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Tag: Punjab government

  • ‘Humein bhi Imran Khan wali luxuries chahiye’; prisoners demand equal treatment

    ‘Humein bhi Imran Khan wali luxuries chahiye’; prisoners demand equal treatment

    In a new development, prisoners across the province of Punjab have demanded the same special facilities provided to founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan in Adiala Jail.

    The inmates penned a letter to Punjab prisons inspector general expressing their desire to be given the same amenities as Imran Khan.

    In the letter, concerns were expressed about the “open violation” of the Prison Rules 1978 regarding the services available to the former Prime Minister.

    Khan is currently incarcerated in a better-class (B-class) facilities prison at Adiala Jail under high security due to his status of being a former ruler of the country.

    Geo News reported that there is a dedicated kitchen for preparing Khan’s meals and he occupies two of the seven special cells, typically accommodating 35 prisoners. The remaining five of the cells remain vacant for security reasons.

    The details, stated in a report submitted to the Lahore High Court by a jail superintendent last month, also include that Khan uses a yard equipped with exercise machines and other amenities for his daily walks and recreational activities.

  • Punjab main koora tax?

    Punjab main koora tax?

    Express News has reported that the Punjab government has decided to hire local private companies instead of municipal services for waste management of 37 districts in the province.

    The government also intends to put a waste management tax on the public but it is unclear that what kind of tax it’ll be.

    The government plans to start waste management services in the next five to six months.

    Express News reported that there are no private waste management companies in some districts such as Sahiwal so the government has instructed authorities to facilitate private companies.

    In the past, the Punjab government in Lahore had given these contracts to foreign companies which became a burden on the national exchequer due to payments in dollars.

    That is why this time Punjab government intends to hire local companies.

    Rural areas will be provided with better waste management services as well.

  • Over 100,000 students register for interest-free motorcycle initiative

    Over 100,000 students register for interest-free motorcycle initiative

    The Punjab government has announced a significant initiative to offer interest-free motorcycles to students, with over 100,000 registrations received through the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) e-bike portal.

    This scheme aims to provide 20,000 motorcycles to students in Punjab, allowing them easier and more affordable transportation options.

    According to the PITB on Tuesday, the e-Bikes Portal has facilitated students across Punjab to register for the initiative, with more than 16,000 online applications already submitted.

    Out of these, over 13,500 students have applied for petrol bikes, while more than 3,800 have opted for e-bikes.

    The portal remains open for further applications, encouraging students to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

    The initiative offers a flexible down payment and monthly instalment plan, with the government covering the markup on both.

    This arrangement allows students to manage the cost of their motorcycles over time without the burden of interest, making it a more accessible option for those who rely on personal transportation for their education.

    Eligible applicants must be regular students of government or private graduate colleges or universities, aged 18 or older, and possess a valid driving license or learner permit.

    In the initial phase, the distribution of e-bikes will focus on the cities of Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, and Rawalpindi. Petrol bikes will be distributed across other districts of Punjab.

    The deadline for applications is April 29, and interested students can register through the e-Bikes Portal [bikes.punjab.gov.pk].

    PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf highlighted the transparency of the system, emphasizing that the initiative aligns with the broader goal of facilitating education across Punjab.

    He stated that the program’s aim is to make it easier for students to access motorcycles, enhancing their mobility and supporting their educational journey.

  • Nawaz Sharif criticises increase in gas, power rates under IMF pressure

    Nawaz Sharif criticises increase in gas, power rates under IMF pressure

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif criticised the increase in rates of electricity and gas prices after directives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to do so.

    The former prime minister raised concerns regarding the increase in rates of gas and power during a meeting with the Punjab government. The Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, was also present in the meeting.

    The leader of the PML-N commented on high inflation, questioning how much more the nation could endure. He urged authorities to solve the issue of costly electricity for small farmers by giving them solar panels.

    Senior provincial minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information Minister Azma Bukhari, Transport Minister Bilal Akbar, MPA Sania Ashiq, provincial chief secretary, Planning and Development Board chairman, Transport secretary, and other officials concerned were also present at the meeting.

    The PML-N supremo also said that small farmers should be rewarded for their hard work and should be saved from the exploitation of big farmers.

  • Underage driver was guilty in DHA accident case: Police report

    Underage driver was guilty in DHA accident case: Police report

    An interim challan (investigation report) has been filed against the teenage driver Afnan Shafqat and four others in the case of road accident in DHA Phase 7, Lahore, last November that had claimed lives of six members of a family.

    Underage driver Afnan Shafqat, his father Shafqat Ali and friends, Ali Abdullah, Muhammad Saad and Muhammad Ibrahim, have been declared guilty of multiple offences in the challan.

    The police investigation has laid out that the teenage suspect and his friends first harassed women passengers in the vehicle before hitting their car.

    Afnan’s father, Shafqat, a property dealer, had been accused of illegally letting his underage son drive the car.

    The report also stated that a request had been sent to the concerned authorities to conduct an ossification test for determining the age of the main suspect but a positive response was still awaited. It said the age of the suspect, as per the birth certificate, was 17 years and 27 days on the day of the accident.

