Category: Lahore

Lahore: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) sealed five food businesses, imposed fines totaling Rs453,000 on 23 others and destroyed more than two maunds of substandard food items and meat during a grand enforcement operation against food safety violations, here on Saturday.

Acting on the directions of the Director General Punjab Food Authority Syed Musa Raza, inspection teams raided 28 food businesses in Harbanspura, G.T. Road, Bahria Town and Samanabad. Among the sealed premises were the bakery production section of a renowned supermarket, a milk shop, a popular biryani restaurant and a chicken sale centre over serious violations of food safety regulations. A well-known retail store was also sealed for selling non-traceable jelly and coffee drinks.

During the inspections, officials found mould-infested food stored in foul-smelling freezers, contaminated water on broken floors, insect-infested kitchens and the use of non-food-grade materials. More than two maunds of meat and other food items, found unfit for human consumption, were destroyed before reaching consumers.

The teams also detected the use of non-food-grade detergents for washing utensils, while mandatory medical and training certificates of food handlers, water testing reports and other required records were missing at several establishments.

PFA DG Syed Musa Raza said the authority was committed to ensuring the availability of safe and quality food and eliminating the adulteration mafia. He said compliance with food safety laws was mandatory for all food businesses operating in Punjab and warned that those endangering public health would face no leniency.

Lahore: The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) has released the preliminary schedule for the Central Superior Services (CSS) 2027 examinations,issuing an advance public notice on Sunday.

According to the schedule,online applications for the CSS MCQ-Based Preliminary Test (MPT) will be received from August 3 to August 20.

The preliminary screening test comprising multiple-choice questions will be held on September 27, 2026.

The advertisement for the CSS 2027 written examination will be published on November 8, 2026.

Online applications for the written exam will be accepted from November 10 to November 25, while the last date for submission of hard copies of applications and required documents has been set as December 4, 2026.

The CSS 2027 written examination is scheduled to begin on January 27,2027.

Candidates have been advised to regularly visit the FPSC website for updated information regarding the examination process.

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif was briefed on Saturday that Punjab had become the first province in Pakistan to undertake comprehensive digital health and demographic mapping of its population, with the country’s largest-ever digital health census nearing completion.

Chairing a meeting of the Health and Population Department here, the chief minister reviewed progress on the Community Health Inspectors Programme. She was informed that health and demographic profiling of more than 85 percent of the population had been completed in 18 districts, while five districts had achieved 100 percent coverage and another five had crossed the 95 per cent mark.

The meeting was told that digital health and demographic profiles of 94.3 million citizens had been registered. Every household across Punjab had also been assigned a unique digital identification number through the province’s digital mapping initiative.

Under the programme, 14,300 Community Health Inspectors visited households to collect health, demographic, socio-economic, drinking water and disability-related data. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also reviewed the programme’s digital dashboard, which consolidates the information for evidence-based planning and service delivery.

The CM said reliable data was the foundation of effective public policy, adding that healthcare services would now be planned and delivered on the basis of authentic digital information rather than estimates.

‘Without accurate data, it is impossible to determine where patients are located or how many medicines and healthcare facilities are required,’ she said, adding that the initiative would help identify long-neglected health challenges and improve resource allocation across the province.

During the briefing, the meeting was informed that cardiac catheterisation laboratories (Cath Labs) would be made operational in 16 districts by December. Five Cath Labs are already functional, while facilities in Bhakkar, Bahawalnagar and Layyah have been directed to become operational at the earliest. The CM sought weekly performance reports on all functional Cath Labs.

CM Maryam Nawaz also directed authorities to further improve the home delivery system for medicines and launch a comprehensive population management campaign to address the province’s growing population. She proposed the ‘Maryam Nawaz Sehat Mand Gharana’ programme to link citizens directly with healthcare centres, reducing unnecessary hospital visits. Patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension, hepatitis, cancer and malnutrition would receive digital follow-up and continuous monitoring under the integrated system.

The meeting was further informed that a modern disaster recovery site would be established to ensure the security and protection of the province’s digital health data.

The CM directed that Phase-II Cath Labs in eight additional districts be completed by the end of July. She also appreciated the anti-polio teams after environmental samples collected from 19 districts tested negative for the poliovirus, paying tribute to health workers for their tireless efforts in the campaign against polio.

