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Tag: Punjab

  • PMLN, PPP ki dosti? MQMP k sath PMLN elections mein? What is happening?

    PMLN, PPP ki dosti? MQMP k sath PMLN elections mein? What is happening?

    Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari have agreed to collaborate for the betterment of the country during a recent telephonic conversation, Geo news has revealed.

    The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) expressed their commitment to jointly tackle crucial issues affecting the nation.

    Zardari reportedly extended congratulations to Sharif on his return to Pakistan on October 21 after spending four years in self-imposed exile in London.

    Both leaders underscored the significance of the participation of all stakeholders in the collective effort to steer the country towards stability and progress, according to reliable sources.

    Acknowledging the pressing concern of inflation, the leaders also discussed plans to alleviate the burden on the public. In light of their discussion, it is anticipated that a high-level meeting will soon be convened to deliberate on crucial matters.

    The timing of their conversation coincided with the directive given to their respective party workers to gear up for the forthcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.

    Notably, the PPP and the PML-N were previously coalition partners in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government, which came into power following the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    However, while the news of the conversation has been making rounds, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari downplayed its significance, emphasizing that the PPP remains open to collaborating with all political parties.

    Contradicting earlier reports, PPP Central Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi denied any direct communication between Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, urging the public to verify the authenticity of such claims before spreading them.

    He took to X (former Twitter) and said, “I would like to clarify that the news of Mr. Mian Nawaz Sharif contacting President Asif Ali Zardari is false and holds no truth. We urge everyone to verify information before spreading it.”

    In related developments, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday announced that they would be jointly contesting the upcoming general elections scheduled to take place on February 8, 2024.

    The development comes following a meeting of an MQM-P delegation led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Farooq Sattar, and Syed Mustafa Kamal with the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in Lahore at the party’s Model Town secretariat.

    Later, speaking to the media, senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said, “It has been decided that both parties will contest February 8 polls jointly”.

    Amidst escalating political activities, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and President Arif Alvi have reached an agreement to hold the general elections on February 8, adhering to the Supreme Court’s directives following a case regarding the delay of elections.

    Following the electoral alliance between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has said that he welcomes his opponent’s intention to stand in elections.

    “We will stand against our opponents that are coming in elections and we welcome them,” Zardari said while addressing party works in Ghotki’s Khangarh. 

    The former president was of the view that when people who oppose each other contest elections then the competition among them delivers the “best results”. 

  • Government announces public holiday on November 9

    Government announces public holiday on November 9

    The federal government has announced a public holiday on November 9 on account of Iqbal Day.

    “November 9, Thursday, will be a public holiday across the country,” said a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Friday.

    November 9 is celebrated as Iqbal Day nationwide in honour of Dr. Allama Mohammad Iqbal’s birthday, marking his 146th birth anniversary this year.

    Allama Iqbal played a vital role in encouraging millions of Muslims across the subcontinent to struggle for their separate homeland, where they could live freely.

    The day would begin with mosques holding special prayers for the advancement and well-being of Pakistan.

    Dr. Iqbal, born on November 9, 1877, in Sialkot, is widely recognised as the ‘Poet of the East’ in Pakistan and various other regions around the world.

    Iqbal was an acclaimed poet and philosopher.

  • PPP ready to form alliance with PTI in Punjab

    PPP ready to form alliance with PTI in Punjab

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab chapter has expressed its willingness to form an alliance with any political party, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), against Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), in the upcoming general elections in Punjab, Geo reported on Wednesday.

    “PPP opponents are making alliances, and the party is also ready to devise its strategy for the upcoming elections,” said PPP Punjab acting president Rana Farooq Saeed at a press conference after a meeting.

    Former state minister Tasneem Qureshi, Secretary Information PPP Punjab Shahzad Saeed Cheema, Mian Azhar Hassan Dar, Ali Sanwal, Azhar Awan, Haji Azizur Rehman Chan, and others attended the huddle.

    Shahzad Saeed Cheema criticised PML-N for depending on deals, stating that PML-N could not sustain a competitive stance without a deal in its favour. He further said that the party led by former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ensures a “level playing field” only for itself in the elections.

    The PPP constantly emphasised the importance of a “level playing field” for all political parties taking part in the upcoming general elections, which are scheduled for January 2024.

  • Lahore High Court issues directives on safety, environmental hazards

    Lahore High Court issues directives on safety, environmental hazards

    Lahore High Court has issued a written order pertaining to environmental problems and safety hazards on roads.

    The court order said that those who use green belts for parking should be fined Rs 5,000, forwarding the order to all housing societies and authorities concerned.

    The court has also ordered the shutting down of polluting brick kilns, and filing criminal cases against the officials who do not take action against the kilns.

    Additionally, the court ordered the CTO to impose a fine of Rs 2,000 on motorcycle riders without helmets and this order will be enforced across the province.

    The Dolphin police have also been directed to keep a check on people in case of violation of the latest orders.

    Reforestation

    The Lahore High Court also shed light on the importance of reforestation, pointing at the Miyawaki model where more urban forests should be planted.

