Author: dailybalochistantimes.com

Lahore: The district administration has launched a large-scale crackdown against those who charge excessive fees from citizens in the name of private parking in the city. Acting on the instructions of Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Ali Ijaz, more than 50 private parking stands were sealed for charging more than the official rates.

The operations were carried out under the leadership of MOR Jawadul Hassan in Gulberg, Shalimar, Data Ganj Bakhsh and Samanabad zones on the instructions of COMCL Kaleem Yousuf. According to the district administration, the parking fee for motorcycles was Rs 50 and for cars Rs 100 at several parking stands, while the official parking fee for motorcycles is Rs 10 and for cars Rs 30.

Lahore: The 983rd annual urs of Hazrat Ali Hajveri, commonly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, will begin on Sunday, August 2, with devotion and respect, for which all arrangements for three-day celebrations have been completed.

In the opening ceremony of the urs, special prayers for the security, peace and stability of the country will be organised, while in view of the arrival of thousands of pilgrims, arrangements have also been made for the distribution of langar on a large scale. A foolproof security plan has been implemented on the occasion of the Urs, CCTV cameras have been activated and a modern control room has been set up to monitor all activities.

A large number of volunteers have also been deployed to guide and serve the pilgrims so that they can be provided with all possible facilities. Meanwhile, Commissioner Lahore Nauman Yousaf reviewed the arrangements for Data Darbar and chaired a special administrative meeting at Hajveri Hall, in which Deputy Commissioner Lahore Captain (retd) Muhammad Ali Ijaz, along with officials of LWMC, WASA, Rescue 1122, LESCO, Punjab Food Authority and the Darbar administration attended.

The meeting directed to ensure foolproof arrangements for cleanliness, traffic, electricity, water, emergency services and security during the Urs, while all relevant institutions were ordered to remain on high alert and maintain mutual communication so that the best facilities can be provided to the pilgrims.

Lahore: The Punjab government on Saturday launched a coordinated crackdown on organised beggar mafias across the province, with Lahore selected as the first city to be made ‘beggar-free’ under a comprehensive anti-begging campaign.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi at the Home Department to review measures against organised vagrant networks. Senior officials from the Home, Social Welfare, Police, Punjab Safe Cities Authority, FIA, Health and School Education departments attended the meeting.

Chairing the meeting, Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi directed all relevant departments to implement a coordinated strategy to eliminate organised begging from Lahore in the first phase before expanding the campaign to other parts of the province.

He ordered a strict crackdown on professional beggars operating at public places and directed the Punjab Safe Cities Authority and Traffic Police to identify and dismantle the organised networks behind professional begging.

The meeting was informed that forcing individuals into begging is a non-bailable offence under the amended Punjab Vagrancy Ordinance, 1958, which provides enhanced legal provisions for action against organised begging networks.

The Home Secretary directed authorities to launch joint operations against gang leaders and handlers exploiting children, women and elderly persons for begging, stressing that effective prosecution should ensure exemplary punishment for those involved. He also ordered the use of modern technology, Safe Cities surveillance and human intelligence during the campaign, besides directing authorities to develop a comprehensive database of repeat offenders and identify hotspot locations for intelligence-led targeted operations.

Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi said the Punjab government was simultaneously strengthening welfare homes by expanding their capacity and improving facilities, including food, healthcare, accommodation, education for children and vocational training, to rehabilitate deserving and underprivileged individuals and help them become financially self-reliant.

He urged citizens to report professional beggar mafias through Police Helpline 15, assuring that the identity of informants would remain confidential.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Social Welfare Saira Omar, Special Secretary Home Zainab Khan, Director General Social Welfare Dr Shehnshah Faisal, Director General Probation and Parole Shahid Iqbal, Additional Secretary Prisons Roman Burana, Additional Secretary Judicial Abdul Rauf, Chief Traffic Officer Lahore Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi, AIG Sarfraz Virk, Deputy Prosecutor General Dr Usman Iqbal, Director Civil Defence Punjab Tasneem Ali Khan and representatives of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, FIA, School Education Department and Health Department.

Lahore: The Punjab Communications and Works (CandW) Department has launched emergency road restoration operations across the province following heavy rains, with field formations placed on 24-hour alert to ensure safe and uninterrupted travel.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Provincial Minister for Communications and Works Malik Sohaib Ahmad Bherth, which was attended by Secretary Communications and Works Raja Jahangir Anwar, chief engineers and field formations of the department, while district officers participated via video link.

The meeting reviewed the situation arising from rainwater accumulation, rain cuts and damage to roads across Punjab. Addressing the participants, Bherth said that, on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, ensuring safe and uninterrupted travel for the public remains the department’s top priority.

The meeting decided to continue emergency repairs of rain cuts, road cracks and damaged road berms. Officials informed the meeting tha
t restoration work is under way in Lahore, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Nankana Sahib, Toba Tek Singh, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Khushab, Hafizabad and Bahawalpur. Departmental teams have also been deployed in Muridke, Bandi Gali, Pindi Point, Attock and other affected areas.

The provincial minister directed officers to ensure immediate safety measures and effective traffic management on roads affected by landslides, floodwater and rain cuts. Officials said the damaged section of Pindi Point Road has been secured with barriers and safety tape. In Attock, a temporary diversion has been established to maintain traffic flow on a road affected by floodwater from Kamrial Dam, while machinery has been dispatched to restore the link road damaged by flooding in Nala Banhan.

The meeting was also informed that operations are continuing in Bahawalpur and Yazman to remove fallen trees, repair rain cuts, restore canal breaches and drain water from roadsides.

Malik Sohaib Ahmad Bherth directed all field officers to continuously
monitor the road network and report developments without delay. He said comprehensive safety measures have been put in place to keep traffic moving smoothly, adding that all field formations of the Communications and Works Department will remain on round-the-clock alert to respond promptly to any emergency during the monsoon season.