Author: Our Correspondent

By our correspondent LAHORE: Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed officials to compile and verify accurate data on water requirements across the province, with population figures to be used as the basis for planning and supply. She issued the instructions while chairing a meeting in Lahore on Monday to review projects aimed at improving access to safe drinking water. The meeting examined water supply schemes in Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Rajanpur, Faisalabad, Murree and Attock. Maryam said every household in Punjab should have access to safe drinking water and ordered authorities to give the highest priority to areas facing severe shortages.…

By our correspondent LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said major projects involving water drainage, sewerage and road construction were being launched across the province under the Punjab Development Program. Speaking at a meeting with members of the Punjab Assembly from Attock in Lahore, she said the government was focusing on improving basic services and infrastructure across the province. Maryam Nawaz said the provision of clean drinking water remained among the government’s top priorities. She said the Saaf Paani Project was being implemented to improve access to safe drinking water for people across Punjab. The chief minister also…

By our correspondent KARACHI: A local hotel in Karachi hosted a Japanese cuisine weekend as part of its month-long Grand Pan-Asian Food Festival, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Japan. The event marked the second chapter of the hotel’s culinary series, which was showcasing the food and cultural traditions of different Asian countries. The festival had opened with a weekend dedicated to Chinese cuisine before moving to Japan. Guests at the Japanese weekend were offered a selection of traditional dishes prepared under the guidance of a Japanese chef. The chef presented authentic flavors and cooking techniques, giving diners an…

By our correspondent LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has criticised the petroleum levy, calling it a form of “extortion” and “jaga tax”, and said the current system of governance had little connection with ordinary people. Addressing protesters at a sit-in at Faisal Chowk on Lahore’s Mall Road, Rehman said the protest would continue until the government backed down. He said a separate sit-in was also continuing outside the Governor House in Karachi, describing the petroleum levy as an unjust charge imposed on the public. Rehman repeated his demand for the abolition of the petroleum levy and called for…

By our correspondent KARACHI: Rotary clubs in Karachi organized a public awareness walk to highlight the dangers of mouth cancer, drug abuse and tobacco-related diseases, while renewing calls for continued efforts to make Pakistan polio-free. The “Walk a Cause – Mouth Cancer, Polio Awareness and Drug Abuse” was held in collaboration with the Sindh Narcotics Control Department and the Anti-Narcotics Force. The walk began from McDonald’s at 7.10am and ended at Nishan-e-Pakistan, where a closing ceremony was held. Honnak Baloch, director general of Narcotics and Control, Government of Sindh, was the chief guest. He stressed the need for collective action…

By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Turkmenistan’s National Leader and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, held talks with Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar, during a working visit to the Mary region and Afghanistan, with the development of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline among the key issues discussed. Berd Berdimuhamedov travelled from the Islim-Cheshme border area in the Serhetabat district to Afghanistan, where he was received by Baradar and members of the two countries’ delegations. Welcoming the Turkmen leader, Baradar said relations between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan were rooted in the shared history, culture and spiritual values…

By our correspondent KARACHI: China’s acting Consul General in Karachi extended warm greetings to the people of Pakistan on the country’s 79th Independence Day, reaffirming the enduring friendship between the two countries. In a message issued to mark the national day, the acting consul general conveyed heartfelt wishes to Pakistani brothers and sisters and prayed for Pakistan’s continued prosperity, stability and strength. The message reflected the long-standing ties between Pakistan and China, which have developed over decades and remained an important feature of their diplomatic relationship. The Chinese diplomat said the friendship between the two countries should continue to flourish…

By Aziz Khatri KARACHI: The Pakistan American Cultural Center (PACC), in collaboration with Lions International District 305-S, held a special Independence Day ceremony at the PACC premises, with community leaders, students, journalists and Lions members joining the celebrations Lions District Governor Shakeel Ahmed Khan was the chief guest. Senior Vice Chairperson District Governor Lion Safia Hassan, PACC President Syed Makhdoom Ali Riaz and members of the governing board also attended. The event featured a flag-hoisting ceremony and a musical performance that was warmly received by the audience. Senior journalist Muhammad Afsar Imran, Nusrat Ali, Zafar Iqbal and other prominent figures…

By our correspondent KARACHI: Questions have been raised over the recruitment and subsequent promotion to grade 18 of Zameer Ahmed, who is serving as deputy director at the Malir Directorate of the Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI) on additional charge and on an own-pay-scale (OPS) basis, with calls for a formal review of the relevant records. According to sources, senior deputy director Qutbuddin has written to the Sindh labor secretary, SESSI commissioner Hadi Bakhsh Kalhoro and other relevant authorities, drawing their attention to the matter and requesting verification of the original records relating to the officer’s recruitment, appointment and…

By our correspondent KARACHI: Sindh Governor Muhammad Nehal Hashmi said young people were Pakistan’s future and would shape the country’s identity and leadership in the years ahead. Addressing an Independence Day ceremony at Ziauddin University, Hashmi said Pakistan would celebrate the 100th anniversary of its independence in 2047. By then, he said, the young generation of today would be leading the country and taking key decisions about its future. He urged young people to follow the principles of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and uphold the values of unity, faith and discipline. He said these principles remained important for building a…