Category: Lahore

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed grief over the loss of precious human lives in a collision between buses in Muridke.

She extended her heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.

The chief minister also directed the authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for those injured in the accident.

Lahore: Lahore Commissioner Noman Yousaf on Wednesday directed all deputy commissioners and relevant departments across the division to remain on high alert for the monsoon season, stressing coordinated preparedness, rapid emergency response and timely resolution of public complaints.

Chairing a divisional meeting on flood and monsoon arrangements here, the commissioner reviewed contingency plans for rescue, evacuation, relief camps, boats, manpower and other emergency resources.

Officials informed the meeting that water flow and levels in the Ravi and Sutlej rivers remained normal, while continuous monitoring was underway. The commissioner directed authorities to recheck and clear all obstructions beneath bridges over both rivers and ensure departments remained alert in accordance with weather forecasts.

He instructed that officials from every relevant department be remained present at all rain emergency camps according to duty rosters and ordered field teams to complete all preventive measures against urban flooding in advance. He also directed authorities to keep the public complaint redressal system fully operational and ensure immediate and effective responses.

The commissioner further ordered a survey and inspection of billboards and trees across the city to minimise risks during heavy storms.

During the meeting, district administrations briefed participants that evacuation plans had been finalised, emergency locations identified and Rescue 1122’s emergency response plan was fully operational through 24 rescue stations.

Noman Yousaf directed that all disposal stations in Lahore remain operational round the clock with backup arrangements, while LESCO officials should remain stationed in the WASA control room to ensure an immediate response in case of any power-related breakdowns at pumping stations.

He said the primary objective of all arrangements was to safeguard human lives and property through timely action, adding that the Punjab chief minister had prioritised prompt and complete resolution of citizens’ complaints and civic issues.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Pakistan Army, Rangers, Lahore Police, district administrations, the Irrigation Department, Railways, WASA, Metropolitan Corporation Lahore, Rescue 1122, LESCO, the Health Department and other relevant agencies, while deputy commissioners of Kasur and Sheikhupura joined via video link.

Lahore: Deputy Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Ali Ijaz and SSP Operations Tauqeer Naeem on Wednesday co-chaired a meeting to finalise security, traffic and civic arrangements for the upcoming Chehlum Hazrat Imam Hussain procession and the annual Urs of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh (RA).

They directed all departments to ensure coordinated efforts for the peaceful conduct of the religious events.

The meeting, attended by senior officers of the district administration, police, WASA, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), Rescue 1122, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) and Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL), reviewed the overall operational plan, including security deployment, municipal services, traffic management and emergency response.

The DC directed WASA to complete drainage and sanitation work along the procession routes, while SNGPL officials were instructed to inspect gas pipelines and address any leakages to ensure public safety. He also ordered the immediate removal of construction materials and encroachments from around Data Darbar and designated procession routes to facilitate the smooth movement of pilgrims.

The Punjab Food Authority was tasked with monitoring the quality and hygiene of food served at langars and sabeels, while Rescue 1122 teams were placed on high alert to respond promptly to emergencies. Police and traffic wardens were directed to maintain a strong field presence to ensure security and uninterrupted traffic flow throughout the events.

DC Muhammad Ali Ijaz said he was personally supervising all arrangements and warned that negligence or administrative lapses would not be tolerated. He said the district administration, through effective inter-departmental coordination and optimum utilization of resources, was committed to providing a safe, peaceful and well-managed environment for devotees during the Chehlum procession and the annual Urs celebrations.

Lahore: The Department of Ophthalmology at Lahore General Hospital (LGH) has successfully revived its corneal transplant programme after a decade-long suspension, performing 25 successful corneal transplant surgeries that restored the eyesight of 25 blind people.

A dignified ceremony was held at the hospital on Wednesday to celebrate the milestone, with Principal Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farooq Afzal attending as the chief guest.

Addressing the ceremony, he described eyesight as one of nature’s greatest blessings and said only those who lose it truly realise its value. He termed restoring sight to a blind person the greatest gift and a lasting act of charity. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farooq Afzal said corneal diseases are the fourth leading cause of blindness in Pakistan, while the country still depends on imported corneas for transplant procedures.

