Category: Lahore

Lahore: Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that, under the directions of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, measures are underway to combat smog and air pollution in the province.

As part of the Chief Minister's vision, the "Chief Minister Plant for Pakistan" initiative has been launched, aiming to carry out large-scale tree plantation to reduce environmental pollution and make Punjab greener.

The project will cover 48,368 acres across the province, with a target of planting 42.5 million trees. This initiative will play a crucial role in curbing environmental pollution and restoring clean air across the province. In the fiscal year 2024-25, 8,496 acres of land will be planted with 7.361 million trees, for which 1,800 million rupees have been allocated. Out of this, 1,085 million rupees have already been utilized, accounting for 60 percent of the estimated budget.

In a press statement issued here on Tuesday, she said that during the Spring 2025 plantation campaign, 6,637 acres will be covered with 5.966 million trees. The campaign is being carried out at more than 300 locations across Punjab, including Lahore, Kasur, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Murree, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, and Muzaffargarh.

Various native and fruit-bearing trees are being planted, including Moringa, Chir Pine, Neem, Kikar, Sheesham, Sirus, Bakain, Simal, and Arjun. The plantations will not only increase forest cover but also green canal banks, roadsides, the Potohar plateau, Murree, and sandy areas.

Marriyum Aurangzeb highlighted that the project is progressing rapidly, with 2.73 million trees already planted over 4,000 acres of land. The "Chief Minister Plant for Pakistan" initiative will incur a total cost of 8,000 million rupees, significantly contributing to addressing environmental pollution in the province.

The Senior Provincial Minister emphasized that this project is a realization of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif's dream of a Green Punjab, ensuring not only a reduction in air pollution but also providing a clean and healthy environment for future generations.

Lahore: Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP), in its 68th meeting of current fiscal year, here Tuesday approved five development schemes worth Rs 21.292 billion.

Chaired by Planning and Development Board, Punjab (P and D Board) Chairman Barrister Nabeel Ahmad Awan approved the following schemes:

1. Development of Urban Bus Depots and Allied Infrastructure in Rawalpindi at a cost of Rs 1,581.222 million.

2. Minority Development Fund at a cost of Rs 2,100 million.

3. Central Punjab Non-Formal Education Project at a cost of Rs 4,757.198 million.

4. South Punjab Non-Formal Education Project at a cost of Rs 7,555.287 million.

5. North Punjab Non-Formal Education Project at a cost of Rs 5,299.140 million.

The meeting was attended by P and D Board Secretary Dr. Asif Tufail, Chief Economist Masood Anwar, members of the P and D Board, and other senior officers.

Lahore: The Lahore Arts Council (Alhamra) is set to mark International Women's Day with a powerful and immersive celebration, bringing together distinguished voices, compelling performances and artistic expressions that highlight the role of women in shaping society under the patronage of Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bukhari.

The grand event aims to honor the contributions of women in public spaces through dialogue, theatre, exhibitions and artisan showcases. A key highlight will be the Dialogue Session, 'Women in Public Spaces: Art, Activism and Representation,' featuring esteemed speakers Salima Hashmi, Saman Rai, Dr. Nadhra Shahbaz Khan, Azra Aftab and Amina Ali (Moderator).

Adding to the vibrancy, Ajoka Theatre will stage two thought-provoking plays- 'Lappar' and 'Sharam Di Gal.' The event will also feature the 'Surviving Stereotypes' exhibition, which will challenge gender biases through art and women artisans' stalls, celebrating creativity and empowerment.

The Executive Director of Alhamra, Tauqeer Haider Kazmi, shared his thoughts on this grand occasion: 'At Alhamra, we recognise the transformative power of art in shaping narratives and breaking barriers. This International Women's Day, we stand committed to amplifying women's voices, celebrating their contributions, and creating spaces where their talent and resilience shine. This event honors progress and reinforces our dedication to an inclusive and equitable future.'

The celebration will be held on Saturday, March 8, from 1 PM to 4 PM at Alhamra Arts Center, The Mall. With an inspiring lineup of events, this year's Women's Day at Alhamra promises to be a momentous occasion that merges art with activism, dialogue with action and tradition with transformation. Alhamra remains steadfast in its mission to serve as a beacon of culture and social progress, ensuring that women's voices and aspirations echo through art and beyond.

