Punjab Province

Rawalpindi: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Rawalpindi Ring Road project has entered a crucial phase as its June 30 deadline approaches, with around 90 percent of construction work completed but key portions of the project still unfinished.
According to officials of the divisional administration and Rawalpindi Development Authority, about 10 percent of the work remains pending on the Rs47 billion project.
They expressed concern that the road may not be fully completed within the deadline set by Rawalpindi Commissioner Abdul Aamer Khattak, who is also serving as the project director.
Officials said more than eight kilometres of road carpeting is still pending, while important side works related to drainage, right of way and roadside safety have also not been completed. Installation of lampposts and lights is under way and may take around a month to finish.
Even if construction work is completed by June 30, officials said the road may require additional time before it can be opened for traffic. They said the provincial government is expected to send a team to inspect the project and decide whether the road is fit for public use.
Deputy Project Director Ashfaq Sulheri said asphalt work on 38 kilometres of the road had already been completed, while work on the remaining eight-kilometre portion was likely to be completed within the stipulated time. However, he was not certain whether the road would be opened for traffic by the end of June.
He said work on the Thalian Interchange is expected to begin after the completion of the main Ring Road project, most likely in July.
The Rawalpindi Ring Road spans 38.3 kilometres from Baanth on G.T. Road to Thalian near the Motorway. The project includes five interchanges at Baanth, Maira Mohra, Khasala, Kolian Parr and Thalian. An industrial zone is also planned along the road corridor.
The Rawalpindi Development Authority is the executing agency for the project, while Frontier Works Organisation is carrying out the construction work. Around 8,992 kanals of land has been acquired for the project at a cost of Rs 6.7 billion.
The road has been designed as a six-lane controlled-access corridor with a 90-metre right of way and a design speed of 120 kilometres per hour. The project also includes two river bridges, 12 bridges over nullahs, one railway bridge near Baanth and 11 overpasses.
The Ring Road project has gone through several changes over the years. During the PTI government, a 68-kilometre alignment was initially planned, but work was later stopped following a financial scam. A revised 38.3-kilometre alignment was subsequently approved.
Former prime minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the project in March 2022. Later, the PDM government led by Shehbaz Sharif temporarily halted the project before allowing it to proceed after third-party validation. Shehbaz Sharif also laid the foundation stone at Rawat on August 8, 2023.
The project is considered one of the most important road infrastructure schemes for Rawalpindi, as it is expected to reduce traffic congestion, improve regional connectivity and support future industrial and commercial development along the corridor. However, with several components still incomplete, its formal opening for traffic may depend on inspection, safety clearance and final finishing work.

Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Lahore Development Authority has intensified its crackdown on illegal commercial buildings and commercial fee defaulters, sealing 116 properties during a large-scale operation across different areas falling under LDA control.
According to the LDA, the operation was carried out by the Town Planning Wing on the directions of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq. LDA teams conducted actions in Gulberg, Model Town Extension, GT Road, Gulshan Ravi, Samanabad, Government Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme, Mustafa Town and Azam Garden, among other locations.
During the operation, several properties were sealed over illegal commercial use, violations of building regulations and non-payment of commercial fees.
The LDA said 27 properties were sealed in Gulberg and Model Town Extension over illegal commercial use and non-payment of commercial fees. Similarly, 52 properties were sealed on GT Road, in Gulshan Ravi and Samanabad for illegal commercial use, while action was taken against 15 properties in Government Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme.
As part of the recovery operation, Town Planning Wing teams also sealed another 22 properties in Mustafa Town and Azam Garden. Officials said the purpose of these actions was to curb illegal commercial activities, recover outstanding dues and ensure implementation of LDA regulations.
The sealed properties included private schools, beauty salons, clinics, grocery stores, cafés, restaurants, food points, electric stores, estate offices, bakeries, pharmacies, auto workshops, shops, offices and other business establishments.
The operation was supervised by Chief Town Planner One Asaduz Zaman and Chief Town Planner Two Azhar Ali. LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said indiscriminate action against illegal commercial buildings and commercial fee defaulters would continue, adding that no leniency would be shown to those violating the law.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government is considering an additional allocation of Rs 39 billion for the next phase of its model villages programme under the "Maryam Nawaz Ka Sohna Punjab" initiative, as the province moves to upgrade hundreds of rural settlements with modern civic and municipal facilities.
The proposal was reviewed during a meeting held at the Civil Secretariat, chaired by Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique. Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmad, Special Secretary Shahid Zaman Lak and other senior officials attended the meeting.
During the session, the Punjab Rural Municipal Services Company briefed participants on progress made under the model villages project. Officials informed the meeting that 485 villages across Punjab are being developed under the programme. The first phase aims to provide modern municipal services to around four million people living in selected rural areas.
Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique directed the authorities concerned to take all necessary measures to complete the first phase of the project by December 2026. He said the initiative was part of the provincial government’s wider plan to improve living standards in rural communities and bring basic civic infrastructure closer to the people.
According to the details shared during the meeting, the project covers 48 villages in Bahawalpur division, 55 in Gujranwala, 63 in Multan, 39 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 41 in Sargodha, 44 in Sahiwal, 51 in Gujrat, 50 in Lahore division, 58 in Rawalpindi and 36 in Faisalabad.
Under the model villages programme, all streets in the selected villages will be paved, while traditional ponds will also be restored. The development package also includes plans for children’s parks and installation of streetlights to improve public spaces, mobility and safety in rural communities.
Zeeshan Rafique instructed officials to avoid unnecessary damage to streets that had already been paved. He said development work should be carried out with proper planning so that existing infrastructure is protected and public funds are used efficiently.
The minister also directed that water supply schemes should only be included in villages that are actually facing water shortages. He said the project must be implemented according to local needs instead of applying the same development model across all areas without assessment.
Officials said the programme is expected to help improve sanitation, mobility, public lighting and basic municipal management in rural Punjab. The initiative is also aimed at reducing the rural urban service gap by providing facilities in villages that are normally associated with urban settlements.
Zeeshan Rafique said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had directed that the scope of the model villages programme be expanded to 7,500 villages in future phases. He added that the experience and challenges of the first phase should be carefully reviewed before launching the next stages of the programme.
The minister said lessons learned from the initial phase would help the government improve planning, execution and service delivery in future phases. He stressed that the model villages initiative should be implemented in a way that creates visible improvements in the daily lives of rural residents and supports long term development across Punjab.