Category: Lahore

Lahore: An additional amount of Rs. 2.65 million has been issued to pay for the medical expenses of injured police officers from various districts including Lahore.

While giving details, the Punjab police spokesperson said that Rs. 1 million was given to the injured Head Constable Ateeq Ahmad for medical expenses. Rs. 500,000 was released to the injured constable Naeem Maqbool and injured constable Aamir Shahzad each for medical expenses. Injured Head Constable Ali Ahmed was given Rs. 250,000 for medical expenses. Injured constable Ahmad Khan and constable Sibghat Ullah were given Rs. 200,000 each for medical expenses.

The spokesperson said that officers and personnel were injured during various incidents in the line of duty.

Lahore: In line with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif's vision of 'Health for All', Lahore General Hospital (LGH) provided free medical treatment to nearly 2 million patients during 2024.

This was stated by Principal of Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) and Ameer Uddin Medical College Prof. Dr. Muhammad Al-Fareed Zafar, while presiding over a performance review meeting on Sunday. During the meeting, Prof. Al-Fareed highlighted that 98,925 surgeries of various types were performed at LGH, further strengthening the hospital's commitment to providing quality healthcare. He said that under the guidance of Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, significant improvements have been introduced, including the availability of senior consultants, enhanced medical facilities, a monitoring and feedback system, and philanthropic support for free food services for patients and their attendants. He also mentioned the construction of guest houses for patient attendants, which has provided much-needed relief to citizens visiting the hospital.

He expressed confidence that these steps have increased public trust in the LGH administration and medical staff. He stated that the hospital's healthcare professionals remain committed to serving humanity with dedication and will continue implementing patient-friendly policies in 2025, ensuring that people from Punjab and beyond receive timely and high-quality medical care. He stressed that nothing is more important than human life, and therefore, health professionals must always remain alert and dedicated to providing the best possible medical facilities. He added that the hospital's improved performance this year compared to previous years is a testament to teamwork and collective effort.

Medical Superintendent Dr. Faryad Hussain, while sharing the hospital's performance over the past year, stated that LGH conducted thousands of diagnostic procedures, including ultrasounds, X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, dialysis, ECGs, gastroscopies, neuroangiographies, and childbirths. He expressed satisfaction that under the leadership of Prof. Al-Fareed Zafar, Lahore General Hospital continues to expand its services and provide better healthcare facilities to an increasing number of citizens each year.

The hospital administration reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining high standards of healthcare and further enhancing medical services in 2025. They expressed their determination to continue making Lahore General Hospital an exemplary and state-of-the-art medical institution in Punjab's healthcare sector.

The meeting was attended by senior hospital officials, including Director Emergency Prof. Khizar Hayat Gondal, Director (Vigilance) Dr. Adnan Masood, Dr. Jafar Hussain Shah, Dr. Laila Shafiq, Dr. Ammara Akhtar, Dr. Nadia Arshad, Dr. Abdul Aziz, and Dr. Salman Shakeel.

Lahore: At least nine persons were killed and 1401 injured in 1215 Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) in all 37 districts of Punjab during the last 24 hours. Out of these, 616 people with serious injuries were shifted to different hospitals, while 785 victims with minor injuries were treated at the incident site by Rescue Medical Teams thus reducing the burden of Hospitals.

Furthermore, the analysis showed those 755 drivers, 51 underage drivers, 151 pedestrians, and 504 passengers were among the victims of road traffic crashes. The statistics show that 231 RTCs were reported in Lahore which affected 280 persons placing the Provincial Capital at top of the list followed by Gujranwala 76 in with 80 victims and at third Multan with 70 RTCs and 84 victims.

According to the data 1138 motorbikes, 70 auto-rickshaws, 126 motorcars, 34 vans, 19 passenger buses, 41 truck and 103 other types of auto vehicles and slow-moving carts were involved in these road traffic accidents.

Lahore: In the first month of this year, a total of 770 individuals were arrested, and 747 cases were registered for violating the Anti-Kite Flying Act across the province, including Lahore.

A spokesperson for the Police Department reported the recovery of over 48,000 kites and 1,764 spinning wheels, with challans submitted in more than 500 cases.

In Lahore alone, 240 suspects were apprehended, 246 cases were registered, and over 3,000 kites and 329 spinning wheels were seized. Last year, 12,525 individuals were arrested and 11,866 cases registered related to kite flying violations.

IG Punjab ordered strict enforcement of the Kite Flying Prohibition Amendment Bill. He instructed RPOs, CPOs, and DPOs to intensify efforts against kite flyers, sellers, and manufacturers. The IG further stated that there would be zero tolerance for dangerous activities and urged action against those involved in the illegal online trade of metal strings and kites. He also called on parents to keep their children away from this hazardous activity and encouraged citizens to report any instances of kite flying on emergency number 15.

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that the Punjab government is committed to enhancing special education systems across province.

Chairing a meeting to review various initiatives for the welfare of special children, here on Sunday, the CM said that special children are our special heroes. 'We will achieve our goal of improving special education centers and systems' she said.

The CM highlighted the establishment of Pakistan's first government autism school in Lahore, which will ease the financial burden on parents. She stated, 'The aim of rehabilitating special children is to empower them as productive members of society.' She further noted that the school, currently in its final stages of construction, will offer free treatment to children with autism. 'The autism school project will be completed within a record time of one year,' she added.

