Month: August 2026

Multan: CM Punjab Champions League Cricket Tournament, launched under Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s Youth Year 2026 initiative, has begun in Multan and other cities across the province under the auspices of the Punjab Youth Affairs and Sports department.

According to Divisional Sports Officer Multan Atta-ur- Rehman Khan, all arrangements tournament have been finalized. He said every effort was being made to ensure the successful conduct of the matches despite adverse weather conditions.

He said cricket fans in Multan will witness top Pakistani star players in action under floodlights.

The city will host three matches from August 3 to 5 at the divisional sports ground, Kalma Chowk. The opening fixture on August 3 will see Multan Mavericks take on Lahore Tigers at 7:00 pm. On August 4, Multan Mavericks will face Gujranwala Stags, while Gujranwala Stags and Lahore Tigers will lock horns on August 5.

Ahead of the tournament, Divisional Sports Officer visited the venue to inspect preparations. District Sports Officer Multan Adnan Naeem briefed him on the arrangements for the event.

District Sports Officer Khanewal Muhammad Hafeez, Multan Cricket Stadium official Asad Ali, and divisional coaches Nasir Hussain, Adnan Mirza and Shahid Gul were also present during the inspection. Atta-ur -Rehman Khan reviewed the preparations and issued necessary directions.

Hyderabad: The Syndicate of Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, has approved the University’s budget for the financial year 2026-27 and endorsed the establishment of a Faculty of Information Technology (IT), along with a comprehensive financial sustainability plan aimed at strengthening institutional governance and ensuring long-term growth.

The decisions were taken at the 121st meeting of the Syndicate, chaired by Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof. Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal.

The meeting approved the recommendations of the 70th Finance and Planning Committee regarding the FY2026-27 budget, implementation of the Government of Sindh Revised Basic Pay Scales 2026, revised allowances and pension increase for university employees, and rationalization of teaching positions.

The Syndicate also approved the establishment of the Faculty of Information Technology, restructuring of the Computerization and Networking Section into Information Technology Services (ITS), and the Schedule of New Expenditure (SNE) for the Khairpur College of Agriculture and Management Sciences (KCAMS), Khairpur, paving the way for the institution’s expansion.

The house confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting, reviewed matters relating to the SAU Campus Umerkot, and discussed several academic, administrative and financial issues before issuing resolutions for their timely implementation.

Presenting the University’s annual performance, Vice Chancellor Dr Altaf Ali Siyal informed the Syndicate that despite severe financial constraints, SAU had significantly improved its financial position through prudent expenditure management and enhanced internal resource generation.

He said the University was facing pension liabilities exceeding Rs850 million for more than 300 retired employees since 2022, which could not be cleared without a one-time government grant. However, he added, the University had managed to pay nearly Rs70 million from its own resources and recurring government grants.

Dr Siyal said the University had launched a comprehensive Financial Sustainability Plan to increase institutional income, encourage investments and control expenditure. Under the initiative, 10 per cent of every regular employee’s initial basic pay has been contributed monthly to a dedicated pension fund since January 2026, which has already accumulated approximately Rs65 million.

He further informed the meeting that a Strategic Planning Committee, headed by former Mehran University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Aslam Uqaili, was finalizing the University’s Strategic Plan, which would soon be presented before the statutory bodies for approval.

The Syndicate appreciated the financial reforms and acknowledged the efforts of the Vice Chancellor and his team in improving financial management, governance and institutional development.

The meeting was attended by Justice Miran Muhammad Shah, Prof Dr A. Q. Mughal, Prof Dr Arbela Bhutto, Ms Sadiqa Salahuddin, Prof. Dr. Zia-ul-Hassan Shah, Prof Dr Inayatullah Rajper, Ms Kanwal Nizam, Prof Dr Aijaz Khooharo, Prof. Dr. Pir Ahmed Naqi Shah, Prof. Dr Imtiaz Ahmed Nizamani, Ihsanullah Laghari, Mir Allah Bux Talpur, Mukhtiar Hussain Mirjat, Registrar Ghulam Mohiuddin Qureshi and Director Finance Aneel Kumar.

Abbottabad: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Sunday has extended the gas rationing schedule for domestic consumers in Abbottabad by another three days after maintenance work on the main gas transmission line could not be completed within the previously announced timeframe.

