Category: Lahore

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.

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday launched the Chief Minister Pink Salt Value Addition Financing Scheme, aimed at promoting industry, employment and exports through value addition of the province’s pink salt reserves.

The CM also digitally inaugurated the scheme and announced the establishment of a 110-acre Pink Salt Mineral Processing Zone near Quaidabad.

During a detailed briefing at the launch ceremony, she was informed that more than 200 processing units would be established in the zone, attracting an investment of Rs150 million and creating 10,000 direct employment opportunities.

The briefing said a Business Facilitation Centre and a Model Retail Outlet would also be established to facilitate investors.

Under the financing scheme, new investors will be eligible for interest-free loans of up to Rs50 million for salt processing, grinding, refining, cleaning and packaging. Loans ranging from Rs5 million to Rs50 million will also be available for the purchase of machinery, equipment and export-standard technology, with repayment in easy instalments over five years.

Officials informed the chief minister that value addition and increased exports of pink salt could generate $300 million in annual foreign exchange earnings.

The briefing further revealed that bids worth Rs471 million were received in the first phase, while offers amounting to Rs2.5 billion had already been received in the second phase. It was also noted that the digitalisation of lease and licence auctions by the Mines and Minerals Department had led to a significant increase in revenue.

Investors can submit online applications through the Mines and Minerals Department’s website at https: //pinksalt.punjab.gov.pk

Speaking on the occasion, the CM said the financing scheme would create employment opportunities and enhance government revenue by promoting industrialisation and exports based on Punjab’s pink salt reserves. She said pink salt products would now carry the label ‘Made in Pakistan’, adding that the country’s natural resources were a national trust and would be protected with complete honesty and responsibility.

The CM said the value addition initiative would help increase global exports of processed, packaged and decorative pink salt products. She added that Punjab had been blessed with some of the world’s finest pink salt reserves and that Pakistan’s pink salt was internationally recognised for its quality and unique mineral composition.

Lahore: Raja Mansoor Ahmad has assumed charge as the new Director General of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA), the authority’s spokesperson said on Wednesday.

An officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), Raja Mansoor Ahmad brings extensive administrative experience to the position. Prior to his appointment, he served as Deputy Commissioner of Pakpattan and Nankana Sahib, Special Secretary, Healthcare and Medical Education Department, Director General Public Relations, Director General Mines and Minerals, and Director General Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), among other key assignments.

After taking charge, the new DG reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring strict enforcement of food safety laws across Punjab under a zero-tolerance policy. He said stringent action would be taken against food adulteration, counterfeit products, and the sale of substandard food items.

Raja Mansoor Ahmad said the Punjab Food Authority would focus on the adoption of modern technology and human resource development to further strengthen food safety regulations and institutional performance.

He added that effective coordination would be established with food business operators, the food industry, and the public to promote compliance and improve food safety standards across the province.

The DG said all available resources would be utilized to fulfill the Punjab Chief Minister’s mission of eliminating food safety threats and protecting public health. He also pledged to ensure the provision of safe, quality food to consumers while promoting innovation and sustainable improvements in the food industry.

Lahore: City Traffic Police Lahore (CTPL) on Wednesday detained 99 beggars during a city-wide crackdown launched on the directions of Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Abdul Raheem Shirazi to eliminate begging at traffic signals.

According to a CTPL spokesperson,the operation was carried out by a special anti-begging team headed by Inspector Faheema Zeeshan.

The detained beggars were handed over to the Social Welfare Department, Edhi Homes and other welfare institutions, while abandoned children were shifted to the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau.

The CTO directed Safe City traffic monitoring teams to keep field officers informed in real time to ensure that no child, elderly person,woman,transgender person or individual exploiting a disability is allowed to beg at traffic signals.

He said dedicated anti-begging teams had been constituted and large buses provided to facilitate the operation.

He added that,with the assistance of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA),the identities of detained habitual beggars were being verified and FIRs were being registered where required.

The CTO said efforts were also under way to trace habitual beggars involved in tampering with traffic signals during night hours.

Shirazi urged citizens not to give money to professional beggars, said their hard-earned income should not fall into the hands of fraudsters.

He said begging at traffic signals not only disrupted the smooth flow of traffic but also increased the risk of road accidents.

He added that discouraging professional begging would help improve both public welfare and traffic management, noting that many habitual beggars resorted to fake disabilities to gain public sympathy.

He appealed to citizens to cooperate with the traffic police in discouraging such practices.

Lahore: The Punjab government on Wednesday showcased modern equipment worth Rs500 million procured for Civil Defence Punjab and Rescue 1122 as part of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s “Safe Punjab” vision, aimed at strengthening emergency response and public safety across the province.

Provincial Minister and Chairman Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Khawaja Salman Rafique inspected a practical demonstration of the newly acquired equipment at the Civil Secretariat. Secretary Home Punjab Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi, Secretary Emergency Services Punjab Dr Rizwan Naseer and Director Civil Defence Tasneem Ali Khan were also present. During the event, officials briefed participants on the latest equipment, which includes airlift drones, bomb disposal robots, anti-drone guns, electric sirens, bomb disposal suits, bomb blankets, mine detectors, snake cameras, automatic loading stretchers, spine boards, chipping hammers, angular grinders, fire hoses, oxygen cylinders and fire extinguishers. The modern airlift drone is capable of lifting up to 200 kilograms and rescuing people from difficult locations.

A special meeting was also held with newly recruited members of the Civil Defence bomb disposal squad, while a memorandum of understanding was signed between Punjab Civil Defence and Rescue 1122. Under the agreement, Civil Defence handed over modern equipment worth Rs85.5 million to Rescue 1122 to further enhance its operational capacity.

Addressing the ceremony, Khawaja Salman Rafique said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had directed authorities to strengthen Civil Defence during the recent Pakistan-India tensions by enhancing its operational capabilities. He said Civil Defence and Rescue 1122 are vital institutions for the protection and welfare of citizens and have now been equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. He added that the bomb disposal squad was being strengthened through new recruitment and advanced technology. He also said the Chief Minister had increased the honorarium of Civil Defence volunteers in recognition of their services, adding that more than 350,000 citizens had so far registered as Civil Defence volunteers and were receiving basic life support training.

Secretary Home Punjab Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi said the provincial government was aligning the Civil Defence Resilience Corps with modern requirements, adding that Civil Defence plays a crucial role during both peace and wartime and serves as the frontline emergency response force for district administrations. He urged citizens to join Civil Defence as volunteers.

Secretary Emergency Services Punjab Dr Rizwan Naseer said Rescue 1122 had prevented losses worth Rs786 billion through timely emergency response and currently attends more than 7,000 emergencies every day. He thanked Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Provincial Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique for equipping Rescue 1122 with modern equipment and encouraged citizens to register as Civil Defence volunteers through the online portal VCD.HOME.GOP.PK. The ceremony was also attended by senior officials of the Home Department, Civil Defence, NRTC and other collaborating institutions.

Lahore: A 30-year-old labourer was electrocuted while working at an under-construction building in DHA Phase-V’s Fortunite Society area on Wednesday.

A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the victim, identified as Babar, son of Sabir Hussain, was operating a grinder when he received a fatal electric shock.

The spokesperson said Rescue 1122 received an emergency call reporting the incident and dispatched a team to the site. However, the labourer had died before rescuers could provide medical assistance.

The body was handed over to police for legal formalities, the spokesperson added.