Punjab | Pakistan

Punjab government has finalized budget proposals for fiscal year 2026-27 and is likely to present the provincial budget in the second week of June, according to sources in the provincial finance ministry.

• Legal fraternity says ‘facilitative measure’ has turned into ‘gatekeeping mechanism’ • Notes technical glitches make access to justice needlessly complicated LAHORE: The enforcement of mandatory biometric verification for litigants filing cases has triggered widespread concern across Punjab’s legal community, with lawyers describing the requirement as an unreasonable obstacle to access to justice. Notified in January and in force since March of this year, the move was envisioned as a facilitative, technical measure. According to a statement attributed to LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, the system would “help curb fake litigation, prevent impersonation and eliminate the use of bogus witnesses and sureties”. It was described as a significant step tow­a­rds modernising the judiciary and safeguarding the integrity of judicial proceedings, which would enhance the credibility of the judiciary and provide a secure and efficient mechanism for conducting proceedings. But after a few months of seeing it in action, la...

The Government of Punjab has officially enforced the Punjab Labour Code 2026, introducing a comprehensive legal framework aimed at strengthening workers’ rights across the province, including contract employees, gig workers and digital platform-based labour.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif met with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Chief Investment Officer Konstantin Limitovskiy in Lahore and discussed matters of mutual interest, including expanding institutional cooperation and collaboration on development initiatives in Punjab.

Tremors were felt in several cities of Punjab on Monday, including Mandi Bahauddin, Malakwal, and Phalia, causing panic among residents.

The Punjab government has approved the establishment of a new cancer hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan as part of efforts to improve healthcare facilities in southern Punjab.

LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered imposition of a Rs50,000 fine for throwing animal waste and offal in streets, on roads, into drains and canals during Eid days. The CM directed the administrative and police officers across Punjab on Friday to remain in the field during Eidul Azha days, as the provincial government finalised extensive arrangements for security, cleanliness and public facilitation during the holidays. Chairing a video-link meeting on Eidul Azha arrangements here, the chief minister issued guidelines to all deputy commissioners and district police officers, warning that negligence or poor implementation of orders would not be tolerated. She also directed strict enforcement of the restriction on sale of sacrificial animals at non-designated places instead of cattle markets and action against illegal livestock trading in unauthorised areas. The meeting was informed that digital monitoring and vigilance operations would be carried out at cattle markets, while strict security arrangem...

Ahead of Eidul Azha, the Punjab government has prohibited several activities “injurious to public health” and that also disturb public peace under Section 144 from May 27 to June 2. A notification issued by the Punjab Home Department, dated May 19, said that during Eidul Azha, people sit by the roadside and roast the heads and feet of sacrificial animals, which caused “unhealthy smoke” and an unpleasant smell. It said that people also throw the entrails of sacrificial animals by the roadside and or in drains, which resulted in unsanitary conditions and the blockage of the sewerage system. It stated that citizens also swim and bathe in canals, ponds, lakes, river banks, and distributaries during Eidul Azha holidays, which may endanger their lives. It further stated that cattle sellers illegally set up points for the sale of sacrificial animals within populated areas, which hindered traffic and contributed to the spread of diseases. The Home Department said that the aforementioned activities “are not only injur...

BAKU: Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif addressing World Urban Forum.

LAHORE: Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a weather alert forecasting dust-thunderstorms and rain in several districts of the province from Monday night to Saturday. According to a PDMA advisory issued on Monday, a westerly weather system is expected to affect the upper parts of the country from the night of May 18 and is likely to persist till May 23. The authority predicted rain, windstorms and isolated hailstorms in Murree, Galiyat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Khushab, Bhakkar, Layyah, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Okara, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot and Narowal with occasional gaps during the forecast period. PDMA Director General Umar Javed said that alerts had been issued to all commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province to ensure a timely response to any untoward situation. The advisory warned that strong winds and lightning could damage vulnerable structures, including electricity poles, billboa...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said Punjab was moving forward by overcoming challenges through comprehensive and integrated development measures.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the Punjab government’s pavilion for the “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar” housing project at Baku has emerged as a major attraction for international visitors and foreign delegates.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is set to depart for Baku on Saturday (today) for a three-day official visit to participate in the World Urban Forum, where she will present Punjab’s flagship affordable housing initiative on an international platform.

Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar has said that investigations into alleged drug dealer “Pinky” have revealed links extending beyond Sindh, claiming she was also operating in Punjab and Islamabad, while investigators have reportedly identified names of her alleged clients.

LAHORE: Responding to traders’ protests and appeals by the shopping malls association and general public to revise 8pm business closure timings, the Punjab government has granted partial relief and lifted the restriction on market timings until June 1. The implementation and coordination wing of the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), the Punjab government on Friday notified that “all the shops, markets, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants and food outlets are exempted from the prescribed closure timings till June 1, 2026”. On April 6, the federal government had announced that all markets across the country, barring Sindh, would close by 8pm throughout the week as part of energy conservation measures amid a global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran. Complying with the federal government’s decision, Punjab notified that all shops, markets and shopping malls shall be closed at 8pm, including Saturday and Sunday. However, the government had exempted pharmacies, medical stores...

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Friday blamed provincial governments for delays in the completion of various highway projects. Presiding over a National Highway Authority (NHA) review meeting, the minister issued a decisive mandate to accelerate the completion of critical infrastructure, signalling a shift toward federal intervention where provincial commitments have faltered. Expressing formal dissatisfaction with the progress of projects involving the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments, Khan noted that delays would no longer be tolerated, as these delays were impeding progress on many vital projects. He specifically highlighted that after waiting for over five months for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to fund the Peshawar Northern Bypass, the NHA decided to complete the project independently if provincial funds were not released. Khan also observed that the Punjab government had remained unable to deliver its promised share for the Rawalpindi-Kahuta project, prom...

LAHORE: After the arrest of drug dealer Anmol alias Pinky by Sindh Police, her appearance in a Karachi court whose video went viral on mainstream as well as social media and her revelations during the investigation, Punjab police have also woken up to three old cases allegedly registered against her and her brothers in Lahore several years ago and are reportedly planning to seek custody of the woman from Sindh. On the other hand, the arrest and investigation have put the Punjab Police under the scanner as it transpired that officers in the CIA (now the Crime Control Department) had taken bribes and avoided arresting Anmol, who was nominated in three cases. The FIRs were registered with Liaqatabad Police Station in 2019, Iqbal Town Police Station in 2020 and Kot Lakhpat Police in 2022, nominating Anmol and her two brothers, Nasir and Riaz Baloch. The 2022 FIR clearly stated that the police, during a raid on Jan 6, rounded up a black SUV at Shadab Colony, following the intelligence reports that it was smuggling...

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday ordered the installation of safety nets beneath manhole covers across Punjab as part of a province-wide drive to improve public safety and urban infrastructure.

LAHORE: Punjab has decided to include the four-day war between Pakistan and India — Marka-i-Haq — in the national curriculum and make films on it. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Information Steering Committee with Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari in the chair here on Wednesday. “To instil a spirit of patriotism among the younger generation, the content related to Marka-i-Haq will be incorporated into the academic curriculum. Besides, the programmes related to it (Marka-i-Haq) and national unity would be held in private educational institutions with the same enthusiasm as that of the public,” the minister said. The four-day armed conflict between Pakistan and India in May last year marked one of the most serious military escalations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in recent years. Tensions erupted after a militant attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based elements, an allegation Islamabad denied. Films on war narrative will also be prod...

LAHORE: The Punjab chief minister’s office has refused a lawyer’s requests, made under the right to information law, for details of vehicles in incumbent provincial chief executive Maryam Nawaz’s use, her foreign visits and a luxury plane acquired by the Punjab government. The right to information (RTI) in Pakistan is enshrined as a fundamental right under Article 19-A of the Constitution, designed to empower citizens with access to government-held information. Lawyer Abdullah Malik had submitted two applications with the Public Information Commission (PIC) in July last year and in February this year. In his letter in July 2025, he sought the following details: Expenditure under the heads of fuel, maintenance of vehicles and tours, including international visits Total number of vehicles and their make, model and cast Expenditure on helicopter or aircraft used by the CM and its total mileage of travel Total number of social media team members at the CM House, along with their salaries Whether the CM got the ap...