According to SNGPL Abbottabad spokesperson Sajjad Ahmed Khan Swati, the ongoing maintenance and repair work on the main gas pipeline, aimed at ensuring the safety and reliability of the gas distribution network, has led to reduced gas load management. As a result, the gas load shedding schedule has been extended from August 2 to August 4, 2026.

Earlier, SNGPL had also announced a three-day maintenance schedule for the city. However, with the repair work still incomplete, the utility has extended the rationing period for an additional three days.

Under the revised schedule, domestic consumers will receive natural gas for only six hours daily. Gas will be supplied from 6:00 a. m. to 8:00 a. m. , 12:00 p. m. to 2:00 p. m. , and 7:00 p. m. to 9:00 p. m. , while supply will remain suspended during the remaining hours.

The SNGPL spokesperson apologized to consumers for the temporary inconvenience and said every effort was being made to complete the maintenance work at the earliest so that normal gas supply could be restored. The utility also advised residents to plan their household activities in accordance with the announced schedule until the maintenance work is completed.

Faisalabad: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) has announced the final schedule for sports trials for the 2026-27 academic session, while separate competitions for male and female candidates would be held from August 17 to 20 at various university grounds and sports facilities.

According to official of UAF Directorate of Sports, the four-day trials would be conducted under the directions of UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Zulfiqar Ali to select talented athletes for the university’s sports teams in a wide range of disciplines.

He said that separate schedules had been prepared for male and female candidates to facilitate smooth and transparent selection.

Female candidates would appear for trials on August 17 and 18. On August 17, athletics trials would begin at 8 a. m. at the university athletics track followed by handball at 10 a. m. , volleyball at 11 a. m. , boxing at 12 noon, lawn tennis at 2:30 p. m. at the Staff Club, basketball and netball at 3 p. m. and football at 4:30 p. m.

On August 18, women’s cricket trials would commence at 9 a. m. at UAF Cricket Academy while badminton would start at 8 a. m.

Other events include karate, wushu, jujitsu and taekwondo at 11 a. m. , weightlifting at 12 noon, squash at 1 p. m. , chess at 2 p. m. and table tennis at 3 p. m. at Women Sports Complex.

Male candidates would undergo trials on August 19 and 20. On Aug 19, athletics would begin at 8 a. m. followed by Kabaddi at 9 a. m. , volleyball, rugby and handball at 10 a. m. , hockey at 11 a. m. , basketball at 12:30 p. m. , judo at 2:15 p. m. , wrestling and karate at 2:30 p. m. , boxing at 2:45 p. m. , and table tennis, wushu, taekwondo and jujitsu at 3 p. m. at University Gymnasium Hall.

The final day of the trials on August 20 would feature badminton, chess and bodybuilding at 9 a. m. , weightlifting at 9:15 a. m. , cricket and gymnastics at 9:30 a. m. , squash at 9:45 a. m. , rowing and swimming at 10 a. m. , water polo at 10:30 a. m. , rifle shooting at 11:15 a. m. , football at 2:30 p. m. and lawn tennis and tug of war at 4 p. m.

Director Sports Muhammad Atif Shafiq and Chairman Sports Board Dr Haroon Zaman Khan urged all candidates to strictly observe the reporting schedule, otherwise punctuality would be enforced without exception.

They advised interested students to report at their respective venues on the prescribed dates and times with the required documents to ensure smooth participation in the selection process.

Peshawar: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Sunday strongly condemned the explosion in Kabal area of Swat district and directed the Inspector General of Police to submit a detailed report on the incident.

Expressing profound grief over the martyrdom of police personnel and civilians, the CM extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs, forgiveness for the departed souls, and patience for their families.

He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured police personnel and civilians and directed the relevant authorities to ensure the provision of the best possible medical treatment to all those injured.

He emphasized that no negligence in their treatment would be tolerated.

Reaffirming the provincial government’s commitment to maintaining peace, he said the KP Police had rendered immense sacrifices for the protection of the lives and property of the people.

He vowed that anti-peace elements would not be allowed to succeed in their nefarious designs.

Hyderabad: A man allegedly shot dead his wife, a mother of 8 children, reportedly over a domestic issue in Gharib Nawaz Colony area in Latifabad here on Sunday.

According to the police, they have arrested the suspect Qurban Abro and recovered the gun which he had allegedly used to kill his wife Zubeda Oad. He was said to be the second husband of the slain woman.

The dead body was shifted to Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) for postmortem. The incident’s FIR could not be registered by the evening.