Tag: Lahore

The Punjab government has given approval for the division of Lahore into two districts, sources have told a media outlet, revealing that the administrative move will lead to the separation of deputy commissioners, police administration and municipal systems in the provincial capital. Under the proposed setup, each district will function with its own administrative structure.

According to the report, the separation is aimed at addressing issues related to traffic management, encroachments, local government matters and public complaints. The sources stated that the division will allow authorities to deal with these issues without administrative overlap.

The objective behind the move, as per the sources of the news outlet, is to make service delivery fast, effective and closer to the public. The new arrangement is intended to bring administrative functions nearer to residents by dividing responsibilities between two districts.

Following the approval, the chief minister directed relevant departments to immediately complete preparations for the division. Concerned departments have been instructed to finalise arrangements linked to the new administrative structure.

Sources said a follow-up meeting regarding the division of Lahore has been scheduled for February 9. The meeting will review progress made by departments and assess readiness for the implementation process.

The decision has been taken purely on administrative grounds and is not based on political considerations. The move is being planned to improve governance mechanisms within the city, officials said.

The creation of two districts will help improve administrative handling and allow public grievances to be addressed in a timely manner.

The District Education Authority (DEA) Lahore has stated that 45 schools will remain closed due to flooding, as many of them have turned into relief campuses.

Schools in the worst flood-hit areas, such as Shahdara, Saggian, Maraka, Chung, Manga, and Bund Road will remain closed.

According to an order issued by the deputy commissioner, the closures affect 33 government schools, three operated by the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), one under the Punjab Education Initiative Management Authority (PEIMA-PSSP), and eight private institutions.

Private institutions in the Tehsil Raiwind area, including British Grammar School, The Heaven School System, and Dar-e-Arqam Manga Mandi, will also remain shut.

Earlier, the Punjab government had extended summer vacations due to intense heat, from mid August to August 31 due to bad weather.

According to a notification issued by Lahore Colleges Director Ehsan Mukhtar, about 20 colleges in the Lahore division, including six in the Lahore district, will remain closed for two days (September 1 and 2) due to the flood situation.

Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP’s) plain areas, public and private schools and colleges have reportedly reopened after the summer break.

The brave young man from Mianwali who took a G-3 rifle from a Rangers officer at the Lahore border and shot down a drone himself has been identified as Muhammad Atif. He became a symbol of national pride after a video capturing his bravery went viral online.

In a new video shared by a social media user, Atif describes the experience from the same location where the drone was shot down: “There was a strong sense of patriotism in that moment. I thought to myself, ‘This drone must have come from India, and it shouldn’t go back.’ The Pakistan Army was present at the time, so I asked them for a rifle. I fired seven or eight shots, and on the eighth, the drone was hit and fell to the ground.”

The original footage captures unity and resolve, as a civilian, shoulder-to-shoulder with a Rangers officer, fires to bring down an Indian drone intruding into Pakistani airspace.

The clip gained traction online, with many praising Atif’s calm and steady coordination with Pakistan’s armed forces.

Officials have confirmed that the drones entered Pakistani airspace from India but was intercepted before it could return.

On the night between May 6 and 7, India launched a military operation targeting multiple areas inside Pakistan, including Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh, and Muzaffarabad. These airstrikes resulted in the martyrdom of 31 Pakistani civilians and injuries to 46 others.

The strikes followed the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, located in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 Indian tourists were killed. India accused Pakistan of involvement but has yet to provide any supporting evidence.

In retaliation, Pakistan’s armed forces, under Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, targeted 26 locations across India. The military confirmed shooting down six Indian aircraft, including three Rafale jets, during the conflict.

After days of intense military operations and escalating tensions, both countries reached a ceasefire agreement on May 10, bringing an end to the immediate hostilities.

As tension between Pakistan and India continue to mount, New Delhi has fired six ballistic missiles, all of which have landed within its own borders.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, India fired six ballistic missiles past Friday-Saturday midnight, which landed in its own territory.

Five of the missiles struck Amritsar whereas one landed in Adampur, it was reported.

“India is targeting Sikh localities,” the military spokesperson said during a late night presser, adding that it was shocking to see the neighbouring country was targeting its own cities.

He reiterated Pakistan’s support for the Sikh community and said that the country was strictly against targeting civilians regardless of their faith.

Meanwhile, an Indian drone was shot down by Pakistan’s armed forces in the Narang Mandi area of Punjab.

This is a developing story and there is no confirmation as to which of the incidents were the source of the explosion heard in different parts of Lahore.

Panic spread across various areas of Lahore as heavy artillery fire was heard by citizens hours after 12 Indian drones were shot down by Pakistan, including one in Lahore, amid clashes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

As citizens rushed to take cover in Lahore’s Cantonment, Cavalry Ground, Gulberg, Kahna, Model Town, Chungi Amar Sidhu areas as well as different phases of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) among others, The Current reached out to sources within security agencies to confirm the origin of the sound.

Upon inquiry, this scribe was told that the heavy artillery fire was a part of test firing by Pakistani forces in the Walton area of the provincial capital.

It merits a mention that an Indian drone was also shot down in the Walton area of Lahore early on Thursday morning. Videos of the incident showed people rushing to take cover as the drone flew across Lahore’s airspace with war sirens blared across the area.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry also confirmed the Indian drone’s flight in Lahore.

In a press briefing, the ISPR director general (DG) further said that 12 Indian Harop drones were shot down in various parts of the country since last night.

Addressing the media, he detailed that armed forces being at a “high state of alert and vigilance” neutralised drones in Lahore, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Bahawalpur, Miano, Karachi, Chhor, Rawalpindi and Attock.

The ISPR DG said that one drone crashed near Lahore, while others were taken down close to Rawalpindi, Chakwal and Karachi, adding that four Pakistan Army men sustained injuries in Lahore while one civilian was martyred in Miano, Sindh.