Punjab | Pakistan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Adviser on Information, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, on Tuesday lashed out at the federal and Punjab governments over their newly unveiled budgets, calling them harmful to the public.

• Health, education get major allocations • Govt employees’ salaries up by 10pc • Minimum pay raised to Rs40,000 • 50,000 families to get house loans • Lahore remains priority for development schemes • Credible plan to boost tax revenues missing LAHORE: The PML-N government in Punjab on Monday proposed a Rs5.33 trillion annual budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, focusing primarily on large infrastructure schemes and freebies for the urban middle classes, especially the youth, as well as small industries and farmers to regain the political ground it had lost in its stronghold in the 2024 election. The budget features a record Rs1.24tr Annual Dev­elop­ment Programme (ADP), which is Rs240 billion or 25pc greater than the federal Public Sector Development Progr­amme (PSDP), and commits to produce Rs740bn in estimated provincial surplus to meet a key IMF goal to hold down consolidated federal budget deficit. The Provincial Consoli­dated Fund also includes a one-time income of Rs160bn under the head of ‘supernume­r...

Police have registered a first information report (FIR) in the case of a 14-year-old girl with mental and physical disabilities being allegedly sexually assaulted in Punjab’s Hafizabad district. Sahil’s Six Months Cruel Numbers data reveals that a total of 1,630 cases of child abuse were reported from across the country last year. In the first six months of 2024, 862 cases of child sexual abuse, 668 cases of abduction, 82 cases of missing children and 18 cases of child marriages were reported. 48 cases of pornography after sexual abuse were also recorded. The victim was brought to the hospital due to her health condition, where, during a medical check-up, it was discovered that she was six months pregnant. An application for action was filed by the victim’s family on Saturday at the City Hafizabad Police Station, on which case number 1152/25 was formally registered on Sunday under Section 376 (3) (Whoever commits rape of a minor or a person with mental or physical disability, shall be punished with death or i...

LAHORE: The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf have rejected the proposed Punjab Public Awareness and Dissemination of Information Bill 2025, terming it an attempt to gag journalists by denying them the right to question. Speaking to Dawn, CPNE President Kazam Khan said the proposed law was an attempt to give legal protection to lavish public money spending for personal publicity. “The proposed law, after enactment, will allow the rulers to use public money for political gains and even launch unelected politicians’ advertisement campaigns,” he observed. Mr Khan said the proposed law would be in conflict with the Supreme Court decisions and impact the proceedings of cases in courts. Commenting on the provision of lodging complaint with the Director-General of Public Relations (DGPR) and further appeal before the Punjab information secretary, the CPNE president said how the DGPR, who is the authority to allow launch of any advertisement campaign, can hear a complaint a...

Police arrested a suspect with an extensive criminal record in Punjab’s Lodhran district, while two other suspected dacoits escaped during an exchange of fire, police officials said on Thursday. A first information report (FIR) was filed against the suspect at the City Kahror Pakka Police Station on the behalf of the state under sections 324 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for “deliberately attacking police officers with the intention to kill and assisting his accomplices escape”. The suspect was arrested in an injured condition by the Crime Control Department (CCD), the FIR said. It added that the police team was present at Allah Warai chowk when they received a tip-off that three armed persons were present at Khudai Phatak area. “Police immediately formed teams and conducted a raid, when the suspects suddenly opened...

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has taken a landmark step in child protection by launching Pakistan’s first Virtual Centre for Child Safety under the Safe City Authority in Punjab.

LAHORE - Severe heatwave gripped the Punjab province particularly Lahore on Wednesday as MET Office forecast another scorching day ahead on Thursday (today).

LAHORE: The ongoing heatwave across Punjab is set to continue until at least June 12 (Thursday), with temperatures rema­ining well above seasonal norms, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed on Monday. According to the PDMA, current temperatures are ranging between 4 and 7 degrees Celsius higher than average, pushing conditions into potentially life-threatening territory. A similar warning for next few days was issued for Gilgit-Baltistan. The Met Office said temperature would increase by five to seven degrees. It suggested precautionary measures as it noted that the high temperature may speed up glaciers melting this week. The city of Sargodha reco­rded the province’s hig­­h­est temperature on Mon­day at a scorching 47°C. Major urban areas, incl­uding Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad, simmered at around 45°C, while distri­cts such as Toba Tek Singh, Sahiwal, Okara, Mandi Bahauddin, Khane­wal, Kasur, Layyah, Jhang, and Hafizabad saw temperatures between 40°C and 42°C. Southern Punjab fac...

As Eid ul Adha celebrations continue, large parts of Punjab and Sindh, including major cities like Lahore and Karachi, are reeling under an intense heatwave, with health advisories issued for the coming days.

In celebration of Eidul Azha, the Punjab government has granted a 90-day special remission in prison sentences across the province.

LAHORE - President of Pakistan and Co-Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday opposed the merger of the party’s Punjab chapters saying that it would be an unwise move at this stage given that the south Punjab may emerge as a separate province in the future.

