Month: July 2026

Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday unanimously passed the Local Government (amendment) bill and the Public Service Commission (PSC) amendment bill, 2026.

The motions seeking the passage of the bills were moved by MPA Daud Shah and Law Minister Aftab Alam, respectively, and were approved by the House without opposition.

Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Stamp (Amendment) Bill and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Management (Amendment) Bill were also introduced in the assembly.

The House referred both bills to the relevant standing committee for further deliberation and directed it to submit its report within two weeks.

Multan: Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan, Muhammad Iqbal Hussain Khan, accompanied by a high-level delegation, visited the South Punjab Secretariat on Monday, and met Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab Fawad Hashim Rabbani to discuss administrative affairs and bilateral cooperation.

The High Commissioner praised the South Punjab Secretariat as a model and said that the South Punjab secretariat was a unique model as a sub unit for administrative affairs delivery.

He said that the government of Bangladesh would be briefed on the South Punjab model. Bangladeshi envoy said South Punjab, particularly Multan, bears striking geographical, cultural and social similarities to Bangladesh. He also commended the Multani mangoes, describing them as exceptionally sweet and flavorful and Sohan Halwa for its distinctive taste and rich tradition.

Additional Chief Secretary Fawad Hashim Rabbani, said that the South Punjab region holds immense historical, cultural and agricultural significance.

He noted that its history dates back thousands of years and that Sufi saints played key role in spreading Islam across the region.

Rabbani also showcased the area’s rich cultural heritage, including Multani blue pottery, Kashikari camel-skin lamps and traditional Khussa.

He said South Punjab was one of Pakistan’s leading agricultural regions, producing wheat, cotton, sugarcane and mangoes that make a substantial contribution to the country’s economy. He further said that the country’s five major rivers-the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej-meet at Panjnad.

The Additional Chief Secretary said the establishment of the South Punjab Secretariat was helpful in providing service delivery at their doorsteps.

Fawad Hashim Rabbani presented the visiting delegation with traditional souvenirs, including Multani blue pottery, mangoes and Sohan Halwa. In return, High Commissioner Mohammad Iqbal Hussain Khan presented traditional Bangladeshi tea to the Additional Chief Secretary.

Muzaffargarh: Police have safely recovered two girls who had gone missing after leaving their home on the pretext of appearing for a police recruitment process, police said on Sunday.

According to the police spokesperson, acting on the directions of the District Police Officer (DPO) Kot Addu, Station House Officer (SHO) City Kot Addu Rana Haroon Akhtar and In-charge Gender Crime Wing Madam Saima, along with a police team, launched an immediate search operation after the disappearance of Noor Bibi and Javeria Bibi.

The spokesperson said the girls had left their home in Kot Addu two days earlier, telling their family they were travelling to Muzaffargarh to join a police recruitment process. However, they subsequently went missing and their mobile phones were switched off.

Using modern investigative techniques and a professional operational strategy, police traced and recovered both girls safely within 48 hours. After completion of the required legal formalities, they were produced before the competent court.

Meanwhile, the Muzaffargarh Police spokesperson clarified that no recruitment drive for the police department was under way in the district and no such hiring process had been announced.

Following the disappearance of the girls, a kidnapping case against unidentified suspects had been registered at City Kot Addu Police Station on the complaint of Muhammad Naseem Khan, father of Javeria Bibi.

Abbottabad: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Arshad Ayub Khan on Monday said teamwork was essential for bringing meaningful reforms in the education sector, adding that teachers must be given their due respect and recognition to achieve lasting change.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the province’s first-ever Summer Learning and Grooming Festival 2026, where he also announced that nearly 2,000 students from across the province were participating in the initiative under the patronage of the Chief Minister.

The minister formally inaugurated the festival by cutting a cake with students at Jalal Baba Auditorium in Abbottabad. The ceremony was attended by Hazara Division Commissioner Fayyaz Ali Shah, BISE Abbottabad Chairman Inayatullah Waseem, Additional Secretary Education Hayat Shah, Education Advisor (ESRU) Mian Saaduddin, senior education officials, teachers and students from across the province.

