Tag: Punjab government

  • Indian conjoined twins get a job, two salaries

    Conjoined twins from Amritsar Sohna and Mohna landed a job at the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited in India. The job has allotted them both two salaries, of about 20,000 Pakistani rupees each, a total of around 40,000 Pakistani rupees.

    The twins were born in New Delhi on June 14, 2003 with two hearts, arms, kidneys and spinal cords, but a shared liver, gall bladder and legs.

    After their birth, the twins were abandoned by their parents and raised in an orphanage.

    Sohna, along with Mohna, look after the electrical appliances at PSPCL, an official said. The twins have an ITI diploma (electrical).

    The twins thanked the Punjab government for providing them this opportunity.

    The twins have an affinity toward music and can play harmonium and sing hymns.

  • CM Buzdar cancels overseas convention over differences with Governor Punjab

    Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Usman Buzdar has reportedly ordered to cancel the first ‘Overseas Global Convention’ of nearly 1,000 overseas Pakistanis living around the world, reports Murtaza Ali Shah for Geo News.

    The media outlet report states that CM Punjab has said that affairs related to the event were being used for the projection of a “few groups” and that many who had travelled to Pakistan were considered close to Governor Punjab Muhammad Sarwar.

    “The Punjab Chief Minister gets intelligence reports from various sources. Evidence was shown to him that many people who were invited as main guests of the event defamed Buzdar in WhatsApp groups and social media,” revealed the source.

    “They belong to a particular group which doesn’t align ideologically with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and criticises Usman Buzdar’s policies, who has the full trust of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. The governor’s remarks in London about the International Monetary Fund (IMF) taking over Pakistan have not gone down well with the power circles.”

    However, according to the organisers, the convention which has cost tens of thousands of dollars was cancelled due to “security reasons”. On the contrary, a source close to Governor Punjab has rejected the allegations that the event is not an initiative of the Governor House and said, “The Governor House is one of the most secure places in the country, we have no idea what the security issue was. A dinner event at the Governor House will be organised for those who have travelled to Pakistan from overseas as the convention has been cancelled.”

    PM Khan’s involvement:

    According to the details in the report, PM Khan had accepted the invitation by the Overseas Pakistani Commission Punjab Vice Chairman Syed Makhdoom Tariq Ul Hassan. The premier was also expected to address the convention.

    Upon asking, whether PM Khan was aware or not that the convention had been cancelled at the last minute, the Punjab government source said that the CM takes decisions on his own and later takes the premier into confidence when needed.

  • Over 2,900 FIRs registered against the smog in Punjab

    Over 2,900 FIRs registered against the smog in Punjab

    According to the Punjab Relief Commissioner Babar Hayat Tarar, the province has registered over 2,970 First Information Report (FIR) in less than three months (October 1 to December 18) to tackle the smog problem, reports Geo News.

    A heavy fine has been imposed on industrial emissions, stubble burning, and traffic violations.

    The commissioner also stated that the smog has been reduced as a result of effective government measures.

    In the past few weeks, travel had been affected due to smog and poor visibility.

    The Motorway-2 (M2) from Bhera, M4 from Shershah to Shamkot, and M5 from the Jalalpur interchange to Shershah and from Rohri to Guddu were also blocked due to fog and smog.

    Recently, several flights from the Lahore and Sialkot airports faced delays and four flights scheduled for Lahore were diverted to Islamabad. The schedule of trains from Karachi and Quetta was also affected.

  • ‘Local government elections can’t be held with EVMs, says Shibli Faraz

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz has said that electronic voting machines (EVMs) are not designed for the type of local government elections we have in Pakistan.

    Shibli said that the EVMs could be used only for direct elections of nazims of tehsils and districts for which there is only one panel of contestants.

    Faraz said that in our local government elections there are multiple panels for different types of seats.

    On the other hand, the Election Commission demanded that it wanted to see the new draft Local Government Amendment Act by the Punjab government to hold the coming LG polls under Electronic Voting Machines. 

    Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Punjab President Rana Sanaullah said that if the government tries to hold the upcoming elections using EVMs he will burn them.

  • PTI’s Aleem Khan resigns as minister to maintain neutrality of his ‘news channel’

    PTI’s Aleem Khan resigns as minister to maintain neutrality of his ‘news channel’

    Punjab Minister of Food Abdul Aleem Khan has resigned from the provincial cabinet headed by Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Usman Buzdar.

    Aleem took to Twitter to announce his resignation and tweeted, “I am grateful to them [government] for accepting my request. I am sending my resignation to CM Buzdar.”

    He revealed that he has met with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and persuaded him that it is important for him [Aleem] to resign.

    “In today’s meeting with the PM, I have persuaded him that in order to maintain neutrality with regard to my news channel Samaa News, it is necessary for me not to hold any government post. Therefore, accept my resignation as Punjab Minister of Food,” tweeted Aleem.

    After the alleged audiotape of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, Samaa News, a private news channel ran a news story, claiming that CJP Nasir’s clip appeared to be “pieced together” from two of his own speeches.

    In September, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader Aleem Khan officially became the owner of Samaa News.

  • Punjab government revokes ban on TLP

    Punjab government revokes ban on TLP

    The government on Sunday revoked the ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

    The notification in this regard was issued by the Ministry of Interior on Sunday, a day before a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security is being held in the National Assembly in which the Opposition members are expected to debate on this matter.

