Month: July 2026

Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly here Monday passed an amendment bill to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission Ordinance, 1978, further curtailing the administrative powers of the provincial governor.

The amendment bill was introduced in light of Article 242(1B), Article 105 of the Constitution, and the 18th Constitutional Amendment, and was approved by the provincial assembly.

Under the amended law, the Chairman of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (PSC) will now be appointed by the governor on the advice of the chief minister.

The governor will also be required to act on the advice of the chief minister or the provincial cabinet in matters relating to the administrative affairs of the commission.

To implement these changes, the assembly approved amendments to Sections 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission Ordinance, 1978.

According to the bill, references to the Governor in the relevant provisions will, where appropriate, be replaced with the term Government.

However, the governor’s constitutional role in appointing the chairman of the Public Service Commission will remain intact in accordance with the Constitution.

The bill states that the amendments are aimed at aligning the legal and administrative framework of the Public Service Commission with constitutional requirements, removing ambiguities regarding administrative authority, and promoting transparency, merit, and good governance within the institution.

Hyderabad: Furqan Ahmed Lodhi, Secretary General of Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (HCSTSI), has announced the election schedule for the election of the Office Bearers and Members of the Executive Committee for the term 2026-2028.

The election schedule was approved during the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 23 June 2026. Elections will be conducted to fill all 20 seats of the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee has also approved the constitution of a three-member Election Commission for the 2026-2028 elections, comprising Naeem Aslam, Javaid Qureshi, and Abdul Aleem. A formal notification regarding the constitution of the Election Commission has already been issued.

Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has received more than Rs 34.88 trillion in federal funds over the past five years.

The official documents presented in the provincial assembly here on Monday revealed that between 2021 and 2025, the federal government transferred the funds to the province under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and allocation against War on Terror.

During the five-year period, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received Rs 31.14 trillion under the NFC Award, while Rs 3.74 trillion was released under head against War on Terror.

According to the official records, the province received its highest annual allocation in the 2024-25 fiscal year, when the federal government transferred a total of Rs 10.47 trillion.

Of this amount, Rs 9.35 trillion was disbursed under the NFC Award, while Rs 1.12 trillion was provided under allocation against War on Terror.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s total share in federal funds over the five-year period amounted to Rs 36.48 trillion, of which more than Rs 34.88 trillion was transferred to the province.

Peshawar: Power supply was disrupted in several parts of Peshawar after a severe windstorm and heavy rain hit the city on Monday, according to a spokesperson for the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO).

The spokesperson said electricity transmission from multiple grid stations was affected due to the intensity of the storm and strong winds.

More than 200 feeders connected to around 12 grid stations in Peshawar tripped, causing power outages in various areas.

PESCO said power supply would be restored and the affected feeders would be energized as soon as the weather conditions improve.

The spokesperson added that PESCO’s operational teams have been placed on high alert to respond to the emergency and restore electricity at the earliest.

PESCO also appealed to consumers to cooperate with the utility during the restoration process.

Sialkot: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) sealed eight food units and imposed Rs1.893 million fines on 160 food businesses across the district during the last month.

According to a PFA spokesperson on Monday, the food safety teams, acting on the directions of Director General Syed Musa Raza, inspected 1,963 food points, production units and suppliers and sealed eight food units and imposed fine on 160 outlets.

During the campaign, the teams collected 16 food samples for laboratory analysis and discarded 100 litres of substandard water,around 40 kilograms of adulterated spices,30 litres of milk and a large quantity of expired and unwholesome food items.

The spokesperson said strict action was taken against outlets where poor hygiene conditions,including insect and cockroach infestations in storage areas, were found, while food was being prepared with exposed and substandard ingredients.

Multan: Poets, scholars, writers and educationists assembled here on Monday paid tribute to Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions saying their sacrifices symbolize truth, justice, patience and perseverance. The tributes were paid at a “Mehfil-e-Musalma” jointly organized by Young Pakistanis Organization (YPO) and Multan Post Graduate College to pay tribute to Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and other martyrs of Karbala. They said, the sacrifice of Imam Hussain (RA) continues to inspire people across generations to stand firmly against oppression and uphold principles of justice.

Renowned UK-based poet and surgeon Dr.Syed Abul Hasan Naqvi presided over the ceremony, attended by distinguished guests including Vice Chancellor University of Chakwal Prof. Dr. Farakh Arsalan Siddiqui, Sajjada Nashin of Hazrat Daud Jahaniyan shrine Makhdoom Shoaib Akmal Qureshi Hashmi, Chairman department of gender studies at Bahauddin Zakariya University, Dr. Mureed Hussain Malik, DEO Literacy Muzaffargarh Dr. Tahira Rafique, former Chairman department of education BZU Prof. Dr. Rana Muhammad Dilshad, noted poets Prof. Dr. Shozab Kazmi, Jabbar Wasif, and Presidential Award-winning poet Sabir Ansari.

Speakers said, sacrifice of Imam Hussain (RA) conveys a timeless message of unity, brotherhood, tolerance, peace and service to humanity. They urged the younger generation to draw guidance from his life and character and play an active role in promoting harmony, mutual respect and national cohesion. Poets presented emotional verses in tribute to Imam Hussain (RA) and the martyrs of Karbala, creating an atmosphere marked by literary excellence, spirituality and reflection.

Notable attendees included Aamir Shehzad Siddiqui, Sajid Ali Multani, Ghazanfar Abbas Sadaf, Pir Syed Ghazanfar Abbas Hashmi, Zafar Khan Babar, Rashid Abbas Khan, Murtaza Zaman Gardazi, Rao Naveed Mukhtar, Syed Asim Raza Shah Naqvi, College Principal Saira Rafique, and others. The ceremony concluded with distribution of certificates and commemorative gifts among the participants and a vote of thanks from YPO president Naeem Iqbal Naeem.