Category: Islamabad

Islamabad: Director General Safe City/Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic Muhammad Haroon Joiya chaired a meeting with officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), 1 Network (Pvt.) Limited and the Safe City team to review progress on the Safe City Expansion Project.

An official told reporter on Tuesday that the meeting discussed the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras and smart policing solutions to automate traffic management at major intersections across the federal capital.

He said participants reviewed measures to improve enforcement of traffic laws and maintain smooth traffic flow, particularly during peak hours, through intelligent traffic management systems.

The official said the meeting also examined other key components of the Safe City Expansion Project to accelerate its implementation and ensure timely completion.

Haroon Joiya emphasized effective coordination among all stakeholders for successful execution of the project and directed the relevant teams to ex
pedite work.

The official added that the expansion project would strengthen technology-driven policing, improve traffic management and enhance public safety through modern surveillance and smart enforcement systems.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday expressed confidence that Pakistan would achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity Level 3 (ML-3) by April 2027, paving the way for easier access to pharmaceutical markets in around 160 countries.

He made the remarks during a meeting with the WHO Representative in Pakistan, where the progress of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) towards achieving WHO ML-3 status was reviewed.

The minister appreciated the WHO’s technical support, describing it as vital to Pakistan’s efforts to attain ML-3 recognition.

He announced that a high-level meeting with the chief ministers of all provinces would be held in the coming days to review progress, stressing that effective coordination between the federation and provinces would be further strengthened.

Mustafa Kamal reiterated that achieving ML-3 would significantly boost Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports and enhance the global competitiveness.

The WHO representative lauded the minister’s leadership and commitment to ongoing health sector reforms, describing the federal cabinet’s approval of Pakistan’s first-ever National Vaccine Policy as a historic milestone for the country’s healthcare system.

Islamabad: Director Information Technology (IT) Atif Abbas chaired a meeting with the Safe City technical team to review progress on assigned tasks and assess the performance of officers.

An official told reporter on Tuesday that the meeting focused on evaluating the implementation status of tasks assigned to the technical team.

Atif reviewed the performance reports of officers and directed them to further improve efficiency and the quality of their work.

The director emphasized timely completion of assignments and instructed the team to maintain high professional standards in the execution of technical responsibilities.

He also stressed the importance of effective coordination and optimum utilization of technology to further strengthen Safe City’s operational capabilities.

Islamabad: The benchmark KSE-100 Index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued with a sharp bearish trend on Tuesday, losing 6,408.23 points, a negative change of 3.56 percent, to close at 173,518.82 points against 179,927.05 points on the previous trading day.

During the session, the ready market recorded a trading volume of 912.614 million shares with a traded value of Rs45.614 billion, compared to 845.279 million shares valuing Rs35.551 billion in the previous session. The market capitalization declined to Rs19.584 trillion from Rs20.290 trillion a day earlier.

Out of 498 active companies in the ready market, 40 advanced, 439 declined, and 19 remained unchanged.

Cnergyico PK led the volume chart with 84.545 million shares, followed by K-Electric Ltd. with 43.532 million shares and WorldCall Telecom with 43.316 million shares.

The top gainers included Khairpur Sugar Mills Limited, which surged by Rs158.59 to close at Rs2,441.48, and Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited, which gained Rs92.00 to settle at Rs25,360.00.

On the losing side, PIA Holding Company LimitedB declined by Rs195.01 to close at Rs17,606.00, while Ghandhara Industries Limited fell by Rs107.81 to settle at Rs1,125.91.

In the futures (DFC) market, turnover stood at 223.550 million shares with a traded value of Rs11.398 billion, compared to 189.239 million shares worth Rs8.530 billion in the previous session.

Out of 302 futures-market companies, four advanced, 297 declined, and one remained unchanged.

Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, on Tuesday conducted an official oversight visit to review the under-construction Islamabad Model Jail located in Sector H-16.

The visit included a comprehensive briefing by Asmat Shrif, Member Building of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), on the master plan and physical progress of the project, which spans Ninety acres of land.

The Committee expressed severe reservations regarding the project’s prolonged delays, noting that construction originally commenced on May 8, 2017, and was now projected to reach completion by July 31, at an escalated cost of PKR 7,399.12 million.

A major point of contention arose when Committee Member Senator Naseema Ehsan strongly highlighted the complete omission of dedicated women’s barracks, essential infant care facilities, and schooling for the children of female inmates in the original plans. While the Committee was informed that women’s facilities were relegated to a future “Phase 2” because they were not initially included, the members expressed profound concern and rejected this exclusion, demanding immediate integration of humanitarian and human rights provisions for women and their infants.

In response to these findings, the Committee directed the CDA to submit a detailed, comprehensive inquiry report explaining why the CDA administration abruptly halted construction works back in 2018. Furthermore, to closely monitor progress and prevent further delays, the Committee directed the CDA management to submit a weekly progress report on active work in process.

Senators Husna Bano, Khalida Ateeb, Hadiyat Ullah khan, Muhammad Aslam Abro, Abdul Shakor Khan, Jan Muhammad and Naseema Ehsan, along with senior senior officials of CDA were also present on the occasion.

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday sought responses from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Director General of Immigration and Passports on a petition filed by former federal minister Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind challenging restrictions on his foreign travel.

Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas heard the petition and issued notices to the respondents, directing them to submit their replies.

Counsel for the petitioner argued that Rind was a law-abiding citizen who had previously served as a member of the National Assembly and a federal minister. The lawyer told the court that his client arrived at Islamabad International Airport on May 13, to travel abroad but was stopped by immigration authorities, who informed him that his name had been placed on a travel restriction list.

The petitioner requested the court to direct the authorities to remove his name from the list and allow him to travel abroad.

After issuing notices to the respondents, the court adjourned further proceedings.