Month: July 2026

Rawalpindi: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Khawaja Saad Rafique on Tuesday said the PML-N enjoyed mass public support in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and urged Kashmiris residing in Pakistan to participate actively in the democratic process by casting their votes in large numbers in the upcoming AJK elections.

He said the popularity of political parties should be decided through the ballot box rather than street politics, adding that a high voter turnout would send a strong message of Kashmiris’ commitment with Pakistan.

Addressing a corner meeting at Haji House in Rawalpindi in connection with the upcoming AJK elections, Rafique said the PML-N has always upheld constitutional governance, democracy and national interests and would continue working for the rights, peace, stability and development of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering political, diplomatic and moral support for the people of Kashmir, he said the bond between Pakistan and Kashmir “can never be broken.” He urged all stakeholders to resolve the ongoing unrest in AJK through dialogue and constitutional means instead of confrontation.

Rafique said no individual or group should be allowed to hold the peace of Azad Kashmir hostage, stressing that governments were not changed and public grievances were not resolved through street confrontations or citywide shutdowns, but through negotiations, democratic institutions and constitutional processes.

Calling the recent situation in AJK concerning, he said state institutions must address the crisis within the framework of the Constitution and the law. He added that accepting certain demands in haste had encouraged further demands, making the situation increasingly complex.

Referring to his family’s Kashmiri roots, Rafique said Kashmiri migrants who settled in Punjab during and after the creation of Pakistan were welcomed with respect and dignity and should never be portrayed negatively.

Describing the Kashmir dispute as the unfinished agenda of the Partition of the Indian subcontinent, he said Pakistan has consistently supported the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination at international forums. He also paid tribute to the sacrifices made by Pakistan’s armed forces in defending the country and supporting the Kashmir cause.

The meeting was attended by Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Malik Abrar and Tahira Aurangzeb, Senators Anusha Rahman and Nasir Mahmood Butt, Adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister Ali Dar, Member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA) Naeem Ejaz, PML-N PP-16 Senior Vice President Shazia Sajid, the party’s nominated AJK Legislative Assembly candidate Muhammad Yaseen Lone, Raja Muhammad Siddique, party leaders, workers and a large number of supporters.

Speaking on the occasion, MNA Malik Abrar expressed confidence that PML-N candidates would win all four AJK seats.

MNA Tahira Aurangzeb described the party as a symbol of public service and development, saying Rawalpindi has always remained a strong political hub of the PML-N.

Senator Nasir Mahmood Butt urged voters to support the party’s candidates and endorse the vision of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the July 27 AJK elections.

MPA Naeem Ejaz, AJK Legislative Assembly candidate Muhammad Yaseen Lone and Raja Muhammad Siddique also addressed the gathering, appealing to the electorate to vote for PML-N candidates in the upcoming elections.

Abbottabad: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Arshad Ayub Khan on Tuesday said the provincial government had introduced a transparent and merit-based transfer and posting system under which teachers no longer require recommendations for transfers.

Addressing the inauguration of the Pedagogy IP-5 (2026-27) Training Programme at the Regional Professional Development Centre (Female) in Abbottabad, the minister said preparing the younger generation to meet future challenges through quality education and modern teaching methods was the government’s top priority. He added that the provincial government would continue to provide teachers with every possible facility and support.

The ceremony was attended by Chairman Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Abbottabad Inayatullah Waseem, Additional Secretary Elementary and Secondary Education Hayat Shah, Education Adviser (ESRU) Saaduddin, Director DPD Jafar Mansoor Abbasi, District Education Officer (Male) Iftikhar-ul-Ghani, District Education Officer (Female) Ayesha Saeed, trainers and trainee teachers.

Officials briefing the minister said the IP-5 is a nine-month induction training programme for newly recruited teachers of all cadres. The programme aims to train more than 16,000 teachers across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to the briefing, the initiative is designed to enhance teachers’ professional capabilities by equipping them with modern pedagogical techniques and technological skills, enabling them to provide more effective and high-quality education to students.

Arshad Ayub Khan said quality education depends on competent and well-trained teachers, urging participants to perform their professional responsibilities with dedication, commitment and a strong sense of responsibility to help build a brighter future for the next generation. He also appreciated the services of the trainers for their contribution to teacher development.

Director DPD Jafar Mansoor Abbasi informed the gathering that sub-campuses had been established to facilitate trainee teachers from remote areas. He added that an online application had also been launched to make the training process more accessible and efficient.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the education minister distributed shields among trainers in recognition of their outstanding performance.

Muzaffargarh: Three people, including a woman, were injured in two separate wall-collapse incidents caused by strong winds and heavy rain in the district, the Rescue 1122 sources said on Tuesday.

The first incident occurred in Mahmood Kot area, where a wall attached to a room collapsed, injuring one man, according to Rescue 1122 officials. The emergency responders provided first aid at the scene, they added.

In the second incident, a wall collapsed near an acid factory in the Muradabad area, injuring a man and a woman, they said.

The Rescue 1122 teams responded promptly to both locations, administered emergency medical assistance and transported all the injured to nearby hospitals , the sources added.

Rawalpindi: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) conducted four operations in different parts of the country and recovered 513.7 kilograms(kgs) of narcotics worth more than Rs 63.2 million and arrested one suspect, an ANF spokesman said on Tuesday.

During an international drug interdiction operation, officials recovered 2.7 kg of heroin concealed in a shopping bag packed inside a parcel destined for the United Kingdom at a courier office in Azizabad, Karachi.

In a domestic operation near GT Road in Peshawar, ANF personnel seized 1.2 kg of hashish from a suspect, who was arrested on the spot.

In another operation near Murtaza Chowrangi in Karachi, 34.8 kg of hashish was recovered from bushes.

Separately, ANF recovered 475 kg of opium, 400 kg of suspected material, one light machine gun (LMG) with 110 rounds and two sub-machine guns (SMGs) with 60 rounds from a compound near Naukandi in Chagai district.

Cases have been registered under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997, and further investigations are underway.

Multan: The district administration has intensified monitoring of public hospitals and healthcare facilities to ensure the provision of quality medical services to patients. Deputy Commissioner Dr. Muhammad Faisal Saleem paid a surprise visit to Shehbaz Sharif Hospital, where he met patients to get their feedback on medical facilities being provided to them. The DC inspected various wards, reviewed the availability of medicines, and assessed the quality of healthcare services besides overall management arrangements. He also received a detailed briefing on the progress of ongoing hospital upgradation schemes. He said that providing the best possible healthcare facilities to the public was a top priority of the Punjab government and added that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif was paying special attention to ensure availability of modern medical facilities across public hospitals. He further stated that the 100 per cent supply of medicines to hospitals and healthcare centres was being ensured and reaffirmed t
hat regular monitoring of hospitals would continue to guarantee quality treatment and better healthcare services to the public.

Gujrat: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) destroyed a consignment of substandard milk and imposed a heavy fine on a milk supplier during an inspection near Daulat Nagar in Gujrat district.

According to official sources, the inspection was conducted under the supervision of Deputy Director PFA Sadia Rafat. During the inspection of a milk supply vehicle, the milk was found to be substandard and unfit for human consumption.

The sources said the entire quantity of substandard milk was disposed of on the spot in accordance with food safety regulations, while a heavy fine was imposed on the vehicle owner for violating food safety laws.

The Punjab Food Authority reiterated its commitment to ensuring the provision of safe, quality and adulteration-free food to the public, adding that enforcement operations against food safety violators would continue across the province.