LAHORE: The Punjab government has introduced the e-Cattle Market App and Web Portal, following the preparations for Eid Al-Adha, allowing citizens to purchase and sell sacrificial animals online. The step is led by the Punjab Cattle Market Management and Development Company (PCMMDC) in association with the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB). The initiative aims to […]

The Punjab Home Department has imposed Section 144 within a 15-kilometre radius of airports and air force bases across the province — from June 5 to 20 — in a bid to ensure flight safety, especially keeping in view the upcoming Eidul Azha. The disposal of meat close to the airports in the aftermath of Eidul Azha — to be celebrated later this week — often attracts birds to the site, posing a serious threat to flight safety, passengers and nearby surroundings. Awareness campaigns have been launched in recent years to avoid the possibility of such incidents. In a notification issued by Punjab’s home department, it was detailed that under Section 144, the following activities will remain banned within a 15-km radius of all airports and airbases: pigeon-flying, fireworks, use of drones and laser lights, and the dumping of sacrificial waste and Sadqa meat. The ban will remain in place till June 20. The banned activities were termed as a “serious threat to flight operations” and the decision has been taken to ensure...

ISLAMABAD - The top election regulatory authority once again yesterday once again expressed serious concern over the continued delay in holding local government polls in Punjab.

ISLAMABAD: As the Centre and Punjab continue to drag their feet on local government polls, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on Monday warned that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister can be summoned in case the long overdue elections were not held. Heading a five-member bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which started hearing of the case related to the delay in the conduct of local bodies elections in Islamabad and Punjab, he called for early completion of the local government laws in Islamabad and Punjab. Mr Raja said it would be embarrassing for the government if the ECP issues an order. He declared that the ECP will issue an order at the next hearing for local government elections in Punjab. He said the Commission cannot sit with its eyes closed as it wanted to see progress. The ECP will set the timeline itself without waiting for any input from Punjab, he said. Calls for early completion of local govt laws in Islamabad, Punjab He recalled that he personal...

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Meteorological Depart­ment (PMD) has issued a forecast of rain and windstorms in the upper parts of the country from tomorrow (Wednes­day) until the Eid holidays. In light of the forecast, the disaster management authorities of Khyber Pak­h­tunkhwa and Punjab have issued an advisory to district authorities to prepare for potential emergencies. The Met Office has predicted that moist currents are penetrating the northeastern parts of the country and a westerly wave is also likely to approach northern areas on June 3. Under the influence of this weather system, rain, dust storms, and thunderstorms are expected in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Gilgit, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Malakand, Mansehra, Battagram, Shangla, Kohistan, and Abbottabad from June 2 to 5, with occasional gaps. Similar weather is exp­ected in Islamabad, Raw­al­pindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mianwali, Sargo­dha, Hafizabad, Mandi Bah­a­uddin, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh...

The Punjab home department has banned the operation of temporary mechanical rides installed during Eidul Azha holidays, fairs, festivals and other seasonal events for a short period of time at any location of the province, according to a notification issued on Sunday. In the past, several accidents have been reported due to malfunctioning and falling mechanical rides, resulting in the loss of lives, including children, and injuries to several other riders. Such incidents were reported at amusement and water parks in different cities, including Lahore and Multan, in the province. Mechanical ride accidents are generally reported during Eid holidays or Christmas holidays, as more families visit amusement parks with their children to enjoy the rides. A notification issued today by the Punjab home department said that temporary mechanical rides typically setup or installed during Eidul Azha holidays, fairs, festivals, and other seasonal events for a short period of time “shall not to be allowed to operate at any l...

LAHORE: On the directives of the Punjab government, Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code has been imposed from June 5 to June 11, to maintain public peace and safeguard the lives of citizens during the Eid al-Adha holidays. The notification was issued on account of the reports associated with Eid al-Adha celebration practices, which […]

Punjab’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday said it foiled a “major terror plot” by arresting 34 terrorists of banned organisations during 415 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the province. The CTD regularly carries out operations across the province to prevent and investigate terrorism-related activities and gather intelligence. Operating under the provincial police department, the Punjab CTD plays a key role in maintaining internal security and countering terrorism within the country. The law enforcement agency said in a statement, “Two dangerous terrorists [were] arrested in Lahore along with explosives, both of whom are affiliated with Fitna al Khawarij.” Fitna Al Khawarij is a term the state uses to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The statement quoted a CTD spokesperson as saying, “Punjab CTD conducted 415 IBOs in different districts of the province to effectively deal with any untoward incident of terrorism, in which 420 suspects were questioned and 34 terror...

Two seven-year-old boys were found dead in a house in Punjab’s Hafizabad several days after they were reported missing, according to a first information report (FIR). According to a copy of the FIR — seen by Dawn.com and filed upon the complaint of the father of one of the victims — the complainant was heading for work at 7am on Wednesday morning when he learned that his son had gone missing. “When I returned from work at 9 or 10pm, I could not find my son,” the complainant stated in the FIR. “We went to the house of a neighbour and found my son’s shoe there.” According to the FIR, when asked about the missing boy, the neighbour said that his grandson had also gone missing. The complainant added that he and other residents searched for the children and performed announcements through mosques, to no avail. On Thursday morning, the complainant was informed that the boys had been seen with three named and two unidentified suspects. “We arrived at a house where the suspects were present. When we asked them to ope...