Category: District

Mirpur: Election authorities on Wednesday organized a training workshop for Presiding Officers in Mirpur as part of preparations for the phased Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, beginning on July 27. The session, chaired by District and Sessions Judge and District Returning Officer (DRO) Mirpur Jahangir Ahmed Jarral, was attended by Returning Officers of constituencies LA-2, LA-3 and LA-4, Deputy Commissioner Sajid Aslam, Senior Superintendent of Police Khurram Iqbal and Presiding Officers from across the district.

Participants were briefed on electoral laws, the code of conduct, polling procedures, voter facilitation and their responsibilities on polling day. The workshop aimed to equip election officials with the knowledge and skills required to conduct the electoral process in a transparent, impartial and efficient manner.

Addressing the participants, Jahangir Ahmed Jarral said Presiding Officers played a central role in ensuring free, fair and credible elections. He directed them to discharge their duties with complete neutrality, integrity and professionalism while strictly adhering to the Election Commission’s rules and code of conduct. He added that close coordination among election authorities, the district administration and law enforcement agencies would be maintained to ensure the smooth conduct of polling and promptly address any issues.

The district returning officer said comprehensive monitoring arrangements had been put in place to safeguard transparency throughout the electoral process and warned that negligence or dereliction of duty would not be tolerated. Describing Presiding Officers as the backbone of the polling process, he said every effort would be made to provide equal opportunities and facilities to candidates and voters and to ensure the conduct of peaceful, free and transparent elections across the district.

Bahawalpur: The Regional Office of the Federal Ombudsman heard more than 100 public complaints against various federal government departments during a complaint hearing session, with several cases decided on the spot and relief worth millions of rupees provided to affected citizens.

According to an official press release, Associate Advisor Khalid Nazir presided over the hearing, which dealt with complaints involving the Sui Gas department, the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), Pakistan Post Office, the Federal Employees Benevolent and Group Insurance Fund (FEBandGIF), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Passport Office.

Complainants raised a range of issues, including correction of utility bills, payment of pensions and financial benefits, banking disputes, gas connections and other administrative matters.

After reviewing each case, the Associate Advisor directed representatives of the relevant departments to resolve the complaints promptly in accordance with the law and applicable regulations.

According to the press release, several complaints were settled during the hearing, while the remaining departments were instructed to take immediate action to ensure that citizens received their lawful entitlements. The hearing resulted in relief amounting to millions of rupees for complainants, who expressed satisfaction over the outcome.

Dera ismail khan: The Water and Sanitation Services Company Dera Ismail Khan (WSSC DI Khan) on Wednesday has launched a citywide drainage and sanitation operation following rainfall, with sanitation workers and machinery deployed on high alert to ensure the timely removal of rainwater from roads, markets and residential streets.

WSSC officials said sanitation staff were working in day and night shifts under the Monsoon Contingency Plan, while heavy machinery and dewatering equipment were continuously engaged in removing accumulated rainwater from bazaars, markets and different localities to minimise inconvenience to the public and maintain the smooth flow of traffic.

The officials said field teams were also carrying out desilting and clearance of drainage channels and monitoring vulnerable points across the city to prevent urban flooding and ensure effective drainage.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) WSSC DI Khan, Naimat Ullah Khan, said the company was implementing its Monsoon Plan in full spirit and would continue round-the-clock operations throughout the rainy season.

He urged citizens to avoid dumping household waste, construction debris and other solid waste into drains and nullahs, saying blocked drains were a major cause of waterlogging during rainfall.

“The success of the drainage system depends not only on institutional efforts but also on public cooperation. Clean drains ensure a safer and cleaner city for everyone,” he said.

The CEO reiterated that WSSC DI Khan would continue providing uninterrupted sanitation and drainage services during the monsoon season and appealed to residents to support the civic body’s cleanliness efforts by disposing of waste responsibly.

Faisalabad: Director General (DG) Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) Muhammad Asif Chaudhry said on Wednesday that the FDA collected more than Rs. 740 million in revenue from various sectors during the last fiscal year.

He was chairing a meeting and reviewed revenue performance for the previous financial year in detail in addition to discussing strategies to achieve revenue targets for the current fiscal year.

