Punjab | Pakistan

The Sindh and Punjab governments announced a host of relief measures on Friday, a day after the Centre announced an unprecedented increase of 43 per cent and 55pc in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD), respectively, to cushion the impact of global oil price shocks amid the US-Israel war on Iran. The Sindh government also announced support for small-scale farmers and transporters. Meanwhile, the Punjab government said it was making public transport free, introducing a targeted monthly subsidy for transporters, a diesel subsidy for wheat-growing farmers and a subsidy for motorcyclists. At the same time, public transport in the federal capital was also made free for the next 30 days, starting from Saturday. Sindh announces fuel subsidy for motorcyclists In a press conference in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced the Sindh government will provide motorcyclists Rs2,000 as part of a fuel subsidy under a scheme unveiled by the federal government a day earlier. At the outset of the p...

In response to soaring fuel prices and ongoing global economic pressures, the Punjab government has introduced a comprehensive relief package offering free public transport and financial support for farmers and motorcyclists.

Punjab shifts to four-day school week

LAHORE: Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat on Wednesday announced that all public and private schools across the province would remain closed on Fridays, with classes taking place four days a week. According to a notification by the Punjab School Education Department shared by Hayat on X, “Pursuant to approval of the competent authority, it is hereby notified that all public and private schools across Punjab shall remain off on Friday till further orders.” However, the notification didn’t mention the reason behind this decision. It also notified the opening and closing hours of public schools. Under the new schedule, schools with a single shift will operate from Monday to Thursday from 8am to 1:30pm. Meanwhile, schools with double shifts will have the morning session from 8:00am to 12:30pm, and the afternoon session from 1:00pm to 5:30pm. Speaking to Dawn, Punjab School Education Department Secretary Muddassir Riaz Malik also confirmed that educational institutions would remain closed on Friday. Me...

The waterfowl hunting season across Punjab has officially wrapped up, with wildlife authorities enforcing a province-wide ban on all hunting activities.

Punjab Minister for School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat said on Monday that educational activities in the province would resume from April 1 (Wednesday), with classes taking place five days a week. He made the statement in a post on the social media platform X. Separately, in an official statement, the minister reiterated that schools in Punjab would reopen on April 1 and that classes would take place five days a week. He also said that the “hybrid system” would not work, adding that the classes would be in-person. “Students should come to school and study,” he said. On March 9, the provincial government had announced that educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, would remain closed from March 10 to March 31 amid the global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran. Meanwhile, the Punjab government on Monday also stated that a notification circulating on social media regarding classes four days a week was fake. In a post on X, the Punjab government shared a picture of ...

Educational institutions across Punjab will reopen from April 1, operating five days a week, provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat announced.

LAHORE: The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday claimed to have arrested 36 suspected terrorists belonging to various banned organisations in province-wide operations over the past month. Those arrested included two dangerous suspected terrorists of Fitna-al-Khawarij from Faisalabad and Jhelum, recovering heavy explosives and weapons, according to a press release issued by the CTD. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The press release said that in a month-long campaign, CTD Punjab arrested a total of 36 terrorists from various banned organisations and foiled a major terrorist plan during operations across Punjab. According to the spokesperson, CTD conducted 366 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in different districts, questioning 338 suspects and seizing weapons, explosives, and other prohibited materials. It said that the arrested suspects belong to the TTP and other banned groups, hailing from Lahore, Sahiwa...

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) conducted 366 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across various cities in Punjab over the past month, resulting in the arrest of 36 terrorists, a spokesperson said.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced that Punjab will take part in the global Earth Hour campaign on March 28, encouraging citizens to join the effort.

LAHORE: Several people were injured when a Karachi-bound train derailed near Punjab’s Lodhran on Tuesday night, officials said. Lodhran District Emergency Officer Engineer Shakeel Ahmed told Dawn that, according to initial reports, 17 of the injured were provided first aid at the spot while eight others were taken to the district headquarters hospital. Pakistan Railways (PR) spokesperson Babar Ali told Dawn that no loss of life was reported in the incident and that the cause of the accident was yet to be determined. He said the federal minister for railways had ordered a “high-level inquiry” to determine the cause. The spokesperson also stated that the affected track would soon be open for traffic, and Rescue 1122 and PR medical teams had conducted relief and rescue operations at the site. A relief train and a relief truck were also sent to the site, he added. Further details about the incident involving Tezgam Express are not yet clear. The train’s driver, Tariq Khan, earlier told Dawn he could not explain h...

Projects to cover 41 cities across Punjab with an estimated cost of Rs5 billion

Punjab has taken a major step toward strengthening technical education by approving the creation of its first-ever Skill City aimed at preparing young people for modern job markets.

• Rawalpindi civil defence department gets first ‘anti-drone gun’ to intercept UAVs • Police suggest deployment of more systems to protect Chinese nationals, key installations LAHORE/RAWAL­PINDI: After multiple incidents in which drones were intercepted in the garrison city, the Punjab government on Thursday handed over an anti-drone gun to the Punjab Civil Defence Department to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles in Rawalpindi Division. Besides the garrison city, the home department plans to equip civil defence units across Punjab with similar systems to counter drones and similar aircraft, which have been described as “emerging security threats”. According to details, the home department has provided the civil defence with a modern anti-drone gun, EMG-150, which can jam and bring down drones within a range of two to three kilometres. The gun, which weighs 6kg, is equipped with eight frequency bands, enabling it to counter all types of drones and uses a high-gain directional antenna for precise targeting. The...

LAHORE - Under the vision of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, agriculture in Punjab is being transformed through modern initiatives aimed at facilitating farmers and increasing crop productivity.

The government of Punjab has approved a proposal submitted by the Inspector General to allocate funds for installing panic buttons and procuring body cameras across police stations in the province.

Azma Bukhari has said that Maryam Nawaz is serving the people of Punjab with dedication and care, likening her leadership to that of a “caring mother.

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Sargodha police on Monday said they arrested two individuals, including a man who allegedly murdered his wife and five children for so-called ‘honour’ before attempting to take his own life. The tragic incident was reported from Chak 25 South area of Punjab’s Sargodha district. Sargodha District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Sohaib Ashraf confirmed to Dawn that the primary suspect, as well as another man nominated in the case, was in their custody. The DPO added that the primary suspect, who was the slain woman’s husband, was in a stable condition. A first information report (FIR) was registered at Bhagtanwala Police Station on the complaint of the woman’s brother in the early hours of Monday. It invoked sections 302 (Punishment of qatl-i-amd), 311 (Ta’zir after waiver or compounding of right of qisas in qatl-i-amd) and 322 (Punishment for qatl-bis-sabab) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The deceased were identified as the suspect’s wife, his daughter aged 15-16 years, three sons aged 5-6 ye...

LAHORE: Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Sunday that the provincial government has decided to take legal action against those involved in a “malicious campaign” targeting it over the use of an official jet. Last month, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz faced severe criticism from the opposition and some journalists regarding the government’s purchase of the aircraft. The Gulfstream 19-seater jet is estimated to be worth between $38 million and $42m (over Rs10bn) and was acquired for the CM’s use. More recently, there have been claims and speculation on social media about Maryam’s son, Junaid Safdar, using the jet to travel to Europe for his honeymoon. In a post on X, the senior minister took note of a “deliberate malicious campaign of lies and fabricated stories about the use of the official plane of the Punjab government”, which she said was being run by “known pathological liars and peddlers of fake news”. The minister shared that the government had decided to take legal action against “ev...

Officials from Punjab and Uzbekistan have started preparations for a joint agreement aimed at strengthening trade, exports, and investment links between the two sides.