Punjab | Pakistan

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...

At least eleven people have lost their lives and nearly fifty others sustained injuries in a series of rain-related incidents across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday dismissed media reports suggesting that Aliya Hamza Malik has been removed from her position as the party’s Punjab president.

At least three people lost their lives and multiple others were injured as strong winds and thunderstorms lashed several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab on Tuesday. In Swabi District, a two-year-old child died when a boundary wall and roof collapsed in the Manki village, according to Rescue 1122 official Nabeel Khan. Nabeel told Dawn.com that the incident occurred due to strong winds and storms, adding that the toddler’s mother and another child were injured and taken to a hospital. In another incident, he said the roof of a shed collapsed in Ziarat Cham Baba, trapping a mother and her son under the debris, who were pulled out of the rubble by locals and taken to a hospital. In Shangla District’s Bisham tehsil, lightning struck a house, killing one person and leaving six others unconscious, Rescue 1122 official Rasool Khan Sharif said. View this post on Instagram A young man was injured when a wall collapsed in the Rahimabad area due to a storm, according to a statement by the Nowshera Rescue 1122. The...

• Govt activates emergency protocols; orders desilting of waterways • PDMA calls for standardised fitting of solar panels to withstand inclement weather • Official says 70pc deaths resulted from falling solar panels LAHORE: Heavy rain and thunderstorms are set to batter Punjab, days after similar weather killed around 20 people across the province. The Provincial Disaster Man­agement Authority (PDMA) Punjab has issued a province-wide alert of severe weather from today (Tuesday). A westerly wave combined with moist currents is likely to bring intense windstorms, thu­nderstorms, and heavy rainfall across the region from May 27 to 31, said the Met department forecast. Upper and central Punjab districts, including Rawal­pi­ndi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mianwali, Sargodha, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Okara, Lahore, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sheikhupura will experience heavy rains with hailstorms and lightning from the evening of May 27 through May...

RAWALPINDI: A medical officer (MO) posted at the Samli Sanatorium in Murree was allegedly raped by a man who claimed to be an adviser to the Punjab chief minister. According to the first information report (FIR) lodged with the police based on the victim’s complaint, the suspect, a resident of her native village in Khanewal, claimed he was an adviser to the chief minister and promised he could facilitate her transfer to a hospital of her choice. He continued to make such assurances and eventually called her to Lahore. Upon her arrival in Lahore, the suspect reportedly showed her videos of her family, issued threats and attempted to sexually assault her. The FIR stated that on May 20, the suspect forcibly entered her hostel in Murree after pushing aside the security guard and falsely claimed that the doctor was his wife. Despite her efforts to persuade him to leave, he forcibly took her out and placed her in a cab, in which two other individuals were already seated. She said the men threatened to kill her and ...

• 19 dead, over 90 injured in Punjab • Road, air travel disrupted; walls and roofs collapse, infrastructure damaged • Widespread outages reported from parts of country • Crops, power lines damaged in KP; 113 feeders trip across province ISLA­M­ABAD / LAHORE /PES­H­­­­­A­WAR: At least 19 people were killed and over 90 others injured as powerful windstorms and heavy rains battered several parts of the country on Saturday, paralysing road and air traffic, damaging infrastructure and triggering widespread power outages. Heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds and hail also struck Islamabad, leading to water accumulation in several low-lying areas and trees falling at multiple spots. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, strong winds and hailstorms caused extensive damage to crops and power lines but no fatalities were reported. Over 113 power feeders tripped across the province, with areas like Peshawar, Mardan, Khyber, Swabi, Swat and Abbottabad worst affected. Meanwhile, a private airline from Karachi to Lahore narrowly avo...

A powerful storm swept across multiple districts of Punjab, leaving a trail of destruction and claiming at least eight lives while injuring 45 others, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

LAHORE: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has identified 8 dead and 45 others injured due to a severe storm that swept across Punjab, hitting several areas and disturbing daily routines, ARY News reported. The districts that were affected include Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Sialkot, and Mianwali in Punjab storm disaster. According to a […]

At least 13 civilians died and 92 others were injured as heavy rains lashed several parts of Punjab on Saturday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Earlier today, the PDMA urged citizens and provincial authorities to remain on high alert. PDMA Director General (DG) Irfan Ali Kathia directed deputy commissioners and rescue agencies across the province to remain alert amid reports of wind and rain in various districts of Punjab, a statement by the PDMA said. “Relevant departments to be on alert to deal with emergency situations,” the statement read, adding that the provincial control room and all district emergency operation centres have also been alerted. The situation was being monitored 24/7 in the PDMA control room, DG Kathia said. He added, “Citizens should be careful and stay away from electric poles and hanging wires. “Stay in safe places to avoid lightning. Never stay in open places during bad weather and lightning. Avoid unnecessary travel and drive slowly.” View this pos...

The Lahore High Court has directed all service stations across Punjab to immediately install water recycling plants, emphasizing urgent compliance.

Punjab, including the provincial capital Lahore, is sweltering under an intense heatwave, with temperatures climbing as high as 43°C.

A severe heatwave is expected to hit various parts of Punjab starting today, with Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan most at risk.

The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Sunday issued a public advisory, warning of an intensifying heatwave expected to grip major cities and plains of Punjab by May 19.

Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has set a new record by disbursing over Rs. 61 billion in business loans to more than 107,000 individuals in just three months under the Chief Minister’s Easy Business Finance and Card Schemes. According to official figures, the province witnessed the launch of 57,913 new businesses during this […]