Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has launched a province wide operation against illegal industrial units blamed for contributing to air pollution and recurring smog, as authorities intensify enforcement measures ahead of the winter season.
The campaign has been initiated on the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif under a zero tolerance policy against environmental violations. According to officials, more than 100 illegal industrial units have been demolished across different parts of Punjab during the past 20 days.
Authorities say the latest operation marks a shift from routine sealing of illegal units to their permanent demolition, with the aim of eliminating pollution sources rather than allowing them to resume operations after temporary closure.
Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the crackdown is being carried out across districts, tehsils and union councils through a coordinated enforcement mechanism. She said all relevant departments have been directed to take indiscriminate action against units operating in violation of environmental laws.
In Lahore, monitoring has been expanded to the union council level, where enforcement teams are conducting surveys in residential, commercial and industrial areas. So far, more than 200 union councils and housing societies in the provincial capital have been surveyed as part of the campaign.
According to the minister, joint inspection teams include officials from the Environment Protection Department, union council secretaries and housing society managers.
These teams are identifying illegal industrial activity, particularly units operating inside populated areas and housing societies.
She said initial inspections have not confirmed the presence of illegal fat-melting units in the locations surveyed so far. However, the monitoring process will continue, and all suspicious sites will be checked through both ground inspections and aerial verification.
To strengthen transparency and improve enforcement, the government is also using drone surveillance to verify inspection findings. Officials believe this will help prevent concealment of illegal industrial operations and ensure more accurate reporting from the field.
The Punjab government has also appealed to citizens to actively support the campaign by reporting pollution-causing activities through the official helpline 1373. Authorities say public complaints will play an important role in identifying illegal units operating beyond the reach of routine inspections.
Officials said the anti-smog operation will continue in the coming weeks as part of a broader environmental strategy to reduce industrial emissions, improve air quality and protect public health in major urban centres of the province.
Punjab has repeatedly faced severe smog episodes in recent years, particularly during the winter months, when industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, construction dust and weather conditions combine to create hazardous air quality. The government says strict action against illegal polluting units is now a key part of its long-term smog control plan.

Rawalpindi: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Rawalpindi Ring Road project has entered its final stage, with officials confirming that around 90 percent of construction work on the major transport corridor has been completed.
The PKR 47 billion project, one of the most important infrastructure schemes for Rawalpindi and the surrounding region, is now moving close to completion as the June 30 deadline approaches. According to officials, major civil works on the 38.3 kilometre route have largely been finished, while work on the remaining components is continuing at a steady pace.
Authorities said asphalt laying has been completed on almost the entire corridor, while finishing work on the remaining sections is underway. The pending tasks include carpeting of nearly eight kilometres of road, completion of drainage systems, right of way finishing, installation of roadside safety features, and work on streetlights and lampposts.
Officials from the Rawalpindi Development Authority and the divisional administration said the physical progress of the project is substantial, although some finishing components may go slightly beyond the original timeline. They maintained that construction activity is now in its final phase and efforts are being made to complete the remaining work as soon as possible.
Deputy Project Director Ashfaq Sulheri said the remaining portion of the project is expected to be completed by the end of June. He added that installation of streetlights is also in progress and is likely to be finalised within a month.
However, officials clarified that completion of construction work will not automatically mean the immediate opening of the road for public traffic. A provincial government team will conduct a final inspection to assess whether the corridor is ready for inauguration and regular traffic movement.
The Rawalpindi Ring Road stretches from Baanth on GT Road to Thalian on the motorway. The project includes five interchanges at Baanth, Maira Mohra, Khasala, Kolian Parr and Thalian. It also includes multiple bridges, overpasses and supporting road infrastructure aimed at improving regional connectivity.
The Frontier Works Organisation is working as the main contractor, while the Rawalpindi Development Authority is the executing agency. The project also involved the acquisition of 8,992 kanals of land at a cost of PKR 6.7 billion.
Originally planned as a 68 kilometre route, the Ring Road project was later redesigned to 38.3 kilometres following a review process. Construction resumed after approvals from successive governments, making the current phase one of the most advanced stages of the long awaited project.
Officials believe the project will play a major role in reducing traffic pressure in Rawalpindi, improving access to the motorway, facilitating freight movement and supporting future development along the corridor. An industrial zone has also been planned along the route, although related development components will depend on further policy and administrative decisions.
Once completed and cleared for traffic, the Rawalpindi Ring Road is expected to become a key transport link for the twin cities and surrounding areas, offering an alternative route for heavy vehicles and improving connectivity between GT Road, the motorway network and emerging development zones.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore and the Punjab Board of Revenue (BoR) have retrieved 25,444 kanals of state land from illegal occupation across various districts of Punjab. The recovered land is estimated to be worth around Rs 433 billion.
The announcement was made by NAB Lahore Director General Mirza Faran Baig and Senior Member Board of Revenue Nabeel Javed during a joint press conference. They said the recovery operation was carried out after a detailed scrutiny of revenue records, demarcation, field surveys and coordinated enforcement actions.
Officials said the recovered land included valuable agricultural and commercial properties, which have now been brought back under state ownership.
According to officials, the recovery of land worth more than Rs 433 billion marks a major achievement in the protection of public assets and reflects effective institutional coordination between NAB Lahore and the Punjab Board of Revenue.
The press conference was told that the Punjab government has also formed a joint task force to eliminate illegal occupation of state land, ensure transparent monitoring of land records and determine the effective use or disposal of recovered land.
Authorities urged citizens to report illegal occupation, encroachments or irregularities in state land records through the official complaint portal to help strengthen the protection and transparent management of public property.