Month: July 2026

Lahore: Twelve people were injured in a traffic accident near Rohi Nala in Gajumatta area on Saturday.

According to Rescue 1122, a high-speed coaster lost control while trying to save a motorcycle and hit a tree on the roadside.

Rescue personnel immediately reached the spot and provided first aid to the injured and later shifted them to General Hospital Lahore.

According to Rescue 1122, the condition of one of the injured is critical, while medical assistance is being provided to the other injured.

Lahore: Punjab Secretary/Chief Administrator Auqaf Dr Ahsan Bhutta has said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had directed all departments to ensure the best possible facilities for devotees attending the annual Urs of Hazrat Ali Hajveri (Data Ganj Bakhsh).

He expressed these views while reviewing development and administrative arrangements during a field inspection of the Data Darbar complex, here on Saturday. The visit was attended by Chief Engineer TEPA Iqrar Ahmad, Chief Engineer C and W Muhammad Ashraf, SE C and W Muhammad Isa, XEN C and W Fahad Naveed, Director Projects Auqaf Rafiq Wattoo, Project Director TEPA Muhammad Asad, Data Darbar Administrator Muhammad Ali and XEN Auqaf Qaiser Munir.

The inspection began with prayers at the shrine, after which Dr Bhutta reviewed the progress and completion timelines of ongoing development schemes. During an inspection of the central courtyard with the C and W team, he directed officials to expedite construction of the slab and complete the work by July 25, well before the commencement of the Urs celebrations.

Reviewing the basement, front plaza and pedestrian underpass projects with TEPA and LDA officials, he instructed that all external works being carried out by TEPA should also be completed by July 25 to ensure smooth traffic management and facilitate the movement of devotees.

Secretary Dr Bhutta said the essential components required for the Urs would be made fully operational before the event, while work on the remaining phases of the mega development project would continue in an organised manner, with overall completion scheduled for June 2027.

He also inspected the newly constructed parking facility at the former Parinda Market site and designated public toilet blocks, directing officials to complete all remaining finishing work without delay. Stressing inter-departmental coordination, Dr Bhutta said no delay in the priority works would be tolerated, as the government was committed to providing devotees with a safe, dignified and convenient spiritual experience during the Urs.

Lahore: According to city traffic police, 253 traffic accidents were reported in different areas of the city during the last 24 hours, in which two people lost their lives while 306 people were injured.

The rescue officials said, 93 injured people were shifted to different hospitals in critical condition, while 213 minor injuries were provided first aid on the spot.

Rescue sources said that most of the traffic accidents occurred due to speeding, carelessness and violation of traffic rules. Authorities have appealed to citizens to strictly follow traffic laws and exercise caution while driving to protect their own lives and the lives of others.

Lahore: Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI) Commissioner Zulfiqar Ali Kharal on Saturday directed officials to strengthen recovery efforts, enhance field operations and ensure efficient service delivery to workers while reviewing the performance of the institution’s Lahore South and Model Town Directorates.

During a visit to the Directorate of Social Security Lahore South, the commissioner conducted a comprehensive review of administrative affairs, field operations, inspection activities and recovery performance. Directors concerned briefed him on social security contributions, recovery measures, inspection campaigns and the progress of ongoing administrative initiatives.

The meeting also reviewed progress under the Maryam Nawaz Rashan Card Programme, workers’ registration and other key administrative matters.

The commissioner directed the officials to ensure timely provision of services and facilities to workers, saying that improving service delivery to the labour community remained the institution’s foremost priority.

Zulfiqar Ali Kharal said field operations should be made more effective, dynamic and result-oriented to achieve social security contribution and recovery targets. He also instructed the relevant officers to further strengthen the inspection and monitoring system through practical measures aimed at improving the institution’s overall performance.

He warned that no negligence or complacency in achieving recovery targets would be tolerated and directed all officers to utilise their professional capabilities and work in a coordinated manner to enhance institutional efficiency.

The commissioner said continuous efforts were being made to promote good governance, transparency and improved public service delivery within PESSI, adding that the performance of all directorates was being monitored regularly to ensure greater institutional effectiveness.

Director C and B Head Office Rashid Badr accompanied the commissioner during the visit.

Lahore: Punjab Police have issued more than 4.93 million traffic challans and imposed fines exceeding Rs9.75 billion during the current year as part of an intensified province-wide campaign to enforce traffic laws and improve road safety.

A Punjab Police spokesperson told media on Saturday more than 4.33 million driving licences had also been issued to citizens during the same period to facilitate motorists and promote compliance with traffic regulations.

The spokesperson said action was also taken against 44,151 smoke-emitting vehicles, while 6,785 vehicles were impounded at police stations for various violations. In addition, the fitness certificates of 28 vehicles were confiscated.

Inspector General of Punjab Police Abdul Kareem directed field formations to continue operations against traffic law violators without interruption and ensure effective implementation of amended traffic laws, ongoing reforms and modern enforcement systems.

He ordered strict action against motorists involved in overloading, overspeeding, underage driving, one-way violations and other dangerous traffic offences, stressing that enforcement should be carried out without discrimination.

The IGP also directed the police to adopt effective measures for recovering outstanding traffic fines from defaulters and instructed Station House Officers (SHOs) and Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) to work in coordination to ease traffic congestion, prevent road accidents and ensure safe and orderly travel for the public.

Lahore: The Punjab government has decided to expand the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme by extending interest-free loans for the repair, rehabilitation and expansion of dilapidated houses to facilitate deserving low-income families.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Punjab Minister for Housing and Urban Development Bilal Yasin to review the expansion of the programme, here on Saturday. President of the Bank of Punjab (BoP) Zafar Masud, Housing Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal and Director General PHATA Sikandar Zeeshan briefed the meeting on the proposed framework.

Minister Bilal Yasin said interest-free loans ranging from Rs500,000 to Rs1 million would be provided through an e-portal under a transparent and low-cost mechanism for the construction of new portions, house repairs and roof construction. He said the expanded programme would enable beneficiaries not only to build new homes but also to renovate unsafe and dilapidated houses.

The minister said around 170,000 families had so far received interest-free loans under the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar scheme. He expressed the government’s commitment to extending similar financial assistance to another 100,000 families during the next financial year to help them construct their own houses.

He said the expanded programme would primarily benefit low-income, homeless and families living in mud or structurally weak houses, with the objective of providing every deserving household with safe, dignified and improved housing.

Bilal Yasin said equal emphasis would be placed on facilitating deserving people in both urban and rural areas. He added that the initiative would stimulate construction activity, generate employment opportunities and promote economic growth.

The minister directed the relevant departments to ensure the programme’s swift, effective and transparent implementation, saying it would contribute to improving the living standards of vulnerable segments of society and further strengthen social protection across the province.