CM welcomes 2025 with hopes for prosperity

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has extended her heartfelt greetings to the nation on new year. In her message on Wednesday, the CM said: 'Congratulations to the entire nation on the beginning of 2025,'. She expressed her prayers for a year filled with happiness and prosperity for the people of Pakistan, stating, 'I always pray for the happiness, health, and safety of my people.' The CM called for a renewed resolve to work towards a brighter future. 'In the new year, we individually and collectively resolve to start a new beginning and a bright future,' she said, adding, 'We will carry forward the mission of serving, protecting, and developing the motherland.' CM Maryam Nawaz reaffirmed her commitment to completing key projects, including the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital, the Sargodha Cardiology Institute, the Autism School, and the IT City. 'I pray this year marks the end of poverty, destitution, terrorism, extremism, and crime from our belov ed homeland,' she added. The CM said: 'Alhamdulillah, we introduced historic projects in education, agriculture, energy, and health. Now we will focus on their implementation.' She reiterated her government's dedication to building a stable, bright, and prosperous Pakistan. Paying tribute to the martyrs of war against terrorism in 2024, CM Maryam Nawaz remarked, 'We salute every soldier and officer who sacrificed their lives for the country.' May 2025 be the year of freedom for Kashmir and Palestine, and may it bring peace and progress for our nation, she prayed.

CM Bugti inaugurates 7th Agricultural Census in Balochistan

Quetta: The Balochistan Chief Minister, Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Wednesday inaugurated the 7th Agricultural Census, linked with GIS technology, through the GIS Dashboard.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Provincial Ministers Mir Ali Hassan Zehri, Mir Muhammad Sadiq Umrani, Mir Asim Kurd Gello, Mir Saleem Khan Khoso, Sardar Kohyar Khan Domki, Bakht Mohammad Kakar, Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, Advisor Meena Majid Baloch, Parliamentary Secretary Haji Wali Muhammad Noorzai, Spokesman of Balochistan Government Shahid Rind, Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Babar Khan, Secretary Agriculture Balochistan Ali Akbar Baloch, Secretary Livestock Muhammad Tayyab Lehri, officers from Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, and field supervisors.

While addressing the ceremony, Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti said that the agriculture and livestock sectors are the backbone of country's and Balochistan's economy.

He emphasized that accurate and multidimensional data is essential for policy-making in order to address the challenges faced by farmers, resource distribution, and improving crop production.

The chief minister directed the provincial secretaries of relevant departments to ensure the verification of agriculture census data at the local level to prevent unreliable information from becoming part of the statistical process.

He further said that the Balochistan government and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics will promote mutual cooperation for data-driven agricultural policies.

Reaffirming the government's firm commitment to empowering farmers and ensuring sustainable agricultural development in Balochistan, the CM highlighted that this initiative will play a key role in ensuring food security, improving the welfare of farmers, and strengthening the agricultural sector in the province.

He added that this statistical initiative, through collaboration between the federal and provincial governments, will mark a milestone in the policy-making process for the agricultural sector.

The chief minister also mentioned that the Balochistan government will take solid steps for the welfare of farmers and agricultural development in collaboration with all relevant institutions, based on these statistics.

Dr. Naveed Iqbal, Joint Census Commissioner of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, addressed the gathering, highlighting the measures taken for agricultural statistics and shared that Balochistan has 7.12 million acres of agricultural land, where key crops like wheat, rice, and cotton make a significant contribution to the country's production. He also noted that the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has enhanced the effectiveness of this statistical campaign through GIS and modern digital tools.

Under the agricultural census, 1,004 trained enumerators across Balochistan will collect vital agricultural data, with the results expected to be compiled by August 2025.

PSCA issues report of 2024


Lahore: The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has released its performance report for 2024.



According to the report, 235,065 cases were handled by the Virtual Women Police Station. 26,581 FIRs



were registered based on complaints from women. 207,548 cases were resolved amicably, while 963 cases are under investigation. 415,000 women downloaded the Women Safety App, and 3,124 women reached out via the 15 emergency helplines, through the Women Safety App.



