Month: July 2026

Rawalpindi: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) conducted eight operations across the country, on Monday and arrested nine suspects,seizing 55.406 kilograms(kgs) of narcotics with an estimated value of more than Rs 14.2 million.

According to an ANF spokesman,at Islamabad International Airport, ANF officials recovered 456 grams of hashish from the luggage of a passenger travelling to Jeddah.

In a separate operation at a courier office near Karachi Airport, officials seized 1.750 kg of methamphetamine (ice), concealed in 50 pouches inside a parcel destined for Jeddah.

In an inter-provincial operation near Sangjani Toll Plaza in Islamabad, ANF recovered 13.2 kg of hashish from a vehicle and arrested the suspect.

During domestic operations, officials seized 6 kg of hashish from a suspect near Dhamma Phatak,Islamabad.

Near the Indus Highway in Kohat, ANF recovered 8 kg of heroin from a vehicle and apprehended the suspect.

In another operation near Bahria Town, Rawalpindi, officials confiscated 7.2 kg of hashish from a vehicle and arrested three suspects.

Separately, ANF recovered 6 kg of hashish from a motorcyclist near Bahawalpur Road in Sargodha district.

In Karachi, officials seized 4.8 kg of hashish from a suspect near Race Course Ground.

The ANF said cases had been registered against all the suspects under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997 (CNSA-1997), and further investigations were underway.

Peshawar: On the directives of Chief Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, the provincial government has formally launched the ‘Performance Agreement Framework’ under the ‘CM Good Governance Roadmap’ to strengthen public service delivery, transparency, and institutional accountability.

In the first phase, performance agreements have been finalized with the Health Department and the Anti-Polio Programme.

Under the framework agreement, the Health Department has set a target of recruiting and deploying 500 new doctors across the province, while ensuring the availability of doctors in all Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Health Centers (RHCs).

The framework also includes the provision of 24-hour maternity services in 250 Basic and Rural Health Centers, along with the construction, upgradation, and rehabilitation of maternal and child emergency centers, said a news release issued here.

Officials said that 62 district-level secondary hospitals would be handed over to professional institutions for improved management and service delivery.

For polio eradication efforts, a tripartite agreement had been signed among the Health Department, Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI).

The agreement also set a target of deploying an additional 150 doctors in southern districts and reducing the number of children missed during polio campaigns to below 10,000.

Authorities have also set a target of eliminating the presence of the polio-virus in environmental samples collected from Peshawar, Bannu, and North Waziristan.

Additionally, EPI aimed to keep more than 97 percent of vaccination centers operational and increase the complete immunization coverage rate among children to 85 percent.

Sargodha: Commissioner Hafiz Shaukat Ali chaired a video-link meeting on Monday to review progress on the issuance of Green Property Certificates, identification and utilization of high-value government properties, and implementation of the Punjab government’s “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar” programme.

According to the spokesperson for the Commissioner’s office here, the meeting was attended by deputy commissioners and additional deputy commissioners (Revenue) from all districts of the division, who presented detailed briefings on the issuance of Green Property Certificates, pending applications, challenges, and measures taken to expedite the process. Progress regarding the identification of high-value state-owned properties, completion of records, legal formalities, and revenue generation was also reviewed.

Officials further briefed the meeting on the implementation of the “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar” programme, including scrutiny of applications, eligibility verification, provision of facilities to deserving farmers, and efforts to achieve programme targets. Addressing the meeting, the commissioner said the Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, was pursuing comprehensive reforms to ensure transparency in the revenue system, promote digital governance, improve management of public assets, and strengthen the agricultural sector.

He directed all deputy commissioners to accelerate the issuance of Green Property Certificates, clear pending applications on a priority basis, and facilitate citizens through efficient service delivery. He also stressed the need for timely identification and legal processing of high-value government properties, ensuring their optimum utilization through transparent mechanisms, including open auction and leasing, to enhance government revenue.

The commissioner further instructed officials to ensure transparent implementation of the “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar” programme by providing timely assistance to eligible farmers, maintaining merit, strengthening monitoring, and achieving all assigned targets.

Hyderabad: Sindh Minister for Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah visited the Government Girls High School, Tando Mir Ghulam Hussain, Latifabad, Hyderabad, where he formally inaugurated the upgradation of the institution from a Government Girls Lower Secondary School to a High School.

According to a handout issued here on Monday, mayor Kashif Shoro along with officials of the education department accompanied the minister during the visit.

The education minister met with students and teachers and reviewed the facilities available at the school as well as its future requirements.

Speaking on the occasion, Shah said the Government Girls High School, Tando Mir Ghulam Hussain had brought international recognition to Sindh and Pakistan through the outstanding achievements of its students, setting a remarkable example for educational institutions.

The school’s headmistress briefed the minister about the performances of students in various national and international competitions.

Interacting with the students, the minister commended their hard work, talent and exceptional achievements. He also directed the Education Works Department officials to take necessary measures for the construction of additional classrooms and the establishment of a STEM laboratory at the school.

During the visit, parents also met the education minister and expressed their satisfaction and appreciation for the government’s special attention to the school and the development initiatives undertaken there.

Sardar Ali Shah emphasized that government schools cannot be improved without active community participation. He urged members of the community to consider the supervision and support of their local schools as a national responsibility.

Gilgit: Newly elected Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Amjad Hussain Advocate took the oath of office on Monday at a ceremony held at the historical Chinar Bagh Gilgit. The oath was administered by Governor Syed Mehdi Shah.

The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, senior leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), government officials, elected representatives and a large number of party workers and supporters.

Addressing the ceremony after taking the oath Chief Minister Amjad Hussain Advocate outlined his government’s priorities, pledging transparent governance, merit-based policies, institutional reforms and accelerated development across Gilgit-Baltistan.

He announced that all under-construction hydropower projects would be monitored on a daily basis to ensure their timely completion and improve electricity supply across the region. He also emphasized the need to increase revenue collection, saying consumers would have to pay electricity bills to ensure the sustainability of the power sector.

The Chief Minister said his government would strictly enforce merit-based recruitment in all departments and move towards e-governance to improve transparency, efficiency, and public service delivery.

He also announced an immediate ban on police recruitment under the existing system, stating that a new, transparent recruitment mechanism would be introduced. Additionally, he pledged to create 8,000 employment opportunities in different sectors to provide greater job prospects for the youth.

Amjad Hussain Advocate reaffirmed his commitment to good governance, timely completion of development projects, and the socio-economic progress of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Kohat: The police arrested three accused of aerial firing and the illegal display of weapons after a video of the incident circulated on social media, the police spokesperson said on Monday.

The arrests were made during an operation launched by Jarma police following directives from District Police Officer (DPO) Shahbaz Ilahi as part of an ongoing crackdown against unlawful weapons display and celebratory gunfire.

The suspects, identified as Arbaz, Siraj and Maaz, allegedly recorded themselves firing weapons into the air and posted the footage online, the police said.

A police team led by Assistant Sub-Inspector, Noor Muhammad Khan, under the supervision of Station House Officer (SHO) Iqbal Khan, raided the location and arrested the three suspects. The firearms allegedly used in the incident were also seized during the operation. The police registered a case against the suspects and started investigation.