CM Maryam Nawaz mentioned that 10 autism units have been established across various special education institutions in Punjab, with the provision of necessary educational facilities already underway. She assigned Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) Sania Ashiq the responsibility of overseeing the construction of the autism school.

During the briefing, the authorities shared that 9,206 assistive devices have been provided to special students, including 7,702 hearing aids, 360 wheelchairs, 300 walkers, 344 crutches, and 500 white canes. Additionally, 35 schools have been upgraded from middle to secondary level, and primary schools have been advanced to middle-level status to strengthen special education in the province.

The CM was informed that a project to upgrade 28 special education schools to Centers of Excellence is underway. A new curriculum tailored for special education students up to class 5, including Quran translation for hearing-impaired children, has also been developed. Plans are in place to offer specific skills courses, and a job fair for special students is being organized in collaboration with private institutions. So far, 900 students have been registered, with 25 securing employment.

The CM said '14 special students have successfully completed the first batch of Special Education Vocational Matriculation.' She also noted the ongoing development of the School Information System, aimed at raising the standard of special education in the province. Other projects in the pipeline include the Citizen Relationship Management system, a Special Education Mobile App, and a Smart Monitoring App.

The CM revealed that 586 students from special education centers have been integrated into regular schools. She announced the introduction of Punjab's first-ever grand sports gala for special education students, alongside the completion of eight new special school buildings and the approval of nine more. Additionally, a screening tool has been introduced to identify slow learners in special education centers.

Lahore: Though the 15-month-long genocidal attacks on Gaza have reached a temporary halt with the recent ceasefire agreement, the devastation left in their wake is unimaginable.

Over 2 million people, including pregnant women and innocent children, have borne the brunt of this violence. Among these children, a significant number have been left as amputees, forever changed by the horrors they endured.

While the ceasefire has brought a measure of relief to the people of Gaza, it cannot undo the irreversible damage done - particularly the thousands of limbs lost by Palestinian children during the prolonged attacks, which some have described as an act of infanticide.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Palestinian children have been killed, starved, and frozen to death in the Gaza Strip.

Tom Fletcher, the UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, stated, "Children have been killed, starved, and frozen to death. They have been maimed, orphaned, and separated from their families." His words underscored the staggering impact on Gaza's youngest generation. In addition, UN statistics reveal that approximately 150,000 pregnant women and new mothers urgently need health services in Gaza.

In the wake of the ceasefire, two Pakistani siblings-10-year-old Ubaydah al-Fiddhah Hafiah and her 12-year-old brother Ghulam Bishar Hafi-have once again raised their voices for the voiceless amputee children of Palestine. Through a press release issued by their father and inspiration, Prof. Dr. Aurangzeb Hafi, they have announced the continuation of their campaign, "Voice for the Voiceless," to advocate for the children left in the aftermath of the conflict.

In the release, the siblings expressed deep regret over the destruction of schools, maternity centres, kindergartens, and hospitals during the attacks. They described the deliberate targeting of these institutions as "infanticide," an act that reflects the brutal and calculated nature of the violence.

While the ceasefire brings hope, it also raises serious questions about the long-term consequences for Gaza's children. Hundreds of thousands have been orphaned, with many left entirely alone after losing their entire families. Thousands of others now live with lifelong disabilities, their future uncertain. The release poignantly noted that many of these children are now left with "nothing more than surviving breaths."

The siblings stressed the urgent need for essential infantile care and protection for the disabled orphans in Gaza. UNICEF reports that thousands of children have been killed or injured over the past 15 months of conflict, but the true scale of their suffering goes beyond statistics. Each child represents not just a number but a life cut short, a childhood stolen, and an innocence destroyed in a war they never chose to fight.

The minor siblings appealed to the UNICEF's Executive Director Catherine and the UN's Chief Antonio Guterres, for emergency mobilisation to address the pressing concerns in this regard. They initiated second part of their online appeal for taking a stand for the left-alone innocents. [Post-Ceasefire Alert: Urge UNICEF's Catherine Russell to Save the Left-alone Gazan Babies. www.stopInfanticide.world].

Earlier these minor children came forward to extend virtually the United Nations exhibit, titled 'Gaza, Palestine - A Crisis of Humanity, A Cry for Justice' across the globe.

They took up the cause of Gaza children as an extension of the UN exhibition, which continued for one-and-a-half months at the Visitors' Lobby of the UN General Assembly building, from Nov 26, 2024 to Jan 10, 2025. The minor siblings had initiated an online petition, titled 'Stop Infanticide in Gaza' [https: //chng.it/Dttx6ZV9sF] on the International Human Solidarity Day 2024, observed on December 20, to reinvigorate their over six-month-long campaign for protecting the lives of Palestinian children, as well as those living in conflict zones of the world.

On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (November 29), the Pakistani siblings dedicated their awards to the children of Gaza. They were honoured by UN-KAKHTAH for their symbolic act of writing open letters with their own blood, calling attention to the suffering of children in Gaza and beyond. The siblings received the UN's 'Grace Do Monaco' International Medal and the 'Eglantyne Jebb Platinum Pen for Peace' on World Children's Day 2024 (November 20) for their relentless advocacy for children in Gaza, Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Congo, Mozambique, Myanmar, Syria, and other conflict zones.

Inspired by their parents, Prof. Dr. Aurangzeb Hafi and Dr. Bareera N.B., the siblings began writing blood-stained protest letters and resolutions to raise global awareness about the plight of Gaza's children, starting on the 'International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression' last year.