    To ensure that they meet the necessary environmental standards, the LDA will be closely working with the Environment Department while planning and executing development projects.

    Additionally, strict action is to be taken against kilns emitting black smoke which is one of the major contributors to poor air quality.

  • No social media allowed for Punjab Government employees

    No social media allowed for Punjab Government employees

    The Services and General Administration Department Punjab has issued a letter to government officers restricting them from expressing their personal opinions on social media and commenting on conventional as well as social media.

    In view of the increasing trend of using social media among newly recruited government officers, the Punjab government has imposed a ban on Grade 17 officers, including assistant commissioners, on expressing their opinions on social media and media.
    The letter says that according to the civil services rules, giving statements in the media and social media based on one’s personal opinion is a violation of the rules.

    The letter says, “The young officers of PAS/PMS in BS-17, posted against various slots in the field as well as in the Secretariat, are considered as the face of the Provincial Government. However, it has been observed with grave-concern that these officers often engage themselves with social media i.e. Websites, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microblogging, TikTok, YouTube etc, without taking into consideration of its fall out amongst public at large, especially using the social media in official capacity.”

    It further states, “Often, the views/ comments/ conduct/ personal opinion of the officers, may either harm the national security; or offend public order, decency or morality; or amount to contempt of court or defamation or incitement to an offence; or propagate sectarian creeds and capable of embarrassing the government, which is tantamount to misconduct and inefficiency under the rules.”

    It also warned that strict action will be taken against those violating the instructions.

  • Punjab mein kahan ho rahi hai sab say ziada bijli chori?

    Punjab mein kahan ho rahi hai sab say ziada bijli chori?

    Ever wondered which district in Punjab has the highest percentage of electricity theft? Well, surprise, surprise, it is Kasur.

    Kasur has left all districts behind when it comes to power theft, as almost half of the total 20 highest loss-making grid stations of Punjab exist there, causing Rs40 billion losses annually, which is 40 percent of the total theft costing nearly Rs 100bn to Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) in the province.

    LESCO has intensified operations against electricity theft in the district.

    “There are total 103 high-loss feeders in all service areas of Lesco falling in Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib. Of these, 77 feeders are in Kasur alone, placing the district on top of the list in power theft,” a LESCO source told Dawn.

    Interestingly, the power thieves stopped pilferage during the daytime due to continuous raids by LESCO teams and resorted to theft during night hours.

    It is pertinent to note that when it was brought to the knowledge of the most senior officials, they directed the authorities in Lahore to suspend supply to such areas during night hours to stop the pilferage. Following this, the power supply was kept suspended for almost 12 hours on Monday night forcing the consumers to involve local politicians (former MNAs, MPAs, etc.) from Kasur and other parts of the division, who approached LESCO management.

    Meanwhile, a senior official of the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) confirmed the development, saying Kasur is like a tribal area causing billions of rupees loss to LESCO because of massive electricity theft.

    “In Punjab, the government has been facing a loss of Rs99bn in the form of power theft. Of this, about Rs40bn theft is being reported from Kasur district (Lahore Division) alone, annually,” the official says.

    There are around 20 highest loss-making grid stations in Punjab, out of which nine are in Kasur district alone, LESCO has, however, been asked not to shut the supply to the high-loss feeders after the local politicians assured of full cooperation with the field teams in eliminating power theft.

    The official says one of the reasons behind the massive power theft in Kasur is that the district includes border areas and belts along the riverbeds of Sutlej and Beas where law enforcement is a hard task.

    “These areas have almost become like tribal belts where criminals routinely flout the law. That is why they are stealing electricity without fear,” he explains.

    Meanwhile, on the 26th consecutive day of the anti-power theft drive, LESCO teams arrested 132 power thieves and detected pilferage on 501 connections in all five districts. According to a spokesman, the applications for registration of FIRs against 498 electricity thieves have been submitted to the respective police stations, out of which 391 FIRs have been registered, while 132 accused have been arrested.

    An official says the connections where power theft was detected include two industrial, nine agricultural, 13 commercial, and 477 domestic, adding that supply to all these has been disconnected. He says all the electricity pilferers have also been charged a total of 758,052 detection units worth Rs39.980 million.

    He says that separately constituted teams also recovered Rs21 million from 1,359 chronic defaulters on Tuesday.

  • No more advantage points for Hafiz-e-Quran in medical admissions

    No more advantage points for Hafiz-e-Quran in medical admissions

    As per the new policy, Hafiz-e-Quran candidates applying to medical colleges will no longer be given additional marks in their application process.

    Concurring with Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Punjab Health Department confirmed that the policy has been revoked.

    According to the previous policy, Hafiz-e-Quran candidates were given an addition of 20 marks in merit calculation during the admissions process

    The marks remained a part of the admission procedure till it came to Supreme Court’s notice in April under a six-member bench, led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

    The PMDC’s lawyer, Afnan Kundi, stated during the proceedings that the policy had already been revoked.

    With no conflict over the matter raised, Justice Ijazul Ahsan closed the suo motu case.

    Eliminating advantage points is considered to be a fair move in creating an equal opportunity and chances for candidates to qualify through a merit-based system.

