Category: Lahore

Lahore: Punjab Police have intensified their province-wide crackdown on violations of the Anti-Kite Flying Act, arresting 9,813 suspects and registering 9,445 cases during the current year, a Punjab Police spokesperson said on Thursday.

The spokesperson said during the crackdown, police recovered 472,296 kites and 14,833 string reels from the possession of the accused.

In Lahore alone, police arrested 4,575 suspects, registered 4,405 cases, and recovered 121,630 kites and 4,723 string reels, the spokesperson added.

IGP Abdul Kareem directed police officers to continue strict and indiscriminate action against all those involved in kite flying, stressing that the hazardous activity would not be tolerated anywhere in the province.

He also ordered police to take legal action against individuals involved in the online sale and distribution of kites and metallic string.

The IGP urged parents to keep their children away from the dangerous activity and appealed to citizens to report incidents of kite flying by calling the Police Helpline 15, enabling law enforcement agencies to take prompt action.

Lahore: Punjab Counter Narcotics Force (CNF) has achieved a major breakthrough against drug traffickers in Lahore by seizing 29 kilograms of narcotics besides arresting two drug traffickers and weapons worth approximately Rs 22 million.

According to a spokesperson for the CNF, the intelligence-based operations were conducted in the Dhyal area of Wahga Tehsil, Lahore district. In the first raid, two major drug dealers were apprehended, and 29 kilograms of narcotics, including 19 kilograms of crystal meth (Ice) and 10 kilograms of heroin, were recovered from their possession. The operation also led to the seizure of a 9mm pistol, a drone, drone batteries, and a drone controller.

Acting on information provided by the arrested suspects, CNF teams carried out a second raid at another location, recovering one drone, 11 drone controllers, 12 drone batteries, a drone camera, a drone bunker, chargers, power adapters, and a large cache of weapons. The recovered arsenal included one 12-bore pump-action shotgun, a submachine gun (SMG), two 30-bore pistols, multiple magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has said that there is a fear of temperature increase and urban flooding during July, August and September, while climate change is a reality, so all relevant institutions should be fully prepared.

Addressing a meeting here on Thursday, she said that there is a fear of temperature reaching 52 degrees Celsius in some cities, and more than usual rainfall has also been predicted in some areas.

The Punjab Chief Minister said that advance measures are being taken to deal with monsoon rains and the Early Warning System is being fully activated for timely forecasting.

Maryam Nawaz directed that all institutions should remain active to deal with the flood situation, while rescue and other institutions should continue mock exercises. She said that learning from last year’s severe floods, all necessary safety measures have been taken, and food arrangements have also been made for livestock.

The Punjab Chief Minister said that timely advisories should be issued to the public regarding the heat wave and weather conditions, and she urged the citizens not to allow the elderly, women and children to leave their homes unnecessarily.

Maryam Nawaz said that the Punjab government’s arrangements to deal with the heat wave are complete. She said that rainwater is drained immediately in Punjab, without naming other provinces, saying that water remains stagnant there.

She said that to prevent tragedies like Kahna, the “Apna Ghar, Mahfuz Ghar” program has been launched, under which citizens of all over Punjab can apply. Interest-free loans of up to Rs 1 million will also be provided under the scheme.

Lahore: The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has developed a hospital grading manual aimed at improving the quality of healthcare services, enabling patients to make informed choices, and encouraging healthy competition among hospitals to enhance treatment standards across the province.

The grading manual was presented during a broad-based consultative meeting held at the PHC headquarters on Thursday, where leading healthcare service providers shared their feedback on the proposed framework. The initiative marks a significant step towards recognising and rewarding healthcare quality beyond the Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS).

The meeting was chaired by PHC Chief Executive Officer Dr Muhammad Saqib Aziz and attended by senior management representatives from 12 leading public and private hospitals. Vice-Chancellor of Fatima Jinnah Medical University Prof Dr Khalid Masood Gondal and executives from four hospitals in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan joined the session virtually.