Arshad Ayub Khan said the festival would provide students with an opportunity to learn about the cultures and traditions of different regions, helping them develop confidence and leadership qualities.

He added that the provincial government was improving the posting and transfer system, reviewing the performance of all education sectors, considering a separate directorate for primary schools and introducing reforms to the examination system to improve educational standards.

The colourful opening ceremony featured speeches, tableaux, band performances and a variety of educational and cultural presentations by students.

Speaking on the occasion, Commissioner Hazara Division Fayyaz Ali Shah announced plans to establish one model school in every tehsil, with each district officer adopting a school to help improve facilities, teacher training and educational standards. He said he would personally adopt one boys’ and one girls’ school.

Chairman BISE Abbottabad Inayatullah Waseem said providing quality educational opportunities for children was a responsibility rather than a favour, stressing that parents and teachers must work together to build a stronger and more prosperous society.

Hyderabad: A meeting of Sindh Abadgar Board was held in Hyderabad, which discussed the declining prices of cotton, the debacle in mangoes and rising prices of inputs.

The growers showed their concern about the declining trend in the price of cotton when the local harvesting started. They said that the seed cotton rate has declined from Rs 11,500 per 40 KG to less than Rs 7,900 now in just the last month or so. This has happened when cotton picking has not even reached its peak. It was therefore feared that as the cotton arrivals increase, the cotton price would decline further.

According to a statement, during the meeting, the growers also pointed out the mango season of 2026, which is perhaps one of the worst seasons in the last decade and a half. Mangoes were first affected by severe attacks of hoppers, thrips and malformation. Due to these unprecedented attacks, instead of the usual one or two sprays, the farmers sprayed more than five times in certain areas, but without any substantial result, and production was reduced substantially.

Resultantly, the cost of production increased, and the prices of mangoes were suppressed compared to last year. All this has led to severe losses for mango producers. The farmers in some areas are already thinking of cutting down the trees.

The meeting was of the view that the production needs to be backed by research and development to guide farmers to face challenges in production. The old production methods need to change, and the old layouts of a few large, unmanageable trees need to change.

The meeting urged the government to take cognizance of the rising input costs. The prices of fertilizers and other inputs have been rising for the last three years, and on the pretext of war, the prices increased further.

The meeting demanded that the prices of inputs be rationalized and reduced to at least lower the cost of production for the new crops.

The meeting of the board was presided over by Mahmood Nawaz Shah and attended by Dr Zulfiqar Yousfani, Syed Nadeem Shah, Malook Nizamani, Aslam Mari, Imran Bozdar, Syed Hussain Shah, Mustafa Nawaz Shah, Ameer Ali Thebo, Murad Ali Shah Bukerai and others.

Abbottabad: Deputy Commissioner Sarmad Saleem Akram chaired a meeting of the District Price Review Committee to review the prices of essential commodities, the market situation and measures to ensure the availability of quality goods to the public at reasonable rates.

The deputy commissioner directed strict implementation of official price lists and ordered continued action against profiteering, hoarding, overcharging and adulteration.

He said prices of all essential commodities would be fixed in consultation with relevant stakeholders, while strict legal action would be taken against those violating the price lists. He added that uninterrupted supply of quality food items to the public remained the district administration’s top priority.

The meeting also decided to strictly enforce the ban on polythene and shopping bags across the district. Akram said polythene bags were a major cause of blocked drains and urban flooding, and effective legal action would be taken against violators.

It was further decided to strictly enforce laws related to the slaughter of livestock. The deputy commissioner directed that slaughtering or selling the meat of large animals under three years of age, goats or other small animals under one year of age, and young calves would be completely prohibited, with strict action under the relevant laws in case of violation.

Reiterating a zero-tolerance policy against milk adulteration, the deputy commissioner directed the concerned authorities to immediately cancel the licences of milk sellers found guilty of adulteration so that citizens could be ensured pure, quality and safe milk.