  • 15,105 pink eye cases reported in 24 hours in Punjab

    15,105 pink eye cases reported in 24 hours in Punjab

    Conjunctivitis infections are increasing in Punjab with 15,105 new cases reported during the last 24 hours.

    According to Primary Health Punjab, 3 lakh 79 thousand 690 cases of conjunctivitis were reported this year.

    Moreover, 22,481 cases were reported in Lahore this year, while 916 new patients were reported in the past 24 hours.

    Whereas in Multan and Faisalabad, 1217 and 1827 cases were reported respect yesterday.

    Due to the outbreak of conjunctivitis, schools across Punjab will remain closed until Monday.

  • 21 million more voters registered since 2018: ECP

    21 million more voters registered since 2018: ECP

    Compared to the statistics of the 2018 general elections, the number of voters in Pakistan has increased by 21 million 24 thousand and 863 voters.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has said that the total number of voters has reached 126,980,272, while the total number of voters in the country in the 2018 general elections was 105,955,409.

    The number of male voters in 2023 has increased to 68,508,258; while the number of female voters has increased to 58,472,014.

    This means that the number of male voters is 10,036,244 more than women.

    Province-wise increase in voters

    Punjab

    Voters in Punjab have increased by one crore 16 lakh 37 thousand (11,637,811).

    2018: 60,672,771

    2023: 72,310,582

    Sindh

    In total, an increase of 42 lakh 59 thousand (4,259,917) voters has been recorded in Sindh.

    2018: 22,391,244

    2023: 26,651,161

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

    In total, 63 lakh 78 thousand (6,378,212) voters have increased in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    2018: 15,314,169

    2023: 21,692,381

    Balochistan

    The number of voters in the province has increased by 9 lakh 58 thousand (985,100) voters.

    2018: 4,299,494

    2023: 5,284,594 

    Islamabad

    Number of voters in the federal capital has increased by 2 lakh 76 thousand (276,107) voters.

    2018: 765,447

    2023: 1,041,554

    Age-wise voter statistcis:

  • ‘Spread love not hate’: AP Dhillon supports Shubhneet Singh

    ‘Spread love not hate’: AP Dhillon supports Shubhneet Singh

    Canadian-Indian rapper Shubhneet Singh is facing backlash from conservative politicians and social media users accusing him of being a Khalistan supporter, after the rapper’s post from March recirculated around social media. Several cricket players like Virat Kohli, Hardick Panday and KL Rahul had unfollowed the rapper on Instagram following the controversy.

    Singh’s tour in India in September was cancelled, after sponsor BoAt announced they were no longer sponsoring the tour as they announced in a post on their X, formerly Twitter, account.

    “At boAt, while our commitment to the incredible music community runs deep, we are first and foremost a true Indian brand. Therefore, when we became aware of the remarks made by artist Shubh earlier this year, we chose to withdraw our sponsorship from the tour.”

    BookMyShow, the online ticket portal confirmed on their X account that they were refunding customers who had purchased ticket’s for Shubh’s concert in Mumbai and other cities.

    In light of these accusations, Indian rapper AP Dhillon released a lengthy statement on his Instagram stories where he publicly sided with the ‘We Rollin’ rapper, condemning the way artists are targeted by special interest and political groups.

    “As an artist it has become almost impossible to stay focused on your craft and do what you love. I try to be mindful of everyone’s sentiments but it has gotten to a point where we have to second and triple guess our every move due to the fear of unintentionally fueling even more division.”

    “Spread love, not hate,” wrote the ‘Brown Munde’ rapper. “Let’s start thinking for ourselves and not let hateful influences program our beliefs. We are ALL one. Let’s not let man made social constructs divide us. Division has gotten us to this point but unity is the key to the future.”

    Shubhneet Singh addressed the backlash in a lengthy statement posted on his Instagram account and said he found the allegations “extremely disheartening.”

    “My intent in resharing that post on my story was only to pray for Punjab as there were reports of electricity and internet shutdowns throughout the state. There was no other thought behind it, and I definitely didn’t intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments.”

    The backlash to Shubh arrives after relations between India and Canada took a sour turn when Justin Trudeau publicly accused the Indian government for being involved in the death of the Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who had been a vocal supporter of setting up a separate state for Sikhs living in India.

    “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” said Trudeau.

    “In the strongest possible terms, I continue to urge the government of India to cooperate with Canada to get to the bottom of this matter.”

    READ MORE: Canadian Punjabi rapper’s India tour cancelled as diplomatic row continues

    After the Instagram post by Shubhneet went viral, the youth wing of the BJP party in India BJYMP filed an FIR against the rapper with the Mumbai Police, calling Singh a Khalistan supporter.

    “Shubh is openly a Khalistani supporter,” the complaint read. “And if he is allowed to hold a concert here, he will be influencing a lot of youth in Mumbai and our country to support his agenda…He has evidently proven that he is a pro-Khalistani activist and openly supports their agenda and [he] is also influencing the youth of the country to do the same and wage a war against the Government of India by posting such absurd and derogatory post about Government of India.”