He stressed the urgent need to establish local eye banks and launch large-scale awareness campaigns to promote cornea donation. He also highlighted the economic benefits of blindness prevention, saying every dollar spent on preventing blindness saves six dollars for the national economy. Head of the Ophthalmology Department, Prof. Tayyaba Gul Malik, said a single corneal transplant in the private sector costs between Rs300,000 and Rs500,000, whereas deserving patients at LGH received the procedure completely free of charge.

She said donated corneas were provided through organizations, including AAPNA, while philanthropists bore all other treatment expenses. Congratulating the surgical team, anesthesia staff, nurses and post-operative care unit, she announced that the department’s next objective is to expand the service to provide free corneal transplants to more patients.

Medical Superintendent LGH Prof. Dr. Faryad Hussain reaffirmed his full support for the Ophthalmology Department in line with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s “Patients First” vision. He announced the provision of modern facilities and necessary funding to further strengthen the department’s services. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Principal Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farooq Afzal presented appreciation certificates to doctors, nurses and staff members in recognition of their dedication and contribution to the successful revival of the corneal transplant program. The ceremony was also attended by Member Federal Medical Tribunal Dr. Amjad Shahzad, faculty members, consultants, nurses and paramedical staff of the department.

Lahore: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Punjab arrested a 10-member inter-provincial gang allegedly involved in cyber fraud by impersonating relatives of overseas Pakistanis and deceiving citizens into transferring money through fake emergency requests.

According to an NCCIA spokesperson, the suspects allegedly used foreign WhatsApp numbers and caller-masking software to conceal their identities before posing as close relatives living abroad.

The spokesperson said the accused falsely claimed they were facing visa, immigration or other emergency situations requiring immediate financial assistance. To make the scam appear genuine, they allegedly sent forged Western Union receipts and fake transaction slips before asking victims to transfer money into bank accounts operated by the gang.

During a raid in Sohan Garden, Islamabad, NCCIA arrested all 10 suspects, who belong to Sindh. They were identified as Mohsin Braro, Muhammad Adil, Asadullah, Mashooq Ali, Arz Muhammad, Dilbar Ali, Daud, Fahad, Imtiaz Ali and Ibtisam.

During the operation, investigators recovered 10 mobile phones containing WhatsApp conversations, forged financial documents, foreign contact numbers, banking details, card information and other digital evidence allegedly used in the commission of the offences.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the gang had allegedly defrauded one victim of Rs1.02 million, while investigators suspect that several other people may also have fallen victim to the same fraudulent scheme.

The spokesperson said FIR No. 92/2026 had been registered and further investigation was underway to trace the financial trail, identify additional victims and facilitators, and recover the defrauded amount.

He said the NCCIA would continue its crackdown against organised cyber fraud and other cyber-enabled financial crimes to protect citizens and bring those involved to justice.

Lahore: Lahore Commissioner Noman Yousaf on Wednesday reviewed monsoon preparedness during field visits to various drainage and rainwater management sites across the provincial capital.

He inspected ongoing desilting operations and the construction progress of underground water storage tanks.

The commissioner visited Shadman Drain, Barkat Market underground water tank, Garden Town, Gaddafi Stadium underground water tank and Satukatla Drain, where WASA Managing Director Ghufran Ahmed briefed him on drain desilting and water tank projects. He informed the commissioner that all major drains had undergone phased desilting before the onset of the monsoon, while cleaning operations would continue throughout the rainy season.

Commissioner Noman Yousaf directed authorities to maintain uninterrupted desilting of all city drains to minimise the risk of urban flooding and instructed officials to give special attention to low-lying areas vulnerable to water accumulation.

He said the construction of underground water tanks had significantly reduced the number of rain emergency hotspots in Lahore and ordered that all under-construction water tank sites remain completely closed to the public for safety reasons.

The commissioner reiterated that, in line with the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, rainwater drainage should be completed in the shortest possible time to ensure public convenience during the monsoon.