Category: National

Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has introduced a Virtual Blood Bank on Emergency Helpline 15 to provide immediate access to blood donors across the province. 

The service allows citizens to dial 15 and press 4, connecting them with a Safe City officer who links them directly to verified donors from the official blood bank database via a conference call.

The system eliminates delays caused by uncoordinated searches and ensures a structured and immediate response during medical emergencies. 

Since its launch, more than 3,420 individuals have donated blood through the Virtual Blood Bank.

The Virtual Blood Bank is part of PSCA’s broader mandate to ensure public safety by using technology to improve emergency response and law enforcement capabilities across the province.

Punjab government’s ‘Air Punjab’ airline now has a take-off date as the schedule for operations has been reported by some media outlets.

According to reports quoting government sources, the province’s own airline will begin operations with its first flight scheduled for April.

Reports also said that the airline will only operate domestic flights for two years and could later expand operations to international destinations.

While the existing helicopter of the Punjab chief minister will also reportedly be included in the airline’s fleet, officials were quoted as saying that the move will help avoid placing any additional burden on the national exchequer as both existing and newly purchased aircraft will be used on a fully commercial basis to ensure profitability.

Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari confirmed that the government plans to establish a fleet for Air Punjab, which reports said could initially include as many as seven aircraft.

Some planes are being purchased while others will be acquired on lease, the minister said during a presser days after it was reported that the provincial government recently acquired a Gulfstream G500 aircraft for VIP transport.

Bearing American registration number N144S, the aircraft has been purchased at a cost of Rs10 billion. Flight history data shows that the seven-year-old aircraft arrived in Lahore on December 28, travelling from Bangor in North America to the Egyptian city of Hurghada before landing at the Allama Iqbal International Airport.

The aircraft remained grounded at the airport in Lahore for approximately 40 days, during which, reports said, it underwent interior refurbishment and decoration. The jet made its first flight within Pakistan on February 6, flying from Lahore to Multan. Since then, using the call sign “PUNJAB2”, it has operated multiple flights from Lahore to Quetta, Mianwali, Sialkot and Rawalpindi.

While the aircraft is still operating under US registration and private ownership, reports said, it is also likely to be used for both passenger services and official travel if and when included to the Air Punjab fleet.

As part of a broader initiative, whenever the chief minister travels using the airline, the standard fare will be paid, maintaining transparency and commercial viability, reports said.

India is set to stop surplus water from the Ravi River flowing into Pakistan with the completion of the Shahpur Kandi barrage, a move expected to take effect from April as the project nears completion by March 31.

The development comes at a time when Pakistan is already facing reduced water availability following India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. For decades, excess water from the Ravi crossed into Pakistan due to the absence of adequate storage infrastructure on the Indian side.

However, Indian officials say this will no longer continue once the barrage becomes operational.

The announcement was made by Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) Minister Javed Ahmed Rana, who said the project would be used to irrigate areas in Kathua and Samba districts. “Excess water to Pakistan will be stopped. It has to be stopped,” he told reporters. 

Responding to questions about the impact on Pakistan, he said, “Why are you bothered about Pakistan? They are a marginal presence. Let them stew in the problems of their own making.”

Indian officials maintain that the Shahpur Kandi barrage falls outside the scope of the Indus Waters Treaty. Under the 1960 agreement, brokered by the World Bank, India was granted full rights over the eastern rivers Ravi, Sutlej and Beas while Pakistan was given rights over the western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. Despite this, surplus water from the eastern rivers continued to flow into Pakistan for years.

India moved to suspend the treaty after the Pahalagam attack last year that killed 25 tourists, following which it fast-tracked hydropower and water storage projects aimed at regulating river flows.

The Shahpur Kandi barrage project was first conceived in 1979 alongside the Ranjit Sagar dam. Its foundation stone was laid in 1982 by India’s former prime minister Indira Gandhi, with completion initially planned for 1988.

While the Ranjit Sagar Dam was completed in 2001, disputes between Punjab and held Kashmir delayed work on the barrage for decades.

Construction resumed after the project was declared national in 2008 and later revived in 2018 following intervention by the government led by Narendra Modi. Officials say the barrage will irrigate over 32,000 hectares once operational.

Meanwhile, India has also accelerated hydropower projects on the Chenab River and plans to resume work on the Wular Barrage on Jhelum.

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday arrived in the United States (US) to attend the global summit of the Board of Peace (BoP), convened by President Donald Trump.

The summit is expected to focus on consolidating a ceasefire in Gaza, securing financial commitments for the BoP, and outlining the structure of a proposed global forum. Washington has announced an initial pledge of $5 billion for the initiative.

Participants are also set to deliberate on the proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF), which would be tasked with securing reconstruction areas and supporting governance arrangements in Gaza after the conflict.

For Pakistan, the possibility of contributing troops to the ISF has gained attention following reported discussions between Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the Munich Security Conference.

Diplomatic sources said several Muslim-majority countries have expressed willingness to join the stabilisation mechanism but are reluctant to assume a combat role that could place their forces in direct engagement with Hamas.

These countries are also seeking clarity on the political roadmap for Palestinian statehood and have raised concerns over potential Israeli annexation in the West Bank.

The proposed structure of the BoP envisions a leader-driven body supported by an operational arm in the form of the ISF and a dedicated financing mechanism.