Author: Faizan Khan

By Faizan Khan LAHORE: The Punjab government has approved a plan to divide Lahore into two separate administrative districts in a bid to manage the city’s growing population and enhance governance, officials said. The decision, taken during a high-level meeting, is set to be implemented immediately after the Basant festival, marking a major restructuring of the provincial capital’s administrative framework. The government plans to redraw administrative boundaries to tackle long-standing challenges such as traffic congestion, encroachments, and other municipal issues more effectively. Lahore’s rapid population growth has placed significant strain on local services, prompting authorities to prioritize measures that can…

By Faizan Khan LAHORE: The Government of Japan has committed a grant of 2.91 billion Japanese Yen (around $18.62 million) to improve paediatric medical services in South Punjab. The “Exchange of Notes” and grant agreement were signed on Tuesday at the Ministry of Economic Affairs by Secretary Muhammad Humair Karim and Japanese Ambassador Akamatsu Shuichi. The agreement formalizes Japan’s support for upgrading the Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health (ICH) in Multan, the region’s largest tertiary care facility. The project will provide modern medical equipment and enhanced healthcare services. Under the initiative, the hospital will undergo a comprehensive upgrade,…

By Faizan Khan LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved the construction of six biogas plants, aiming to expand the province’s clean energy initiatives. The decision was taken during a meeting on clean energy, where officials also agreed to launch a Waste-to-Energy project in Lahore. The Chief Minister further sanctioned three pilot biogas projects under the “Exemplary Village” program. Maryam Nawaz requested a detailed plan for small-scale biogas plants, emphasizing Punjab’s leadership in the field of clean energy. She highlighted that these plants would not only provide affordable gas for domestic use but also generate bio-fertilizer for agricultural purposes.…

By Faizan Khan LAHORE: Punjab’s information minister, Azma Bokhari, has said that the conduct of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ministers during proceedings in the provincial assembly was visible to all, arguing that their continued presence in Punjab reflected the government’s patience and restraint. Speaking to the media, Bokhari said the behavior adopted by KP ministers in the Punjab Assembly was a matter of public record. “It is a sign of our tolerance that they are still in Punjab,” she said, in remarks that underlined rising political tensions between the provinces. She said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Suhail Afridi was a citizen…

By Faizan Khan LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif launched a lottery for 720 newly constructed flats aimed at providing housing for homeless industrial workers in the province, marking a significant step in the government’s efforts to improve living conditions for laborers. The Chief Minister inaugurated the draw by pressing a button and congratulating the successful applicants, while announcing plans to complete an additional 1,872 flats over the next 18 months. She also directed that widows and persons with special needs be given priority and allocated units on the ground floor for greater accessibility and safety. The event highlighted…

Critiquing past governments, he warned against coercive economic management, insisting the nation’s finances demand careful stewardship, not forceful control By Faizan Khan LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has emphasized the crucial role of traders and industrialists in boosting the country’s economy, urging them to continue contributing to solutions for commercial challenges. Addressing a gathering of business leaders in Lahore, Bhutto Zardari said it was a matter of national pride that countries like China were working alongside Pakistan. “We need to consider how we can leverage our partnership with China to improve our standing,” he said. He…

PPP chairman sidesteps queries on new provinces in Sindh and other regions, hinting at cautious political navigation amid growing tensions By Faizan Khan LAHORE: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari noted that there was already consensus in the National Assembly on some proposals for new provinces. He arrived in the provincial capital on a four-day visit, during which he was expected to reorganize the PPP’s district and divisional structures in Punjab, with around 63 party workers likely to be assigned new responsibilities. During an interaction with media bureau chiefs, Bilawal expressed support for the creation of a new province in Punjab.…

By Faizan Khan LAHORE: Punjab’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) carried out a series of coordinated operations across Lahore, Faisalabad, and Bahawalpur, resulting in the arrest of twelve individuals suspected of maintaining links with India’s intelligence agency, RAW, officials confirmed. The crackdown came after months of surveillance and an initial detention of a local man, Adil, who reportedly managed a Facebook account operated from India. Adil’s cooperation with investigators proved pivotal, leading authorities to identify the broader network and its members. During searches of the suspects’ residences and hideouts, law enforcement recovered a range of sensitive materials, including photographs and videos of…

By Faizan Khan LAHORE: Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz has issued a forceful challenge to her political opponents, saying no one could prove “even a single rupee” of corruption in the provincial government’s multitrillion-rupee development projects. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Gujranwala mass transit system, she said the program reflected the continuity of Nawaz Sharif’s development vision in the province. She told the audience that the upcoming Faisalabad metro system, along with the Gujranwala project, would further expand the network started under previous PML-N governments. Maryam said every major development scheme in Punjab carried the imprint of Nawaz…

By Faizan Khan LAHORE: Punjab’s chief minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has approved what officials are calling the province’s first “revolutionary phase” of district-level public transport, unveiling plans to build more than a thousand modern bus shelters across the region. Chairing a high-level meeting in Lahore, Maryam set a firm deadline for the construction of 1,362 “modern, sustainable and aesthetically designed” bus shelters in 19 districts. The shelters, she said, would provide passengers — particularly elderly citizens, women and daily commuters — a dignified and comfortable space to wait, instead of standing in the scorching heat or harsh winter cold. Authorities…