Month: July 2026

Vehari: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Vehari, Khalid Javed Goraiya chaired a meeting regarding the installation of safety nets on manholes across the district, in which the progress of the work was reviewed.

Khalid Javed directed the concerned institutions to further expedite the process of installing safety nets on manholes under the initiative of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif so that the safety of life and property of the citizens can be ensured.

He said that all concerned departments should identify manholes and install safety nets and covers in a timely manner, while the administration of private housing societies should also be contacted to ensure the installation of safety covers and nets on the existing manholes there.

He directed that safety measures should be completed on a priority basis in areas where public traffic is high.

The meeting was attended by Add. DC General Ghulam Murtaza, Add. DC Finance and Planning Muhammad Afzal, AC Vehari Anam Akram, Chief Officer District Council and Municipality Sajid Mahmood, MD WASA Chaudhry Ikramullah, and other officers, while AC Burewala Jawad Hussain and AC Mailsi Saad Bin Khalid participated through video link.

Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information Shafi Jan met a delegation of the Artists Action Committee on Monday to discuss the promotion of arts and culture, the Artists Endowment Fund, and the welfare of the artist community.

During the meeting, the delegation presented a number of proposals aimed at promoting arts and culture in the province and highlighted issues faced by artists.

Speaking on the occasion, Shafi Jan said artists are the true ambassadors of a society’s culture, heritage, and positive identity.

He said the artistic community serves as the custodian of the nation’s history and cultural legacy, ensuring that future generations remain connected to their identity.

The minister assured the delegation that the provincial government would extend every possible support to address the challenges faced by artists.

He said the promotion of arts, culture, and literary heritage remains one of the government’s key priorities.

Shafi Jan further said the government would carefully examine the recommendations put forward by the Artists Action Committee and ensure practical progress on viable proposals.

He announced that a meeting with the Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Culture and other relevant officials would be convened soon to discuss the matter further.

The delegation thanked the Information Minister for assuring them of the government’s support and commitment to resolving the issues faced by the artist community.

Peshawar: Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Sohail Afridi chaired a high-level meeting on Monday to review the law and order situation, governance, and the progress of development programmes in the merged districts.

During the meeting, the CM directed the district administration to significantly improve public service delivery within three months, stressing that people should witness a clear and practical change in the quality of government services during this period, said an official release.

He also instructed the authorities to restore development activities in North Waziristan within one week and directed the relevant departments to immediately provide the required officers and staff for the timely resumption of projects.

The CM ordered special measures to bring out-of-school children in the merged districts into the education system, noting that dedicated funds had been allocated in the current fiscal year’s budget for their enrolment.

He further directed the authorities to address the shortage of teachers in schools on an emergency basis.

Sohail Afridi also instructed officials to write to the relevant federal authorities for the release of pending compensation payments to the victims affected by Operation Zarb-e-Azb.

Highlighting the security challenges faced by the region, the CM said the merged districts remained on the frontline in the fight against terrorism and would continue to receive top priority in the provision of modern weapons and security equipment.

He further directed the Health Department to reassess the shortage of doctors in hospitals across the merged districts and recruit additional medical staff wherever required.

Appreciating the police for establishing state-of-the-art Police Facilitation Centres, the CM said the government’s priority should be delivering quality public services rather than merely constructing buildings, adding that improving services was essential to restoring public confidence in state institutions.

Bahawalpur: Deputy Commissioner Syed Hassan Raza visited examination centres at Govt S.E.Graduate College and Govt Cantt High School Bahawalpur to review the arrangements for ensuring transparency, merit, and a peaceful examination environment. During the visit, the Deputy Commissioner inspected the arrangements made for candidates, including security, cleanliness, basic facilities, and the overall conduct of the examination process. Inspecting the examination halls, Syed Hassan Raza reviewed the facilities being provided to candidates and received a detailed briefing from the officials concerned regarding the administrative arrangements. He also examined security measures, sanitation standards, the availability of clean and chilled drinking water, and uninterrupted electricity supply at both examination centres.

Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner said that conducting examinations in a transparent, peaceful, well-organized, and merit-based manner was among the district administration’s highest priorities. He emphasized that there would be no compromise on the transparency or integrity of the examination process and that every effort would be made to ensure a fair and impartial examination system. He directed the examination centre superintendents, supervisory staff, and other officials to perform their duties with honesty, diligence, and a strong sense of responsibility so that students could take their examinations in a calm, conducive, and equitable environment.

Syed Hassan Raza further instructed the authorities to maintain discipline at all examination centres and ensure the uninterrupted availability of all essential facilities throughout the examination period. Reaffirming the district administration’s commitment, the DC said that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure the peaceful, transparent, and orderly conduct of examinations across the district. He warned that any negligence, misconduct, or irregularity in the examination process would not be tolerated, and strict legal action would be taken against those found responsible in accordance with the law.

Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted four resolutions, including the regularisation of EPI employees in the merged districts.

The other resolutions called for restoration of Khuza Tehsil in Lower Chitral, payment of outstanding dues to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, and legal action over alleged objectionable religious content aired by a private television channel.

The House urged the provincial government to regularise EPI technicians recruited under the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP), acknowledging their contribution to the province’s immunisation campaign over the past five years.

The Assembly also approved a resolution seeking the immediate restoration of Khuza Tehsil in Lower Chitral, stating that the move would improve governance, strengthen public service delivery and facilitate residents of the remote border region.

Another resolution called on the provincial government to release all pending dues of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society to enable the humanitarian organisation to continue its welfare and emergency response activities.

It also proposed voluntary financial contributions from lawmakers and Civil Secretariat employees to further support the organisation.

The Assembly further passed a resolution condemning the alleged broadcast of objectionable religious content by a private News channel during Muharram.

The resolution urged the federal government and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to conduct a transparent inquiry and take legal action in accordance with the law if any violations were established.

It also stressed the need for strict implementation of the media code of conduct concerning respect for religious sanctities.

Bahawalpur: Islamia University Bahawalpur Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Muhammad Kamran said on Monday the university provides scholarships worth more than Rs550 million to its students every year, enabling deserving and talented students to pursue higher education without financial barriers. He stated this during a meeting with Director Financial Assistance Dr. Areeba Khan and senior faculty members.

He said that thousands of students at IUB benefit annually from scholarship programmes funded by the federal and provincial governments, including the Honhar Scholarship Programme, Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF), Balochistan Education Endowment Fund (BEEF), Pakistan Education Endowment Fund (PEEF), and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Need-Based Scholarship Scheme. Speaking on the occasion, Director Financial Assistance Dr. Areeba Khan said that scholarships worth approximately Rs550 million were awarded to IUB students during the previous academic year.

These included financial assistance under the Punjab Chief Minister’s Honhar Scholarship Programme as well as scholarships funded through the Balochistan Education Endowment Fund, Pakistan Education Endowment Fund, Punjab Education Endowment Fund, and the Higher Education Commission’s Need-Based Scholarship Scheme. She added that the Higher Education Commission alone provides need-based scholarships worth around Rs65 million annually to deserving students at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur.

Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Muhammad Kamran emphasized that IUB offers a wide range of financial assistance opportunities to ensure deserving students could complete their higher education without financial hardship. He encouraged prospective students to seek admission to the university and take full advantage of scholarships and financial aid programmes available to support their academic aspirations.