    Judge Naveed Iqbal directed the police to produce the suspect on March 11.

    The judge also summoned other suspects through notices.

  • Fee increased for driving licenses in Punjab

    Fee increased for driving licenses in Punjab


    The Punjab government has announced a new fee schedule for different vehicles, which will be implemented from January 16.


    The driving license fee for motorcycles and motorcycle-rickshaws is reduced from Rs. 550 to 500 while the fee for other vehicles has been greatly increased.

    For instance, the license fee for the Motorcar Jeep has been increased from Rs. 950 to 1800. The detailed schedule is mentioned in the tweet below.


    According to the official statement released by the Lahore Traffic Police, you can now apply online via the website https://dlims.punjab.gov.pk/. You can also download e-challans from the same portal.


    Licenses can be applied for via helpline number 735. The fine for driving any vehicle without a license is Rs. 2000.


    Additionally, driving a bike without a helmet will also be fine with Rs. 2000.

  • Smart lockdown imposed in ten districts of Punjab including Lahore

    Smart lockdown imposed in ten districts of Punjab including Lahore

    Seeing the deteriorating air quality in Punjab, the government has imposed a smart lockdown in different regions of the province, including Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikupura, Kusur, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin. Under the smart lockdown, travel is restricted.

    Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabil Javed has ordered restricting normal life in Lahore and Gujranwala divisions, as per a handout.

    According to the decision, all public and private educational institutions will remain closed on Saturday in these districts. However, educational institutions can organise online classes, if they want. Nabil Javed further said the markets, shops, cinemas, and offices will be closed till 3 pm.

    In a crackdown against smoke-emitting vehicles, district authorities in Hafizabad have suspended route permits of more than fifty cars and halted 1300 vehicles altogether.

  • Supreme Court fines Punjab govt Rs10 Lacs for wasting its time

    Supreme Court fines Punjab govt Rs10 Lacs for wasting its time

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan has imposed a fine of ten lacs (Rs1 million) on the Punjab government for wasting its time by filing a frivolous case, ordering the administration to pay the money to the owner of the land they used without permission.

    The three-membered bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa dismissed the provincial government’s appeal filed against the verdicts of an appellate court along with the high court in favour of the land owner.

    The case was about a piece of land that the Punjab government constructed a road on in Gujranwala in 2007. The nine-marlas were never paid for. Liaqat Ali, the affected man, took to court, challenging the government and both lower courts decided in his favour.

    In the hearing on Monday, the Chief Justice questioned how the state built a road on the land without the permission of its owner and without paying him. “Neither the owner had gifted his land for construction of the road nor the state had acquired the said land,” Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked and asked the Additional Advocate General Punjab as to why he had filed such a frivolous application in the court. “Is it our job to teach the provincial law officer the constitution,” the CJP reproached.

  • SBP orders bank closures in smog-affected Punjab districts

    SBP orders bank closures in smog-affected Punjab districts

    On Wednesday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced the closure of bank branches in Lahore division and certain districts of Punjab severely affected by smog.

    According to a statement issued by the central bank, all banks and Micro Finance Banks (MFBs) are required to keep their branches closed in Lahore Division, including Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, and Kasur districts, as well as Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sialkot, and Narowal districts, on November 10.

    This decision was made in accordance with a notification from the Punjab government dated November 8, 2023. The Punjab government declared an “environmental and health emergency” in Lahore and two other divisions from November 9 to 12 to address the smog’s impact.

    According to the notification, all markets, shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas, gymnasiums, schools, and both public and private offices will remain closed for four days in Lahore, Gujranwala, and Hafizabad divisions. Public and private transport to and from these areas will also be restricted.

    Section-144 and health emergencies have been imposed in the Lahore division to control smog, following deteriorating air quality in the region over the past few days. Section 144 has been imposed in Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, and Nankana Sahib districts.

    During environmental and health emergencies, educational institutions, government and private offices, cinemas, parks, and restaurants will remain closed, and markets will be shut on Saturday, as specified in the notification.

  • Schools will remain open on Wednesday: Punjab Government

    Schools will remain open on Wednesday: Punjab Government

    Caretaker Education Minister for Punjab, Mansoor Qadir, confirmed that the government has chosen not to close educational institutions in the province this coming Wednesday, October 18, taking a u-turn from the administration’s previous plan. 

    Discussions were held by caretakers about the possibility of temporarily shutting down schools and offices on Wednesdays, in addition to regular weekends, as a government measure to counter smog. 

    Recent rainfall has significantly contributed to an improvement in the air quality in Lahore, the provincial capital most affected by the smog. This positive development has prompted the ruling authorities to delay the implementation of the proposed closure.

    Minister Qadir stated during the press conference, “Schools will remain open this Wednesday. We will continue to convene meetings to address the smog issue and make future decisions accordingly.”

    During the same briefing, Caretaker Information Minister Aamir Mir highlighted the annual health risks posed by the smog. “Raising awareness about the consequences of smog is essential for the public,” he emphasized.The government has taken measures, including the enforcement of Section 144 to curb smog, and has imposed restrictions on vehicles to prevent further exacerbation of the situation