He said that during previous fiscal year, the FDA collected Rs. 254.2 million in fines imposed on illegal constructions, Rs. 82.3 million in plot transfer dues, Rs. 90 million as extension charges for construction periods, Rs. 94.5 million in building plan approval fees, Rs. 58.1 million in land conversion fees, Rs. 60 million in commercial charges, Rs. 21.3 million in GIS scrutiny dues from private housing schemes, Rs. 64.3 million under miscellaneous receipts, Rs. 8.6 million through ownership certificate issuance fees and Rs. 6.7 million as fees for the issuance of town planning reports.

He emphasized the need to further enhance revenue generation and directed all concerned departments to adopt effective, practical, and result-oriented strategies to achieve the revenue targets for the current fiscal year.

He said that ensuring the financial stability of the Authority and the timely completion of development projects required the introduction of new business models, the exploration of additional revenue streams and the optimum utilization of existing resources.

He instructed all relevant departments to further improve their performance, ensure transparency, efficiency, and effective monitoring in the revenue collection process, and take impartial legal action against defaulters for the recovery of outstanding dues.

He also directed that all revenue-related matters should be monitored on a monthly basis to ensure the timely achievement of targets.

He said that financial self-reliance is the foundation of any strong institution. Therefore, all officers and concerned departments should work with a spirit of teamwork to transform the FDA into a modern, efficient, and self-sustaining organization.

He said that through sound financial management, modern reforms, and effective revenue management, the FDA would further expand its development activities and utilize all available resources to provide improved civic facilities to the citizens.

During meeting, Additional Director General FDA Qaiser Abbas Rind presented a comprehensive briefing on revenue collected under various heads, opportunities to enhance income sources and the proposed strategy for the new financial year.

Chief Engineer Mehr Ayub, Directors Junaid Hassan Manj, Qaiser Javed, Afnan Saeed Sindhu, Deputy Directors Finance Adnan Shehzad, Afzal Ansari, Bilal Ahmed, and other officers were also present on the occasion.

Sialkot: Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Punjab Chaudhry Faisal Ikram, accompanied by Khawaja Sultan Tipu, visited various parts of Sialkot to inspect the drainage situation following recent rainfall and review the performance of the city’s drainage system.

The inspection covered Commissioner Road, Railway Road, Capital Road Disposal Station, Model Town, and other areas of the city. During the visit, Managing Director (MD) Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Sialkot Faisal Shehzad briefed the delegation on the rainfall situation, ongoing drainage operations, and measures taken to ensure the timely disposal of rainwater.

The MPA reviewed the operational arrangements and directed the authorities to keep all disposal stations fully functional throughout the monsoon season. He also instructed officials to ensure the availability of backup generators to maintain uninterrupted drainage operations in case of power outages.

He said the monsoon season has begun and noted that timely desilting of drains had played a key role in facilitating the swift drainage of rainwater. He further directed WASA officials to ensure staff remain present at operational camps and respond promptly to all public complaints.

The visit aimed to monitor the effectiveness of drainage arrangements and ensure that all necessary measures are in place to minimize public inconvenience during the ongoing monsoon season.

Hyderabad: The University of Sindh has announced the schedule for interviews of candidates seeking admission to its M.Phil and Ph.D. programs in political science, botany and zoology for the academic session 2026.

The interviews will be held on July 27, 2026 at the respective academic departments of the university.

According to the official schedule issued by the Chairman of the Department of Political Science, Professor Dr G. Akbar Mahesar, interviews for M.Phil and PhD political science candidates will be conducted at the Department of Political Science, where M.Phil interviews will commence at 10:00 a.m, followed by PhD interviews at 12:00 noon.

The Institute of plant sciences (Botany) has also scheduled interviews for eligible M.Phil and Ph.D. applicants on July 27 at 10:00 a.m at the institute of plant sciences. Director of the institute Prof. Dr. Rabia Asma Memon advised all shortlisted candidates to appear before the interview committee at the designated time to complete the admission process.

Meanwhile, the department of zoology will conduct interviews of candidates who qualified the pre-entry test for admission to its M.Phil and Ph.D. programs at 9:00 a.m sharp on the same day in the office of the chairperson, department of zoology. Chairperson of the department Prof. Dr. Riffat Sultana directed candidates to bring one printed copy of their admission form along with all original academic documents and supporting credentials for verification during the interview.

The SU spokesperson informed that the university administration has advised all eligible candidates to report to their respective departments well before the scheduled time and ensure that all required documents are available to facilitate the smooth and timely completion of the admission process for the 2026 postgraduate programs.