Author: News Desk

In light of protests in Iran, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has issued a travel advise on Saturday advising Pakistani citizens not to make unnecessary trips to the country. 

“Until conditions improve, Pakistani nationals are advised to avoid all unnecessary travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran for their safety and security,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Additionally, the alert advised Pakistanis living in Iran to use “extreme caution,” maintain vigilance, restrict non-essential movement, and stay in regular contact with the Pakistani missions”  in Mashhad, Zahidan, and Tehran.

The Foreign Office shared contact numbers for the Pakistani mission in Tehran, including +98-21-66-9413-88/89/90/91, +98-21-66-9448-88/90 and +98 910 764 8298. Contact details for the consulate in Zahidan included +98 54 33 22 3389 and +989046145412, while the Mashhad consulate can be reached at +98 910 762 5302 and +98 937 180 7175.

The advisory was issued as protests have continued across Iran for nearly two weeks. The public’s outrage at growing living expenses served as a spark for the protests, which started on December 28. Since the start of the protests, authorities have restricted access to the internet in several areas of the nation. 

Human rights activists news agency (HRANA), an Iranian rights organization, reported on Friday that at least 62 people had died since the protests began. The group claimed that 48 demonstrators and 14 security personnel were among the dead.

US President Donald Trump issued a warning at the beginning of January that if Iran’s security forces killed protestors, the US was “locked and loaded” to retaliate. 

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded to the protesters in remarks that were shown on state television on Friday. He called the protesters “saboteurs” and “vandals.” 

A spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Office stated earlier this week that Islamabad is against foreign meddling in other nations’ domestic affairs, particularly Iran. He stated that Pakistan did not want to comment on Iran’s internal issues and condemned external pressure or violence, viewing the situation in Iran as an internal affair.

The Punjab government has announced that hospital security guards, ward boys, nurses, and pharmacy staff will be equipped with body cameras, as part of comprehensive reforms to enhance security and service delivery in public hospitals.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, which reviewed the progress of health projects.

Officials agreed to restrict doctors and nurses from using mobile phones during duty hours to provide better patient care.

The chief minister also took serious notice of complaints against private security guards deployed in hospitals, calling for strict accountability measures.

Maryam Nawaz ordered that all government hospitals complete full steam cleaning by 9am daily to maintain hygiene standards. 

She further directed authorities to prepare a new list of modern medicines for government hospitals and form a dedicated committee for the task.

Expressing concern over medicine shortages, she highlighted the government’s allocation of Rs80 billion for medicines, calling the unavailability of essential drugs “incomprehensible.”

Officials informed the meeting that Punjab hospitals may be allowed to procure modern Chinese-made medical equipment to upgrade healthcare facilities. 

The chief minister also instructed the establishment of a foolproof mechanism to ensure uninterrupted medicine supplies.

The meeting approved the creation of a Medical Superintendent (MS) pool across Punjab, linking salary increases strictly to performance. 

Community health inspectors will also be tasked with conducting hospital surveys.

To assess the impact of public welfare initiatives in the health sector, Maryam Nawaz ordered the establishment of a data analysis centre.

Officials told the meeting that over 2,500 doctors have secured jobs in Punjab in less than two years. 

Additionally, 585,000 patients have been registered for home delivery of cardiac medicines, while 6,000 hepatitis and tuberculosis patients are receiving medicines at their doorsteps.

Reiterating her commitment to efficiency, the chief minister warned that public money and time would no longer be wasted and that negligent staff would face strict consequences.

Schools in Punjab will now reopen on January 19, the Punjab government has decided due to severely cold weather.

According to Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, winter vacations in both government and private schools have been extended by a week and schools will not reopen on January 12.

Shortly after a statement on his official X account, the minister told a private media outlet that the decision came after consulting the public through a survey on his social media accounts, where 83 percent votes supported the January 19 reopening while 17 percent people favoured January 12.

The minister said the extension was approved keeping in view the severity of the ongoing weather conditions and stressed that students’ health and well-being remained the top priority of the government.

Hayat said he has directed all chief executive officers (CEOs) of education departments to ensure strict implementation of the orders across their respective districts as uniform enforcement is essential to avoid confusion among parents, teachers and students.

Calling it a “health-focused decision”, the minister said public consultation helped shape a policy that directly benefits students.

He reiterated that the Punjab government will continue to prioritise education quality alongside student safety.

It may be noted that just a day earlier, Hayat had dismissed viral reports claiming an extension in winter vacations, confirming that institutions would reopen on January 12 as originally planned.