Rescue 1122 was contacted more than 3,000 times. Assistance was sought from Motorways 1,145 times, Highway Patrol 537 times, and Cyber Crime authorities 9,320 times.



The Virtual Centre for Child Safety received 27,712 complaints, resulting in 5,125 FIRs being registered. 24,538 cases were resolved, while 166 cases remain under investigation.



In 2024: 9,972 cases involved missing or found children. 3,273 complaints pertained to child abduction. 3,067 complaints were related to abuse and other crimes. The Virtual Centre for Minorities received over 2,000 cases, of which 1,633 were resolved. 341 FIRs were registered. The Safe Cities Authority also reported Over 20 million calls on the 15 emergency helpline. 900 citizens provided confidential crime-related tips via the Crime Stoppers hotline. 1,750 social media pages spreading hate content were reported. To improve police response times: 1,764 cases were routed through vehicle-installed tablets.



Safe City cameras identified and forwarded over 243,750 issues to relevant departments, including 50,000 violations of one-way traffic rules. 29,000 vehicles with non-standard number plates. 23,000 vehicles without number plates. 9,000 vehicles with damaged number plates. The Smart Safe City Projects are underway in 18 cities of Punjab, with several already inaugurated.



Additional achievements: Free Wi-Fi services are being provided to citizens under the initiative of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Construction of hostels for women police communication officers is in progress. Guidance for citizens through Safe City’s WhatsApp services is ongoing. An intelligent traffic management system has been introduced to tackle traffic congestion.



Agricultural census begins in Mardan District


Peshawar: The 7th Agricultural Census has officially inaugurated in district Mardan by Deputy Commissioner Azmatullah Wazir.



According to the district administration, the inauguration ceremony was held at the DC office, where District Coordinator Ibn-e-Ameen was also present.



During the ceremony, e-enumerators were provided with digital tablets pre-installed with census software.



The census aimed to collect detailed statistics on agricultural production, resources, and challenges, which would aid in policymaking and decision-making.



DC Azmatullah Wazir described the initiative as a vital step towards promoting agriculture in the region.



He instructed all relevant departments and staff to ensure complete cooperation for a transparent and efficient census process adding that the results of the census were expected to benefit not only local farmers but also contribute significantly to the overall development of the agricultural sector.



Agricultural census begins in Mardan District


Peshawar: The 7th Agricultural Census has officially inaugurated in district Mardan by Deputy Commissioner Azmatullah Wazir.



According to the district administration, the inauguration ceremony was held at the DC office, where District Coordinator Ibn-e-Ameen was also present.



During the ceremony, e-enumerators were provided with digital tablets pre-installed with census software.



The census aimed to collect detailed statistics on agricultural production, resources, and challenges, which would aid in policymaking and decision-making.



DC Azmatullah Wazir described the initiative as a vital step towards promoting agriculture in the region.



He instructed all relevant departments and staff to ensure complete cooperation for a transparent and efficient census process adding that the results of the census were expected to benefit not only local farmers but also contribute significantly to the overall development of the agricultural sector.



Agricultural census begins in Mardan District


Peshawar: The 7th Agricultural Census has officially inaugurated in district Mardan by Deputy Commissioner Azmatullah Wazir.



According to the district administration, the inauguration ceremony was held at the DC office, where District Coordinator Ibn-e-Ameen was also present.



During the ceremony, e-enumerators were provided with digital tablets pre-installed with census software.



The census aimed to collect detailed statistics on agricultural production, resources, and challenges, which would aid in policymaking and decision-making.



DC Azmatullah Wazir described the initiative as a vital step towards promoting agriculture in the region.



He instructed all relevant departments and staff to ensure complete cooperation for a transparent and efficient census process adding that the results of the census were expected to benefit not only local farmers but also contribute significantly to the overall development of the agricultural sector.