Month: July 2026

Lahore: Convener of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Regional Committee on Food, Shahid Imran, on Sunday said the ‘Made in Pakistan’ campaign had emerged as a turning point in promoting locally manufactured products and strengthening the national economy by reducing dependence on imported brands.

Speaking to a delegation of industrialists, he said every purchase of a locally made product directly contributed to employment generation, industrial growth and economic stability.

He said a vibrant domestic manufacturing sector could significantly reduce the country’s import bill, conserve valuable foreign exchange reserves and improve the trade balance.

Shahid Imran said consumers could play a vital role in promoting self-reliance and sustainable economic development by choosing quality Pakistani brands.

He said Pakistan possessed immense potential in textiles, sports goods, surgical instruments, leather products, engineering goods, processed food and information technology, all of which could compete successfully in international markets if provided adequate policy support and investment.

Expressing optimism, he said a strong national commitment to supporting indigenous brands would accelerate industrialization, create thousands of new employment opportunities, boost exports and pave the way for a resilient, self-sustaining and prosperous economy.

Lahore: As temperature soared on the 5th day of July, hundreds of Lahore residents turned to the city’s canal to celebrate the holiday with their families and seek relief from the intense heat, despite an official ban on swimming imposed by the city administration.

Young people rushed to bathe in the canal to escape the heat. The cool water of the canal became a source of relief for citizens in the scorching heat. People say that coming to the canal relieves the feeling of intense heat; they enjoyed the entertainment on the banks of canal on their holidays. They said extreme weather conditions had forced them to seek relief wherever possible, adding the heat had become unbearable, and the canal’s cold water provides comfort and relaxation.

The canal, which passes through the heart of Lahore, has long remained a popular recreational spot during summer months and holidays. Families, including women and children, gathered along different stretches of the Lahore canal throughout the day, carrying homemade food, enjoying picnics and cooling off in the water.

The city administration has repeatedly announced warnings and advised citizens to avoid bathing in canal, but large numbers of people continued to enter the canal without fear of penalties.

Lahore: Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Chief Executive Officer(CEO),Mian Kashif Ashfaq on Sunday said that one pint of donated blood could save the lives of three patients suffering from thalassemia, cancer, childbirth complications and other life-threatening conditions.

Talking to a delegation of the Sundas Foundation,led by its founder and President Dr Muhammad Yasin Khan, he said thousands of patients depended entirely on voluntary blood donors for their survival. Quoting the Holy Quran, he said, ‘Whoever saves one life, it is as if he has saved all of mankind’ (Surah Al-Ma’idah 5: 32),highlighting the immense spiritual reward and moral responsibility of helping those in need.

He said blood donation was a practical manifestation of the selflessness and compassion encouraged by Islam.

Citing medical research,he said donating blood did not adversely affect the donor’s health, as the body naturally replenished fresh blood within a short period.

He urged eligible individuals to donate blood regularly,saying that a simple act of generosity every few months could make a lasting difference without posing any significant health risk to the donor.

Mian Kashif Ashfaq called for promoting a culture of voluntary blood donation and encouraging young people to become regular donors to help save precious lives and strengthen the spirit of humanity and brotherhood.

He said young and healthy people should come forward to donate blood regularly, giving hope and a second chance at life to those in desperate need.

The CEO also lauded the outstanding humanitarian services of the Sundas Foundation for providing blood free of cost to patients in a timely manner.

He appreciated the foundation’s efforts in offering free meals to attendants and extending facilities to families bringing their children to the center for treatment.

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said her government’s vision for modern public transport was not confined to major cities, adding that safe and environmentally friendly electric bus services would be extended to every town and village across the province. In a statement on Sunday, the CM said the expansion of the electric bus network from district headquarters to smaller towns and tehsils reflected the Punjab government’s commitment to providing affordable, modern and sustainable transport facilities to people throughout the province. Electric bus services have recently been launched on 13 routes in Khanewal, Khushab, Bhakkar, Attock, Mandi Bahauddin and Hafizabad.

A fleet of 15 electric buses has been deployed in Khushab, while nine buses each are operating in Khanewal, Bhakkar, Attock, Mandi Bahauddin and Hafizabad. In Khushab, the buses are serving routes from the General Bus Stand to Girot Chowk, Mitha Tiwana and Mangowal. In Khanewal, services are operating on the Khanewal-Jahanian and Kabirwala routes.

In Bhakkar, the buses are running between the General Bus Stand, Darya Khan and Behal, while in Attock they are operating on the POF Sanjwal-Hazro and Hakimabad-Attock Khurd routes. Electric buses have also started operating on the Kathiala Sheikhan-Rasul Village and College Chowk-Manoo Chak routes in Mandi Bahauddin, while in Hafizabad they are serving the Jinnah Chowk (Inter-City) and Ghora Chowk-Jalalpur Bhattian routes. Under the next phase of the programme, the Punjab government plans to launch electric bus services in 14 additional districts by the end of July.

Ten buses each will be deployed in Chiniot, Layyah, Okara and Sialkot, while Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan will receive 12 buses each. Murree, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Vehari, Kasur, Lodhran, Nankana Sahib and Narowal will each receive 11 electric buses.

An additional 488 electric buses are expected to arrive in Pakistan by the end of August for deployment across various districts. At present, 400 electric buses are operating in 18 districts of Punjab, while work is under way to induct 1,500 electric buses into the province’s public transport fleet. Another 212 buses earmarked for 20 additional districts have already reached Pakistan. The provincial government has allocated billions of rupees under the Annual Development Programme to strengthen modern transport infrastructure and promote clean, efficient and sustainable public transport across Punjab.

Lahore: The body of a unidentified man was recovered from the Gujarpura area on Sunday.

According to officials,police and rescue teams reached the spot after being informed and initiated necessary legal proceedings.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said initial information suggested that the deceased was a drug addict and may have died due to drug abuse.

However,the exact cause of death will be determined after completion of legal formalities and postmortem examination.

Police took the body into custody after collecting evidence from the scene and shifted it to the morgue for identification and further legal process.

Officials said the identity of the deceased has not yet been ascertained while investigations were under way from multiple angles.

Lahore: Punjab Forest Department has exceeded its annual plantation target for the fiscal year 2025-26 by planting more than 40 million trees across the province, achieving 103 per cent of the target through its monsoon and spring plantation campaigns. According to a spokesperson on Sunday, over 21 million saplings were planted during the Monsoon Plantation Campaign 2025, while more than 19 million were planted under the Spring Plantation Campaign 2026. Plantation was carried out extensively along canals, rivers, railway tracks and in state-owned forests across Punjab. Kamalia Forest Division completed plantation on 1,750 acres, while the Mianwali and Rahim Yar Khan forest divisions covered 1,152 acres and 1,389 acres, respectively. In the Dera Ghazi Khan Forest Circle, plantation was undertaken on 5,826 acres, while 802 acres were covered in the Sahiwal Forest Division and Dal Waryam areas. The department also distributed more than 3.5 million saplings among defence institutions and various government depar
tments to support afforestation efforts. Under the rail and canal-side linear plantation programme, over 1.4 million saplings were planted along 3,085 avenue miles. In Bahawalpur, another 145,000 saplings were planted under an eco-tourism initiative aimed at enhancing green cover and promoting environmental sustainability. Director General Forests Azfar Ziya said all plantation sites had been geo-tagged to ensure transparency and effective monitoring. He said digital mapping would help maintain a verifiable record of plantation activities and facilitate future assessment of their performance. The DG said the department remained committed to expanding forest cover and advancing the provincial government’s Green Punjab vision through sustained afforestation and conservation initiatives.