Punjab | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi on Friday informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways that the Punjab government had expressed willingness to finance Rs350 billion for the upgradation and dualisation of railway tracks in the province. Briefing the committee, Mr Abbasi said that during a recent meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore, she showed interest in supporting the infrastructure initiative, which aligns with the broader goals of modernising Pakistan’s railway network. The Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, being carried out under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is a key part of this effort and aims to upgrade the country’s primary rail corridor from Karachi to Peshawar. With an estimated cost of $6.8bn, the project is expected to enhance transport efficiency, reduce travel time, and facilitate freight and passenger movement, particularly as part of Pakistan’s regional connectivity strategy with Central Asia. Meanwhile, Mr Abbasi announced that Pakista...

The bodies of nine bus passengers who were kidnapped and killed in Balochistan’s Sardhaka area last night were recovered and transported to their hometowns in Punjab on Friday morning, officials said. Last night, at least nine passengers travelling on two Punjab-bound coaches were abducted and killed by unidentified armed men in the Sur-Dakai area, situated on the border between Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts. Provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind also confirmed the incident and said that Fitna-al-Hindu­stan — a term the government uses for terrorist organisations in Balo­chistan — had carried out attacks at three different places — Kakat, Mastung and Sur-Dakai. The Balochistan Liberation Front, a banned outfit, later claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the group said it had killed the nine individuals after blocking the highway between Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri. Assistant Comm­issioner (AC) Naveed Alam told Dawn.com today that the bodies of all nine passengers were h...

LAHORE: The Punjab government has announced an ad hoc relief allowance for government employees from Grade 1 to 22, ARY News reported. According to a notification issued by the provincial finance department, salaries will see a 10 percent increase based on running basic pay. The Punjab Finance Department maintained that a 5 percent rise has […]

Four people died and 40 were injured in rain-related incidents across Punjab over the past 24 hours as more heavy showers were expected across the province, according to rescue officials and local authorities. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat. They are crucial to replenishing water supplies and agriculture, and therefore, the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security. However, they also wreak havoc by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. At least nine people lost their lives and many others sustained injuries as heavy monsoon rains lashed Lahore on Wednesday. The downpours caused widespread flooding and disrupted daily life in several areas. “Over the last 24 hours, four people died and 40 were injured due to rain and winds across the province,” Rescue 1122 Punjab Spokesperson Farooq Ahmed said in a statement. Those who sustained serious injurie...

Severe rainstorms accompanied by strong winds wreaked havoc across Punjab in the past 24 hours, claiming at least three lives and injuring 22 others in rain-related incidents.

Heavy monsoon downpours lashed Lahore, its outskirts, and various parts of Punjab over the past 24 hours, flooding low-lying areas and throwing life out of gear.

Posts from multiple users on social media platforms X and TikTok on July 4 shared a video allegedly showing a woman Punjab assistant commissioner slapping a local man for setting up an illegal roadside stall. However, the video actually shows a woman confronting a scammer and was shared as far back as October 2024. On July 4, an X user, who appeared to be anti-government based on his past posts, posted a video showing a woman hitting a man while a small crowd of people could be seen gathered around her. The post was captioned: “Government of Punjab, Pakistan, The assistant commissioner got angry over allegedly setting up a roadside stall illegally. Is an assistant commissioner authorised to slap a citizen like this? Does any law allow such humiliation of a citizen?” The post was viewed by 674,000 people. The video with the same claim was also shared here, here, here, here, here, here and here on X, and on TikTok here, here, here, here and here. A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim...

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a fresh weather update as monsoon rains continue to lash several districts across Punjab.

ISLAMABAD - Punjab Information and Forestry Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday pronounced a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal wildlife trade and unlawful possession of dangerous fauna, affirming that for the first time, the Punjab government under the Chief Minister’s leadership is undertaking a systemic revamp.

MULTAN - Emergency Services Department Secretary Dr Rizwan Naseer appreciated rescuers who sacrificed their leave to provide emergency cover to processions/ Majlis in all districts of Punjab.

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has declared an immediate rollout of the Red & Blue Code Emergency System in hospitals across the province, ARY News reported. As a part of Punjab hospital reforms, Maryam Nawaz directed the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department to activate the new emergency system within two days, after compulsory […]

Some 18 lions kept illegally as pets have been confiscated in Punjab, authorities said on Monday as they launched a crackdown after one escaped from a house and attacked a woman and two children in Lahore. The woman suffered scratches and bruises, and the two children, aged five and seven, were hospitalised after the attack last week, but their injuries were not life-threatening, provincial wildlife officials said. The lion, which was kept without a licence in a house in Lahore, was confiscated and sent to a local safari park, said Mubeen Elahi, Director General of the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department. The owner was later arrested, police said. Keeping exotic animals as pets has been fueled by social media, with owners often showing off their animals online as status symbols. “According to the new regulations for keeping big cats, no individual is allowed to keep a lion without a licence, without adhering to the required cage size and without following other standard operating procedures,” Elahi said, add...

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has issued a high alert for potential flooding in major rivers and urban areas of the province, warning of a significant rise in water levels from July 7 to 9.

Six people were killed while one person was injured on Sunday amid flash floods and heavy rain across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMA) in both provinces. At least 22 people have been killed and 11 others have been injured in KP in accidents related to rain, strong winds, flash floods and landslides since June 25, according to PDMA reports. Heavy rainfall and flash floods have wreaked havoc in the province, while 18 people were swept away along the Swat River due to a sudden surge in the gushing water. Additionally, PDMA warned on Friday that the risk of glacial lake outburst flood (Glof) — the sudden release of water and debris from a glacial lake — has increased in glacial areas of the province due to increasing temperatures, which in turn has raised the risk of additional flooding. Today’s report from the PDMA outlined that four people were killed in KP while another was injured due to heavy rainfall and flash floods, according to the PDMA’s r...

At least eight people lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported on Sunday.

The ongoing monsoon spell has brought heavy rainfall across several regions of Pakistan, including Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and other districts of Punjab, leading to urban flooding, prolonged power outages, and damage to infrastructure.

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) yesterday issued the schedule for Senate elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab, setting July 21 as the polling date.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday released the schedule for the long-delayed Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

Preparations for local government elections in Punjab are progressing as key amendments to the proposed local government law near finalisation.

Following the recent salary hike, the Punjab government has approved a significant increase in leave allowances for provincial ministers, the Speaker, and the Deputy Speaker by aligning them with their full monthly salaries.