Director Clinical Governance and Organisational Standards Dr Mushtaq Ahmed briefed participants on the hospital grading manual, highlighting its focus on quality of care, patients’ right to informed choice and the potential to promote medical tourism through recognised healthcare excellence.

Addressing the participants, Dr Muhammad Saqib Aziz appreciated stakeholders for their continued support in developing the grading framework. He said the Commission had undertaken an extensive review of relevant literature, legal provisions and international best practices while ensuring the framework was adapted to Punjab’s healthcare realities through extensive stakeholder consultations.

He said the grading system would formally recognise hospitals committed to delivering high-quality care and provide patients with objective information to help them choose healthcare facilities. He added that the framework would establish a new benchmark for healthcare quality, improve service delivery across Punjab and strengthen the province’s potential as a destination for medical tourism.

“Grading of hospitals is a legal mandate of the PHC through which we will reaffirm our commitment to recognising clinical excellence, empowering patients with informed choice and supporting hospitals in delivering safer and higher-quality healthcare services,” Dr Saqib Aziz said.

Prof Dr Khalid Masood Gondal described the grading framework as a collaborative achievement of healthcare stakeholders and said it represented the next major step in improving healthcare quality beyond compliance with the Minimum Service Delivery Standards.

Participants welcomed the PHC initiative to recognise clinical excellence and patient safety through a structured scoring and ranking system. They stressed the need for continued PHC support to help hospitals achieve better grading outcomes and agreed that the manual should first be implemented through a pilot phase before its formal province-wide launch, allowing refinements based on practical experience.

Lahore: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday adjourned the hearing on the post-arrest bail application of PTI activist Falak Javed until July 15 in a case relating to the alleged attack on Islamabad Police at Zaman Park.

ATC Judge Malik Abid Hussain heard the application. During the proceedings, the prosecution sought time to produce the case record, following which the court postponed the hearing. Falak Javed, who is currently on judicial remand, filed her post-arrest bail application through her counsel from jail. Her petition argued that the investigation has been completed and requested the court to grant her bail. The case, FIR No. 410/23, was registered at Race Course Police Station over the alleged attack on police.

Lahore: The 1761st meeting of the Punjab University Syndicate was held under the chairmanship of Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali to consider the University’s budget estimates for the financial year 2026-27.

The Syndicate recommended to the Senate the approval of a budget of Rs20.87 billion. The University will provide subsidies and scholarships worth Rs10 billion from government grants, its own resources, and other funding sources to ensure that students from all segments of society have greater access to quality higher education.

On the directions of Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali, the Syndicate recommended enhancing scholarships and student subsidies to further reduce the financial burden on students and their families.

The University has allocated Rs341 million from its own resources for scholarships. In addition, students will continue to benefit from financial assistance under the Honhaar Scholarship Programme, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) scholarship schemes, and the Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF).

As a result of the financial reforms introduced by the University administration, Punjab University has recorded a significant reduction in its budget deficit for the first time.

The budget deficit for the financial year 2025-26 has been reduced to Rs1.6 billion, compared with Rs2.2 billion in the previous year. The Syndicate members appreciated the University’s prudent financial management and austerity measures.

On the instructions of the Vice Chancellor, the Syndicate also approved the allocation of Rs284 million as research grants to further strengthen the University’s research culture, improve its international rankings, and support research that contributes to the country’s socio-economic development.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali expressed confidence that the University’s budget deficit would be eliminated in the coming years. He said the University would focus on expanding its revenue streams rather than relying on borrowing and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the University’s Endowment Fund.

The University is expected to receive a Rs786 million grant from the Government of Punjab. According to the salient features of the proposed budget, students with disabilities will continue to receive free education and free hostel accommodation, while students admitted on sports quotas will be provided free education. Tuition fees for Huffaz-e-Quran will also remain waived.

Furthermore, students will continue to receive subsidies worth billions of rupees in the areas of education, hostel accommodation, transportation, electricity, and other student welfare facilities.

The Syndicate also approved the recommendations of the Selection Board and various other statutory bodies.