Category: District

Kohat: The authorities have intensified a nationwide campaign to repatriate undocumented Afghan nationals, issuing eviction notices to the owners of more than 20,000 houses and apartments accused of accommodating people living in the country illegally.

The district officials have given property owners one week to remove undocumented Afghan tenants, adding that legal action would be taken against those who fail to comply within the deadline.

According to a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Home Department, the police and security forces had expanded operations across Peshawar and other districts in recent days.

The Officials said more than 600 Afghan nationals had been detained and deported from Peshawar over the past five days, while 2,163 others were repatriated after being detained in different districts. The government figures showed that 23,336 Afghan nationals, including women and children, returned to Afghanistan between July, 11 to 16 .

The authorities said the pace of returns had increased sharply, adding daily repatriations, which previously averaged between 400 and 600 people, had risen to between 3,400 and 4,100 individuals. The security forces said that the operations would continue as part of the government’s effort to ensure the departure of all undocumented foreign nationals from the country.

Sargodha: Deputy Commissioner Hussain Ahmad Raza Chaudhry on Tuesday chaired a meeting to assess progress on the ongoing WASA sewerage mega project and various development schemes being executed under the Punjab Development Programme (PDP), restoration works and the Chief Minister Punjab’s special grant for local government projects.

According to the spokesperson for the DC office here, Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA) Managing Director Muhammad Abu Bakr Imran briefed the meeting on critical components of the sewerage mega project, ongoing construction activities and progress achieved so far.

On the occasion PDP Assistant Director Hamid Chatha informed the meeting that around 90 per cent of the critical works had been completed, while the remaining components were also progressing rapidly.

The DC expressed satisfaction over the progress and observed that the positive impact of the development projects had started becoming visible during the recent monsoon rains.

He said a significant improvement had been witnessed in the situation of rainwater accumulation on several major roads of the city, reflecting effective planning and execution of the development initiatives.

The meeting was informed that the sewerage line from Muhammadiya Colony to the Sillanwali Disposal Station was nearly complete. However, the pumping system near Maqam-e-Hayat could not yet be made operational due to the non-installation of a transformer.

The deputy commissioner directed FESCO authorities to install the transformer immediately so that the project could be made fully operational without further delay.

The meeting was further informed that restoration work at Company Bagh Hockey Ground had commenced following the completion of an underground water storage tank. Similarly, restoration of Khushab Road was in progress after the laying of a sewerage line, while restoration work at Rehmat-ul-Alameen Park had also begun after completion of an underground water tank.

Chaudhry directed the relevant departments to complete all remaining works within the stipulated timelines.

He also stressed regular quality testing of construction materials at every stage of the projects to ensure quality, durability and transparency.

Sukkur: The Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Adult Congenital Heart Diseases at Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) has achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing 50 Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy (PTMC) procedures.

The procedures were performed by Dr. Naresh Kumar Chohan, Associate Professor and Head of Department (HOD) Pediatric Cardiology.

According to Dr. Naresh Kumar Chohan on Tuesday, the age of patients who underwent the procedure ranged from 11 years to 58 years and all procedures were completed successfully without any complications. He said PTMC is a minimally invasive, life-saving procedure for patients suffering from mitral valve stenosis, which provides immediate relief and avoids open-heart surgery.

Dr. Chohan lauded the vision and continuous support of the Director, GIMS, Dr. Raheem Bux Bhatti, whose dynamic leadership has transformed GIMS into a state-of-the-art center of excellence providing free, high-quality tertiary care treatment to patients from all over Sindh and beyond.

He said that this achievement was made possible due to the provision of state-of-the-art Cath Lab facilities, modern equipment and dedicated team work at GIMS, made available with the generous support of the Government of Sindh.

He added GIMS, under the leadership of Dr. Bhatti and with the patronage of the Sindh Government, is providing free of cost advanced cardiac interventions, including pediatric and adult congenital heart disease treatments, which otherwise cost millions in private hospitals.

The successful completion of 50 PTMC cases marks another step forward in making advanced cardiac care accessible and affordable for the common man at GIMS Gambat.

Burewala: Two men died from severe burn injuries sustained in a gas cylinder explosion at a sweet shop here, four days after the blast, the police said on Tuesday.

The victims were identified as Habibur Rehman 40 years old and Hassan Ali 25-year old .

They died while receiving treatment at the Burn Unit, Nishtar Hospital, Multan.

The explosion occurred at a sweet shop near Chungi No. 5 and was caused by a leaking gas cylinder, according to police. Thirteen people, including two children, were injured in the blast. All of the injured were initially taken to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Burewala. Those with more serious injuries were later transferred to Nishtar Hospital for specialized treatment, they added.

The hospital sources said three other patients remained in critical condition, with many victims suffering severe burns to their faces and other parts of their bodies. The police said an investigation into the cause and circumstances of the explosion was ongoing.

Sanghar: District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), chaired by Deputy Commissioner Sarah Javed, on Tuesday reviewed contingency arrangements for the impending monsoon season and directed all departments to remain on high alert to deal with any emergency.

The meeting was attended by officials of the local government, irrigation, drainage, health, rescue and other relevant departments, who briefed participants on preparedness measures, including rescue and relief operations, drainage of rainwater, restoration of roads, electricity supply and emergency healthcare services.

Ms. Javed instructed the local government, irrigation and drainage departments to keep machinery and field staff on standby and complete the desilting and cleaning of storm-water drains, canals and municipal drainage networks on a priority basis to prevent urban flooding and minimize inconvenience to residents. She also ordered post-rain anti-mosquito spraying campaigns.

The deputy commissioner directed the health department to ensure the availability of ambulances, emergency medicines and anti-snake venom at hospitals and health facilities, saying that safeguarding lives and property remained the district administration’s foremost responsibility.

She emphasized the need for close coordination among all departments and instructed them to ensure a swift response to any emergency during the monsoon season. The meeting decided that the district control room would remain operational round the clock to monitor the situation and coordinate timely rescue and relief efforts. Ms. Javed also directed the livestock department to make adequate arrangements for the treatment and protection of animals during the rainy season to reduce potential losses to livestock.

Mansehra: Mansehra Police have dismantled a vehicle theft gang and recovered 17 stolen vehicles, including a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, a Suzuki Ravi pickup, a Suzuki FX car, and 14 motorcycles, in a series of successful operations carried out across the district.

According to police, a number of car and motorcycle theft incidents had been reported in different parts of Mansehra over the past few months, leading to the registration of multiple cases at various police stations. Acting on the directives of District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Azhar Khan, special teams launched intelligence-based investigations to trace those involved.

The operations were conducted under the supervision of SP City Shah Nawaz Khan and DSP City Cadet Chin Zeb Tanoli. SHO City Cadet Saqib, the Anti-Car Lifting Cell, and other police teams used modern investigative techniques and intelligence information to identify and arrest the suspects.

Police recovered a stolen Suzuki Ravi pickup from suspect Ghulam Abbas. In another case, 14 stolen motorcycles were recovered from suspects Ali, Abbas, Muhammad Abbas, and Mubarak. A stolen Toyota Land Cruiser Prado was recovered from suspect Sardar Asif while a stolen Suzuki FX car was recovered from suspect Shah Zaib.

Police said Shah Zaib and Ghulam Abbas have been sent to jail following court orders, while the remaining suspects will be produced before the court to obtain physical remand. Further investigation is underway to determine the gang’s involvement in other vehicle theft cases.