Punjab | Pakistan

At least two more people died in a rain-related incident in Punjab on Saturday, taking the province’s death toll for the past four days to 14, according to rescue officials and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Monsoon rains across the region offer respite from the summer heat and are vital for agriculture and food security. Weather-related incidents are common during the season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity. Two people died while four were wounded in a roof collapse incident reported at 3:20am in the Abbas Nagar area of Lahore’s Shahdara Town, Rescue 1122 said in a statement today. It noted that the house was single-storied and the roof was made of mud. The bodies were taken to Shahdara Hospital, where some of the injured were also taken, while others wounded were brought to Mayo Hospital. Separately, eight children were among 12 dead while 39 others were injured in various rain-related incidents across Punjab since Wednesday, according to a PDM...

LAHORE: At least 10 persons were killed as heavy rain drenched cities across Punjab on Thursday, according to rescue officials and the provincial disaster management authority. Some districts in south Punjab were also hit by a strong windstorm. The weather brought much-needed relief after weeks of sweltering heat where temperatures increased to record levels. Rescue 1122 said it provided emergency services to 46 people in the last 24 hours, out of which 39 were hospitalised. Seven died in these emergencies. The most number of emergencies, eight, were reported in Okara, four in Multan, two each in Fai­sal­abad, Mandi Baha­uddin, Jhang and Chiniot and one each in Lahore, Kasur, Jhelum, Sahiwal, Murree, Muzaffar­garh, Baha­wal­nagar and Khanewal. Two persons each died in Jhelum and Muzaffargarh and one each in Okara, Bahawalnagar and Khanewal. According to details, a 5-year-old girl, identified as Dua Fatima, died when a bamboo roof collapsed in Basti Riazabad in Okara. Two persons were also injured. In Jhelum, ...

At least seven people were killed and 39 others were injured in multiple rain-related incidents as Punjab was battered by heavy monsoon showers on Thursday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rescue 1122. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. They are also vital for agriculture, and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security for South Asia’s nearly two billion people. Earlier today, the PDMA said that four people died and 19 were injured in rain-related incidents. According to the data, 13 incidents were reported across Punjab, with the majority of them in the Okara district. Two children are among the four deceased. The majority of incidents were roof collapses caused by rain. “Two citizens were killed by the collapse of dilapidated and decaying buildings in Okara and Bahawalnagar,” a PDMA handout read. “Two citizens drowned in Jhelum … 13 dila...

Punjab is predicted to receive 25 per cent more monsoon rains this year, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said on Wednesday. Separately, Karachi is expected to receive rainfall on June 27 (Friday), the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said — potentially ending an ongoing wave of extreme heat and humid weather. The PMD has already forecast monsoon rain across the country from Wednesday, June 25. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. Monsoon rains have commenced in Punjab and first spell will continue till July 1, the PDMA said in a statement, adding that rainfall with strong winds and thunderstorms are predicted in most districts of the province. Relief Commissioner Punjab Nabeel Javed has instructed commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province to remain alert. He said all relevant departments including Rescue 1122 and WASA are on al...

LAHORE: The Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order, led by Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, assembled in Lahore to conclude Muharram security arrangements across the division, ARY News reported. Senior officials attended the meeting, including the Home Secretary, AIG Special Branch, DIG Counter-Terrorism Department, the Divisional Peace Committee and religious scholars’ representatives. The Punjab […]

LAHORE: The Punjab government will plant 42 million trees on 50,869 acres under the CM Plant for Pakistan Initiative. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said on Saturday that large-scale tree plantation and environmental projects were being launched under the Punjab Green Programme. She said around 1.375 million trees were being planted on 3,790 acres of forest wasteland under the Agroforestry Initiative. She said the scope of the Green Pakistan Programme had been expanded to plant 466.4 million more trees on 251,000 acres. Plantation of 5m trees in rows on 10,223 avenue miles along canals of Punjab had been initiated, she added. She said the provision of world-class facilities for promotion of eco-tourism at the Lal Suhanra National Park and Salt Range were being ensured. She said wireless network, digital cameras, GPS devices and CCTV cameras were being provided for eco-tourism. She said, “Construction of an eco-friendly LEED certified multi-storey building has been started to establish a protected nature area and...

A suspect was arrested in yet another case of child pornography in Punjab’s Muzaffargarh, Police said on Friday. Earlier in the month, the government claimed to have dismantled an international child exploitation network operating out of a so-called gaming club in Muzaffargarh, where children aged six to 10 were lured, abused and filmed for the sake of selling their videos on the dark web. “Several children were sexually abused and filmed in Sardarabad village,” a police statement said today. The matter came to light when one of the victims contacted the police. According to the statement, the suspect had been blackmailing the children using compromised videos. A first information report (FIR) of the incident was lodged at Saddar police station in Muzaffargarh district under section 292 (sale, distribution, and public exhibition of obscene material) and section 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person) of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the FIR, a boy was sexually abused and film...

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has issued a weather alert as pre-monsoon rains are set to begin across the province today, with significantly above-average rainfall expected in several districts.

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 […]