetable traders, Pakistan usually imports tomatoes from neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Afghanistan, to bridge the gap between domestic demand and supply.

“This year, Pakistan could not import tomatoes from either country, which led to a sharp increase in prices,” Saddam Athar Khan, Secretary General of Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Badami Bagh Vegetable Market, told Wealth Pakistan. He said tomato prices climbed to as high as Rs350 per kilogram in June.

He expressed hope that the development of high-yielding and off-season tomato varieties would help reduce dependence on imports and stabilize prices.

Food technologists say tomatoes’ highly perishable nature limits their storage life, making year-round availability difficult.

“The best way to ensure tomato availability during lean months is to preserve it in the form of paste, chutneys or ketchup,” said Dr Ahmad Din, Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Food Science and Technology, Faisalabad.

Talking to Wealth Pakistan, he said that during the glut season, particularly in April, tomatoes should be boiled, peeled and deseeded before being processed into paste. The paste should then be mixed with a suitable preservative and stored in a refrigerator at around 4 degrees Celsius.

“You can use the preserved tomato paste throughout the year in various dishes or further process it into ketchup and other products,” Dr Ahmad Din said.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Mustafa Kamal chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress of the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis C Elimination Programme.

The meeting was attended by Professor Saeed Akhtar, Head of the National Technical Advisory Group on Hepatitis, the Additional Secretary Health, the Project Director of the Hepatitis C Programme, heads of major public hospitals, and the District Health Officer (DHO) Islamabad.

During the meeting, the Project Director briefed participants on the progress of Hepatitis C screening under the pilot phase launched in Islamabad.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that the primary objective of initiating the pilot phase in Islamabad was to identify operational challenges within the system before expanding the programme nationwide.

He directed the concerned authorities to resolve all identified issues and ensure that the system is fully streamlined within the next 15 days.

The Minister emphasized that timely identification and treatment of Hepatitis C patients is essential to preventing further transmission of the disease. He noted that more than 10 million people in Pakistan are estimated to be living with Hepatitis C, making its elimination a national cause of utmost importance.

“The Prime Minister’s Hepatitis C Programme is among the Government’s highest priorities. Our national commitment is to make Pakistan Hepatitis-free. This is not merely a healthcare programme; it is a mission to safeguard the future of our nation,” he stated.

Mustafa Kamal highlighted that the successful implementation of the programme in Islamabad will largely depend on the active role of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital.

He also stressed the need to intensify public awareness campaigns so that every citizen recognizes their national responsibility and comes forward for Hepatitis C screening.

The Minister reiterated that Hepatitis C is a curable disease and said its elimination requires collective efforts from the entire nation, not just the government. He underlined that early diagnosis and timely treatment can save countless lives while significantly reducing the spread of the disease.

Appealing to the residents of Islamabad, Mustafa Kamal urged them to actively participate in this national campaign by getting themselves tested. He assured that the Government is making comprehensive arrangements to provide free Hepatitis C screening and free treatment to all diagnosed patients.

“The State is committed to providing free treatment to every individual diagnosed with Hepatitis C under this programme,” he added.

Islamabad: The prices of gold witnessed a significant decline in the local market on Wednesday, with the price of 24-karat gold per tola decreasing by Rs4,700 to settle at Rs430,236, according to rates issued by the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association.

Similarly, the price of 10 grams of 24-karat gold fell by Rs4,029 to Rs368,858, while the price of 10 grams of 22-karat gold declined by Rs3,693 to Rs338,132.

In the international market, the price of gold dropped by $47 to settle at $4,078 per ounce.

Meanwhile, the price of silver per tola decreased by Rs138 to Rs6,421, while the price of 10 grams of silver went down by Rs119 to Rs5,504.

The price of silver in the international market also declined by $1.38 to $59.42 per ounce, the association reported.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was told on Wednesday that under the 100 MW Solar Energy Project for Gilgit-Baltistan, 18 MW of rooftop solar systems, including battery storage, will be installed on 499 government buildings by December 2026.

In addition, the PC-I for the 82 MW utility-scale solar project has been submitted to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval.

Officials informed that the 82 MW utility-scale solar project is expected to benefit approximately 1.3 million people. Upon completion, the project will significantly improve the quality of electricity services in Gilgit-Baltistan and help eliminate load shedding across the region.

These updates were shared during a review meeting on the 100 MW Solar Energy Project for Gilgit-Baltistan, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

During the meeting, the prime minister said that the promotion of solar energy was a key component of the national energy strategy aimed at providing clean, affordable, and sustainable power. He described the 100 MW solar project as a gift from the Federal Government to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.

The prime minister directed the Power Division to fulfill all its responsibilities to ensure the timely installation and completion of the project. He also instructed that complete transparency be maintained throughout the procurement process.

Emphasizing accountability, the prime minister further directed that all payments under the project be made only after third-party validation.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Leghari, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, and other senior government officials.