LAHORE: Pakistan Railways (PR) on Tuesday signed agreements with a Chinese and a Pakistani company for laying optical fibre at the Right of Way (RoW) on two major routes of the rail network. The companies have also paid the charges of over Rs333 million in advance to the department, according to a senior official privy to a meeting held here at the PR’s headquarters to sign the agreements. “The entire payment has been made in advance to the department at the rate of Rs36 per metre for laying optical fibre at the PR’s right of way. The first route where…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
ISLAMABAD: The government has notified the introduction of a contributory fund scheme for new entrants to the civil government and armed forces of Pakistan. The finance ministry said the federal government employees would contribute 10 per cent of their basic pay while the government would contribute 20pc. It said the government had decided that in future the contributory pension fund scheme shall be introduced for all the civil employees of the federal government, including the civilian paid from the defence estimates who were appointed on a regular basis or after July 1, 2024. “This scheme shall also be applicable to the armed…
QUETTA: A police officer was martyred in a targeted attack by unknown gunmen in Quetta on Tuesday. Sub-Inspector Amanullah was en route to the Amir Muhammad Shaheed police station when his vehicle was ambushed near his residence in the Killi Deeba area. The officer sustained severe injuries and succumbed to his wounds at the Civil Hospital. Hospital officials confirmed that the officer, who was serving as an investigation officer, suffered multiple bullet wounds. After completing the medico-legal formalities, his body was returned to the police. Authorities have classified the attack as a case of ‘target killing’ and are investigating the…
LAHORE: A staggering fall of up to 60 per cent in the production of cotton both in Punjab and Sindh by Aug 31 has rung alarm bells in the textile sector, which is forced to meet its lint requirements from the foreign markets at the cost of precious foreign exchange. A difference of over 0.3 million bales in the crop figures released by Punjab’s Crop Reporting Service (CRS) and Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) confuses the industry about its future procurement strategy. The data shared by the PCGA showed that around 1.226m bales reached ginning factories across the country by…
ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reserved its decision on petitions challenging its June 11, 2024 order that declared all leases and allotments within the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) invalid under the Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Ordinance 1979. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa led a three-judge bench, including Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, in reviewing petitions from the Monal Group of Companies, Capital View Point Restaurant (La Montana), Sunshine Heights (Pvt) Ltd, and Brigadier (retired) Falak Naz Bangash of the defense ministry. The Supreme Court had previously ordered the…
ISLAMABAD: Development projects worth billions of rupees in Sindh, funded by the federal government, have come to a standstill following the closure of the Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak-PWD), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) informed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday. MQM chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui led a party delegation to the Prime Minister’s House, reporting that nearly all federally funded infrastructure projects in Sindh, including Rs15 billion worth for Karachi and Rs5 billion for Hyderabad, have been halted due to Pak-PWD’s shutdown. The meeting coincided with a protest by PWD employees in Islamabad, who fear job losses due to…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif awarded Rs2.5 million to Mohibullah, an excavator operator who heroically rescued a family stranded during the recent floods in Balochistan’s Qila Abdullah. The prime minister hosted Mohibullah at the Prime Minister’s House, praising his bravery and selflessness in saving lives despite the danger to his own. In August, Mohibullah risked his life to rescue seven people trapped in a vehicle caught in a flood surge in the Kolk River. “The whole nation, including myself, is proud of you,” PM Sharif said, expressing deep admiration for Mohibullah’s dedication to humanity. “You are a national hero for your…
KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a motion on Tuesday demanding the expulsion of all illegal immigrants from the province. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle described these immigrants as a “burden” on resources and a “root cause of terrorism and street crimes.” The motion, which was adopted after a discussion on an adjournment motion tabled by PPP lawmaker Heer Soho, states: “This Assembly is of the opinion that illegal immigrants residing in the Province Of Sindh belonging to other countries be extradited to their original countries.” Tensions rose during the debate when Heer Soho, in her opening speech,…
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior approved the “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024” on Tuesday, a measure aimed at establishing the first law in Pakistan to regulate peaceful protests and gatherings. Despite the approval, the bill faced opposition from committee members Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman and Senator Saifullah Abro, both of whom are affiliated with PTI. The private member bill was introduced by Senators Saleem Mandviwala, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Irfanul Haque Siddiqui, Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari, and Umer Farooq. They argued that the bill seeks to manage the increasing number of processions in Islamabad, which they claimed…
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declined to provide detailed financial information to a Senate panel, citing its status as an independent body under the constitution. The Senate’s standing committee on parliamentary affairs had requested a comprehensive briefing from ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan on the commission’s expenditures, including salaries, travel expenses, and financial details related to the Feb 8 general elections. In response, Omar Hamid Khan informed the parliamentary affairs secretary that, while the ECP supports transparency, it is not obligated to share such information with the Senate committee. The ECP, established under Article 218(2) of the…