     “The provincial cabinet has considered the request of the organisation and in view of the assurance and commitment by the organisation, is of the opinion that the said organisation shall abide by the Constitution and laws of the country and therefore, keeping in view the larger national interest and long term perspective to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future, the government of Punjab has proposed to the federal government to consider revoking of proscription of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan,” read the notification.

    “In exercise of the powers conferred under sub-section (1) of Section 11U of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (as amended), the federal government is pleased to remove the name of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan from the First Schedule of the said Act as a proscribed organisation for the purposes of the said Act,” said the notification.

    TLP had been placed in the First Schedule as a proscribed organisation by the federal government on April 15 this year on the recommendation of the Home Department of Punjab.

    The Punjab government initiated the process to unban TLP last week. Punjab Home Department sent a summary for the revocation of the TLP ban to Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Usman Buzdar and his cabinet.

  • After three policemen dead, Sheikh Rasheed finds ‘TLP leader Saad Rizvi more cooperative than others’

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, while speaking at a press conference about the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) protests in the country, stated that he found the party’s leader Saad Hussain Rizvi “more cooperative” than others, reports Geo News.

    He said the government has reached an understanding, and negotiations with the banned organisation are going well. In the press conference, he shared an agreement between the government and the TLP which will be presented in the National Assembly (NA) as per the minister.

    He further clarified that the government was not interested in a confrontation with any organisation while mentioning that “no one should damage public property as well.”

    According to the interior minister, he wants to conclude the matter once and for all because something new happens every six months and people face difficulties, reported Dawn.

    According to Rasheed, the government will guard the commitment made to the banned organisation.

    Regarding Rizvi’s release, the minister said, “A lot of other people insist on freeing him right now. Decisions cannot be taken right now. There is a legal process that we will follow. We will talk to the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan [who is currently in Saudi Arabia] after his return tomorrow.”

    He further said the premier had instructed his principal secretary before leaving for the visit to ask the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to unfreeze the accounts of TLP madrassah and to allow them to open new ones.

    Furthermore, he disclosed that he had requested to not be included in the government’s negotiating committee because as per him [Rasheed] “it is not the work of the interior ministry but the Punjab government”, but the idea was rejected on the insistence of Saad Rizvi and another TLP leader, Ghulam Ghaus Baghdadi.

    Earlier, the federal government announced that the cases against the TLP workers would be withdrawn by Wednesday (Oct 27) and assured them that the authorities would also oversee the charges imposed under the fourth schedule.

    Under the Fourth Schedule, the suspects of terrorism and sectarianism are placed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

    In a tweet, Rasheed said, “We have released 350 TLP workers up to now.”

    Because of last week’s protest in Lahore, three policemen were martyred in clashes with TLP while the banned organisation had claimed that their 500 workers were injured.

  • Lahore police on high alert as TLP demand the release of Saad Rizvi

    Lahore police on high alert as TLP demand the release of Saad Rizvi

    Lahore police were put on high alert on Wednesday after the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) resumed protest activities by staging a massive sit-in on Multan Road near its headquarters at Masjid Rehmatul-lil-Aalemeen, for the release of TLP chief Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi, son of late Khadim Rizvi.

    Rizvi is detained by the Punjab government since April 12 for “maintenance of public order (MPO)”. He was initially detained for three months and then again under the Anti-Terrorist Act on July 10. A federal review board is scheduled to take up the government’s reference against him on October 23, reports Dawn.

    A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) is yet to be constituted to hear an appeal of the government against a decision of a single bench that had set aside the detention of the TLP leader.

    Earlier, the TLP took out a massive rally on 12th of Rabiul Awal (Tuesday), where its senior leaders delivered fiery speeches, accusing the government of using delay tactics in releasing Saad Rizvi.

  • LHC asks Punjab Govt to submit report over ‘discriminatory’ behaviour towards transgenders

    LHC asks Punjab Govt to submit report over ‘discriminatory’ behaviour towards transgenders

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued notices to the Punjab government, chief secretary, and inspector general ordering them to submit a report on Punjab police’s “discriminatory” actions toward transgender people, Arshad Ali reports for Samaa News.

    “Articles 4, 18, and 25 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, provide a shield against any kind of discrimination especially in respect to a job or profession to earn a livelihood but the act of the respondents not to permit transgender persons to compete with the other applicants offends against the said provisions of the Constitution,” the court observed.

    Sira Ashi, a transgender woman from Lahore, filed a court suit against the police earlier this month. She claimed that despite meeting all conditions, the Punjab police have been “discriminatory” in their treatment of transgender people by refusing to hire them.

    The court also noted that the Transgender Persons Act, 2018, is not being implemented by public functionaries during the recruitment process. “Let notices be issued to the respondents (Punjab government, chief secretary, and inspector-general) with the direction to file their report before the next date of hearing,” Justice Khan directed.

  • ‘Find those who opened fire on my house,’ PML-N’s Khurram Dastgir tells Punjab govt

    Unidentified suspects opened fire on the side gate of senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khurram Dastgir’s house Sunday night, he revealed in a press conference on Tuesday, reports Geo News.

    He called the firing incident a “failure of [the] Punjab government to enforce law and order” in the province.

    “You could not find the kidnappers of the presiding officers in the Daska by-polls. At least find those who opened fire on my house,” Dastgir said.

     “The firing on my house was a conspiracy to harass the Opposition,” said Dastgir.

    Dastgir also said that women and children were present inside the house when the incident took place.

    He said that no action was taken, despite the administration being informed about it.