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Senior minister says Punjab govt dedicated to openness
Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed that the Punjab government is running its affairs with full openness, in accordance with legal obligations and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
This was spoken upon in the Punjab Assembly on Saturday. Of 437 proposals completed under the Annual Development Programme (ADP), more than 340 projects have been accepted and all approval processes will be finished by June 30, she stated.
“No project is approved in minutes. On the contrary, each project goes through a full institutional and legal process before it is approved for the benefit of the public,” she stated.
The minister said that “exemplary arrangements were made across Punjab during Muharram-ul-Haram and Ashura and these efforts should not be politicised”.
She said over 100% of the Environment department’s development budget had been spent.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif, she added, had brought Punjab’s first comprehensive Smog Mitigation Plan and modernized an Environment department which earlier did not even have basic resources.
She said that 11 contemporary environmental laboratories have been set up about Forestry and Wildlife.
She criticized the previous administration’s Billion Tree Tsunami project, saying it was a “historic fraud”. The current government monitors forests on the basis of: Tree coverage, Sustainability, Tree lifespan and Geo-surveillance.
She said “Punjab now has a Digital Forest System, German fire detection technology, AI drone surveillance, Anti-theft systems and a Special Forest Force of 600 personnel.”
“5,600 new water filtration plants are being set up and development work is being done in 2,000 villages,” Marriyum stated. The senior minister congratulated all the law enforcement forces working in operations in the riverine (Katcha) areas of Punjab.
“Rs 58 billion worth of development programmes are being carried out in these areas for providing basic facilities,” she said.
Senior Minister added that so far 500 electric buses have arrived in Punjab of which 345 have been given to South Punjab.
Marriyum Aurangzeb appreciated the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and said that the Punjab government is devoted to its objective of growth, transparency, environmental protection, public welfare and economic stability.
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FC Balochistan organises passing-out ceremony of Basic Military Training Batch 76
Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan (South) Training Center Khuzdar organised passing out parade of Basic Military Training Batch 76, in which 1,422 recruits were passed out after successful completion of their training.
Local elders, civic and military leaders and a huge number of students attended the passing out event. The occasion was attended by Commandant Khuzdar as chief guest.
Khuzdar Commandant congratulated the recruits who successfully completed their training. The recently graduated recruits also displayed the training and talents they had received during their course.
At the end of the event, recruit Muhammad Tahir was awarded IG FC Medal for his exceptional achievement.
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PM Shehbaz gets guard of honour at Kyrgyz Presidential Palace
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was accorded a red carpet greeting and a guard of honour on his arrival at Kyrgyzstan presidential residence Yntymak Ordo (residence of Unity) to visit President Sadyr Zhaparov on Wednesday.
President Zhaparov enthusiastically welcomed the prime minister upon his arrival at the venue of the official welcome reception.
PM Shehbaz receives Guard of Honour at Kyrgyz presidential palace
The two presidents stood at the salute dais while the national anthems of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan were performed.
The contingents of the Kyrgyz military forces, smartly fitted up, gave guard of honour which was reviewed by the prime minister who was in Bishkek to attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of States of Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
PM Shehbaz accorded guard of respect at Kyrgyz presidential palace
Both the leaders introduced their respective delegations to each other before going for their meeting which would be featuring discussions on bilateral as well as regional affairs.
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Lahore to combat trash, rubbish burning using e-challan system
The Suthra Punjab Authority (SPA) has introduced an e-challan system in Lahore to curb littering in public places. The system will enforce punitive penalties for infractions, including rubbish and tyre burning.
Suthra Punjab Authority Lahore Chief Executive Officer Shehryar Arif Khan said the program was being launched as a trial project involving roughly 200 commercial marketplaces and important roadways of the metropolitan metropolis including The Mall, Jail Road and Ferozepur Road.
On Tuesday, 25 teams began using the e-challan system by giving warnings to anyone spotted littering, he added. The total number of enforcement workers is 75 staff members including 50 officials and two field and supervision teams.
“September will be a grace period during which violators will be educated and warned, not fined,” said Arif Khan. As of Oct. 1, the penalties would be official.
The CEO indicated that the authority is not at present considering extending the e-challan system to residential neighbourhoods, where teams would initially concentrate on educating residents about cleanliness needs.
“We’re still not able to say when any penalties for littering in residential areas will be introduced,” he said.
During the grace period, enforcement personnel patrolling business areas and along model roads would tell offenders that littering was an offence and should not be repeated, he said.
The system was formally launched at a ceremony at Liberty Chowk attended by Lahore Deputy Commissioner Capt (retd) Ali Ejaz and Mr Khan.
Anti-littering squads have been deployed on roadways, at marketplaces and at commercial centers across the city to uncover violations and create awareness about cleanliness requirements, authorities said.
To start with, citizens who flout cleanliness norms would be issued e-challans without any monetary fine but with a warning. Officials claimed the first phase was mostly educational and to teach households on how to dispose of rubbish properly.
But repeated violations will mean enforcement action and sanctions under the Punjab Local Government Act, 2025 and the Suthra Punjab Authority Act, 2026.
Littering in public places would attract a punishment of Rs1000 to Rs10000, while not maintaining cleanliness outside a residence, shop or factory may attract a penalty ranging from Rs1000 to Rs50000.
Shops and shopping malls using banned plastic bags could be penalised Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. Burning of rubbish meanwhile might attract fines of between Rs100,000 and Rs500,000 and jail terms of up to two years.
Penalties for tyre burning are even more severe. A person or industrial unit caught burning tyres can be fined up to Rs 500,000 and jailed for up to seven years.
To make the collecting of penalties transparent, all fines will be paid through banking or digital payment systems, and officials have been forbidden from accepting cash.
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