Month: August 2026

Lahore: Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that patients at the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology (JIC), Lahore, will be provided with cardiac treatment facilities meeting international standards.

He made these remarks during a visit to the under-construction Jinnah Institute of Cardiology on Sunday to review the pace of ongoing work. During the visit, the minister inspected every floor of the hospital and received a detailed briefing on the project’s progress from IDAP Chief Operating Officer Maira Ali, the Project Director, Hospital Director Dr. Sabrina Jamil and contractors.

Salman Rafique said the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology would be opened for the public very soon, God willing. He added that the Punjab government had invested more than Rs16 billion in establishing the state-of-the-art cardiac hospital.

He said all relevant institutions, including the Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab (IDAP), were working round the clock to complete the project on schedule, expressing confidence that the hospital would be finished within the stipulated timeframe.

Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Azmat Mahmood said thousands of heart patients from across Punjab would benefit from the facility. He said the hospital would offer the services of highly qualified cardiac surgeons, modern operation theatres and advanced treatment and patient care facilities.

Chairman of the Punjab Chief Minister’s Advisory Committee for Cardiology Dr. Farqad Alamgir said the provincial government was committed to expanding treatment facilities for heart disease patients and ensuring access to quality healthcare closer to their homes.

Lahore: A significant reduction in attempted murders has been recorded in Lahore this year.

According to police records, 249 cases of attempted murder were registered during the first six months of the year 2026, while the number was 364 in the same period last year, which shows a 31 per cent reduction.

According to the statistics, 42 cases were registered this year in the City Division compared to 67 last year, 65 in the Cantt Division compared to 102, 12 in the Civil Lines Division compared to 24 and 42 in the Saddar Division compared to 67.

According to police records, the number of attempted murder cases in Iqbal Town division remained at 32, the same as last year, while 56 cases were reported in Model Town division this year compared to 72 last year.

Police officials say that there has been a significant reduction in attempted murder cases due to effective strategies and operations to control crime.

Lahore: Kissan Sahulat Centres have been established at the tehsil level in cotton-growing areas across Punjab in line with the directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

A spokesman for the Agriculture Department said on Sunday that advisory desks had been established at the centres to provide technical guidance and support to cotton growers.

He said quality agricultural pesticides and spraying machinery were available at the Kissan Sahulat Centres at prices lower than prevailing market rates.

For further information and technical guidance, farmers could contact the Agriculture Helpline at 0800-17000 between 8:00 a. m. and 8:00 p. m. , he added.

Lahore: In Kahna area, a man attacked his wife and three daughters with a knife for not getting money for drugs, resulting in injuries to all four.

According to the police, the accused Irfan was arrested while responding immediately to a call received at 15. SP Model Town Asad Ali said that the accused got angry when his wife refused to give him money for drugs and stabbed him.

The injured include woman Fauzia, 18-year-old Kabira, 15-year-old Kanza and 12-year-old Aaliya. All the injured were shifted to a hospital for medical treatment, where their condition was stated to be out of danger.

The police have registered a case against the accused and started investigation.

Lahore: The Punjab Agriculture Department has issued an advisory for the control of Sugarcane Pyrilla, urging farmers to protect their crop from harmful insect attacks to achieve higher per-acre yields.

According to a press release issued here on Sunday as per the advisory, Sugarcane Pyrilla is a sap-sucking pest that attacks sugarcane crops. Both nymphs and adults suck sap from the underside of leaves.

The honeydew-like substance excreted by the pest promotes the growth of black sooty mould, which adversely affects the photosynthesis process in the leaves.

For effective control of Sugarcane Pyrilla, farmers should, in fields where sufficient parasitoids are present, cut and remove leaves carrying parasitoid eggs and cocoons in sections approximately six inches long.

The advisory said that sugarcane whitefly nymphs also damage the crop by sucking sap from leaves. In case of severe infestation, the leaves turn pale and dry up, while plant growth is adversely affected.

In case of a Pyrilla attack, farmers should catch and destroy adult insects and nymphs using hand nets. If the infestation is limited to a small area, the affected leaves should be cut and buried in the soil.

Farmers have also been advised to apply granular insecticides, after consulting local agricultural experts of the Punjab Agriculture department, before the sugarcane crop reaches a height of six feet.

The department urged farmers not to burn sugarcane trash under any circumstances, so that beneficial insects present in it can be preserved.

For chemical control of harmful pests in sugarcane crops, farmers should spray suitable pesticides on the advice of local agricultural experts from the Agriculture department’s Extension and Pest Warning wing.

Lahore: The bodies of two people, including a woman, have been found in different areas of Lahore. Both have not been identified yet, while initially the cause of death is being said to be drug overdose.

According to the Edhi spokesperson, the body of a man aged about 35 years old was found on a footpath near Chungi Amar Sidhu area, who was shifted to the morgue. The spokesperson said that the deceased appeared to be a drug addict.

Also, the body of a woman about 30 years old was found under the Sherpao bridge in the Ghalib Market area. According to initial information, the woman’s death also apparently occurred due to drug abuse; however, the final cause will be revealed after the post-mortem report.

According to Edhi, both the bodies have been shifted to the morgue, while the police are busy with identification and further legal action.