Lahore: Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has said that lifting the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 is the high watermark of his cricket career and left lasting imprints on his game.Reminiscing on his journey as a cricketer and coach with the ICC Media Zone on Monday, Watson credits Champions Trophy as the stage which helped him achieve great deal of success as far as personal and team milestones were concerned, adding that Champions Trophy 2002 was his first tournament in the baggy green.Shane Watson was player of the match (POTM) for Australia in both the Champions Trophy finals 2006 in India and South Africa 2009 while his contribution to the 2009 semi-final was also excellent. He shared the journey to glory in the Champions Trophy 2006 and 2009 in detail and described this tournament was close to his heart.As the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Pakistan enters the last week of action, he believes the love for cricket echoes throughout Pakistan and he witnessed people's immense passion for cricket for t he past two weeks though their country did not fare well this year.'I could not represent my country in Pakistan but was lucky to play franchise cricket in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the year 2019 and these were most memorable weeks of my life with Quetta Gladiators,' Shane Watson added.Watson said that the group stages provided some excellent cricket but it's the knock-out matches that really count, and this week is going to be brilliant, adding that Pakistan will be ready for the off the filed to watch some spectacular cricketing action in the Champions Trophy.'I was always a confident person, all athletes are, but it was in 2006 that I really knew I had the skill to perform for my country and help them win and that is a different confidence, it is a different feeling,' he reminisced.'When I started, I was just trying to contribute here and there because the team was so strong. We had Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, the list just goes on. Most of those guys were still t here in 2006 and delivering in that team, opening the batting with Adam Gilchrist and scoring an unbeaten 57 in the final, just proved to me I belonged,' Watson said, adding it was the start of me being at my best as a fast-bowling all-rounder and to have that opportunity to bat with Adam and bowl the overs that I did was immense.Recalling the presence of the greats in Australian set-up in 2006, he said 'I was brought into an all-time great team at the absolute peak of their powers and a lot of them were some of the best players that have ever played the game, so I was intimidated by their skill. I knew I had a lot of work to do before I could get my skills to a point where I felt I could come close to matching them and being where my team needed me, not just contribute a little bit. 2006 was that year'.Recalling the Champions Trophy 2009 as a standout tournament for him, he shared he didn't get off to a good start, and neither did the team. The team scraped to a couple of wins but things just clicked for us in that semi-final against England.They set us 258 to win and Ricky and I just knocked them off. I scored 136 not out and it was one of my favorite innings - not just because of how I did but also the occasion and batting with one of my heroes growing up. Ricky was a great leader and he backed me all the way from the age of 19,' he shared.In the final, we played New Zealand and I had this magical moment, where I hit a six to complete my century and also win the tournament. They are the moments you dream of.He said that he had a couple of really nice trophies from those days but his personal favorite was the watch he got for being man-of-the-match in the final, adding 'it is one of the most special things I have in my house'.It brings back so many special memories. I have a painting of the 2015 World Cup celebrations, of me and Steve Smith in the middle when we hit the winning runs, but that watch is amazing - they are probably one of my two most prized possessions.One of the greatest white-ball a ll-rounders for Australia said the last two weeks have reminded us how special this tournament is and I hope that, in the years to come, those who have featured in it look back on it as fondly as I do now.

Lahore: The Virtual Centre for Child Safety successfully reunited two missing children with their parents in the jurisdiction of the Civil Lines police station on Tuesday. According to the spokesperson for the PSCA said, the children were found crying on the roadside near Civil Lines police station. A citizen immediately dialed the emergency helpline 15, alerting the Virtual Center for Child Safety. The police swiftly responded to the call, arriving at the scene and taking the children into protective custody. In an effort to locate their parents, announcements were made in nearby mosques, which eventually led to the successful reunification. After completing the necessary verification process, the children were safely handed over to their families. A spokesperson urged citizens to report any case of lost or abandoned children by calling helpline 15 and pressing 3 to notify the Virtual Centre for Child Safety.

Lahore: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday extended the interim bail of PTI leaders Musarrat Jamshed Cheema and her husband, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, until March 22 in multiple cases related to the May 9 riots, including the Jinnah House and Askari Tower attacks.

ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill presided over the hearing on the bail petitions of the couple, who also appeared before the court upon the expiry of their interim bail.

During the proceedings, police informed the court that investigations into the cases had been completed and that the couple's arrest was required.

However, the defence counsel requested additional time to present arguments, which the court accepted.

Subsequently, the court extended the couple's interim bail until March 22 and adjourned further proceedings.

Musarrat Jamshed Cheema and Jamshed Iqbal Cheema had filed pre-arrest bail petitions in several cases, including attacks on Jinnah House and Askari Tower, the torching of Shadman police station, and others.