Lahore: The Punjab government has decided to expand the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme by extending interest-free loans for the repair, rehabilitation and expansion of dilapidated houses to facilitate deserving low-income families.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Punjab Minister for Housing and Urban Development Bilal Yasin to review the expansion of the programme, here on Saturday. President of the Bank of Punjab (BoP) Zafar Masud, Housing Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal and Director General PHATA Sikandar Zeeshan briefed the meeting on the proposed framework.

Minister Bilal Yasin said interest-free loans ranging from Rs500,000 to Rs1 million would be provided through an e-portal under a transparent and low-cost mechanism for the construction of new portions, house repairs and roof construction. He said the expanded programme would enable beneficiaries not only to build new homes but also to renovate unsafe and dilapidated houses.

The minister said around 170,000 families had so far received interest-free loans under the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar scheme. He expressed the government’s commitment to extending similar financial assistance to another 100,000 families during the next financial year to help them construct their own houses.

He said the expanded programme would primarily benefit low-income, homeless and families living in mud or structurally weak houses, with the objective of providing every deserving household with safe, dignified and improved housing.

Bilal Yasin said equal emphasis would be placed on facilitating deserving people in both urban and rural areas. He added that the initiative would stimulate construction activity, generate employment opportunities and promote economic growth.

The minister directed the relevant departments to ensure the programme’s swift, effective and transparent implementation, saying it would contribute to improving the living standards of vulnerable segments of society and further strengthen social protection across the province.

Lahore: Punjab Police have issued more than 4.93 million traffic challans and imposed fines exceeding Rs9.75 billion during the current year as part of an intensified province-wide campaign to enforce traffic laws and improve road safety.

A Punjab Police spokesperson told media on Saturday more than 4.33 million driving licences had also been issued to citizens during the same period to facilitate motorists and promote compliance with traffic regulations.

The spokesperson said action was also taken against 44,151 smoke-emitting vehicles, while 6,785 vehicles were impounded at police stations for various violations. In addition, the fitness certificates of 28 vehicles were confiscated.

Inspector General of Punjab Police Abdul Kareem directed field formations to continue operations against traffic law violators without interruption and ensure effective implementation of amended traffic laws, ongoing reforms and modern enforcement systems.

He ordered strict action against motorists involved in overloading, overspeeding, underage driving, one-way violations and other dangerous traffic offences, stressing that enforcement should be carried out without discrimination.

The IGP also directed the police to adopt effective measures for recovering outstanding traffic fines from defaulters and instructed Station House Officers (SHOs) and Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) to work in coordination to ease traffic congestion, prevent road accidents and ensure safe and orderly travel for the public.

Lahore: Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI) Commissioner Zulfiqar Ali Kharal on Saturday directed officials to strengthen recovery efforts, enhance field operations and ensure efficient service delivery to workers while reviewing the performance of the institution’s Lahore South and Model Town Directorates.

During a visit to the Directorate of Social Security Lahore South, the commissioner conducted a comprehensive review of administrative affairs, field operations, inspection activities and recovery performance. Directors concerned briefed him on social security contributions, recovery measures, inspection campaigns and the progress of ongoing administrative initiatives.

The meeting also reviewed progress under the Maryam Nawaz Rashan Card Programme, workers’ registration and other key administrative matters.

The commissioner directed the officials to ensure timely provision of services and facilities to workers, saying that improving service delivery to the labour community remained the institution’s foremost priority.

Zulfiqar Ali Kharal said field operations should be made more effective, dynamic and result-oriented to achieve social security contribution and recovery targets. He also instructed the relevant officers to further strengthen the inspection and monitoring system through practical measures aimed at improving the institution’s overall performance.

He warned that no negligence or complacency in achieving recovery targets would be tolerated and directed all officers to utilise their professional capabilities and work in a coordinated manner to enhance institutional efficiency.

The commissioner said continuous efforts were being made to promote good governance, transparency and improved public service delivery within PESSI, adding that the performance of all directorates was being monitored regularly to ensure greater institutional effectiveness.

Director C and B Head Office Rashid Badr accompanied the commissioner during the visit.