Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has approved seven road packages under the initial phase of its Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme, marking a major move to accelerate road development and rehabilitation through private sector participation.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Public-Private Partnerships Authority chaired by Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, where officials reviewed a range of infrastructure, administrative and development initiatives being pursued under the provincial government’s PPP framework.
According to the briefing presented at the meeting, the approved road packages will involve the construction and rehabilitation of roads across Punjab with private-sector participation. The initiative is aimed at mobilising private investment and improving the pace and efficiency of major infrastructure projects in the province.
The meeting also approved successful bids for operations and management contracts related to the PPP projects. Under the approved arrangements, successful bidders will retain their contracts for seven years and will also share profits with the Punjab government.
The provincial authorities stressed the importance of transparency and timely implementation in the execution of PPP projects. Amendments to the existing bid evaluation system were also approved to strengthen transparency and improve the process through which private sector proposals are assessed.
The meeting further reviewed institutional and administrative management arrangements in Lahore and ratified decisions taken during the fourth meeting of the Public Private Partnership Authority.
In another major development, approval was granted, on the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, for the launch of local vaccine production under the PPP framework.
The meeting reviewed proposals for manufacturing foot and mouth disease vaccines locally, along with plans for the transformation of livestock farms and vaccine production facilities. The initiative is aimed at strengthening local production capacity and reducing dependence on externally sourced vaccines.
Officials also reviewed information and communication reforms, social media initiatives and the district plan as part of broader administrative and governance measures.
Speaking at the meeting, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s vision of greater private-sector participation in development projects would prove to be a game changer for Punjab.
She emphasised that transparency and timely implementation would remain key criteria for evaluating the performance of PPP projects.
“Projects must be completed on time without compromising on quality,” she said.
The approval of the seven road packages represents an important expansion of Punjab’s efforts to use public private partnerships for infrastructure development. The model is expected to enable the provincial government to leverage private sector investment and expertise while retaining oversight of projects and their implementation.
With the successful bidders set to operate under seven year contracts and share profits with the government, the latest decisions also establish a longer-term framework for private sector involvement in the management of selected public infrastructure projects.
The government’s emphasis on transparent bid evaluation, timely completion and quality standards is expected to remain central to the implementation of the newly approved projects as Punjab moves ahead with its broader PPP development agenda.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has intensified its environmental crackdown on commercial cooking points across the province ahead of the upcoming smog season, warning restaurants, marriage halls and other commercial food outlets that they will not be allowed to operate without effective measures to control kitchen emissions.
The campaign forms a major component of the province’s pre-smog environmental strategy, with the EPA focusing on controlling emissions at their source before air quality begins to deteriorate during the smog season. The agency is particularly targeting smoke, fumes and other pollutants generated by commercial cooking activities in densely populated urban areas.
According to the latest EPA figures, 1,875 commercial cooking points have been identified across Punjab, while enforcement teams have already inspected 1,363 establishments during the ongoing campaign. Action taken so far has resulted in 554 commercial cooking points being sealed, reflecting a strict approach towards businesses that have failed to comply with prescribed environmental requirements.
The EPA is placing particular emphasis on the installation and effective operation of suction hood systems at commercial cooking points. These systems are intended to capture smoke, fumes and other emissions produced during cooking and prevent them from being discharged directly into the surrounding atmosphere.
EPA Director General Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh has directed field formations to intensify inspections and ensure that commercial food businesses comply with the required emission-control measures. He has made it clear that restaurants, marriage halls and other establishments cannot continue operating while ignoring environmental safeguards designed to control kitchen emissions.
Field officers have also been instructed to ensure effective implementation of the campaign and identify establishments that have failed to install or properly operate the required suction hood systems. The EPA leadership has stressed that the pre-smog campaign should deliver visible environmental results before the seasonal deterioration in air quality begins.
Secretary Environment Protection and Climate Change Department Silwat Saeed has also directed relevant teams to accelerate implementation of environmental requirements. She stressed that controlling emissions at source is a key element of Punjab’s strategy to reduce pollution and prepare for the smog season.
The scale of commercial cooking activity requiring environmental regulation is evident from district wise data. Gujranwala has the highest number of identified commercial cooking points at 500, followed by Rawalpindi with 250, Faisalabad with 135 and Multan with 120.
Other identified areas include Taxila Rawalpindi with 70 commercial cooking points, Sheikhupura 66, Toba Tek Singh 62, Nankana Sahib 53, Chakwal 48, Pakpattan 47, Kasur 45 and Jhang 42.
EPA spokesman Sajid Bashir said the department had adopted a zero tolerance policy towards commercial cooking points that fail to control their kitchen emissions. He said the suction hood campaign was an important part of the agency’s preparations to address air pollution before the onset of the smog season.
The spokesman said field teams were conducting inspections and taking enforcement action against establishments where environmental requirements were being ignored. He emphasized that commercial establishments could not be allowed to release uncontrolled kitchen emissions into the atmosphere.
According to the EPA, the objective is not merely to require businesses to install emission-control equipment but to ensure that such systems are properly installed, functional and effectively used during commercial cooking operations.
The agency has indicated that inspections of restaurants, marriage halls and other commercial food establishments will continue, with enforcement action to be taken against businesses that fail to meet the prescribed environmental standards.
The pre-smog strategy reflects a shift towards controlling pollution before hazardous air-quality conditions develop, rather than waiting for smog levels to rise and then responding to the resulting environmental and public-health concerns.
With 1,875 commercial cooking points identified, 1,363 inspections completed and 554 establishments already sealed, the EPA has signalled that controlling emissions from commercial kitchens will remain a major environmental enforcement priority in Punjab ahead of the smog season.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) has intensified efforts to recover Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) state properties allegedly occupied through encroachments and administrative negligence.
Committee Chairman Senator Asad Qasim said weak administrative oversight had contributed to the encroachment of state land, stressing that illegally occupied properties would be recovered. He also announced that records of AJK-owned properties would be fully digitised to strengthen monitoring and protect valuable state assets.
Senator Qasim personally inspected AJK state properties in Lahore in July, while Senate records show that the committee also visited state properties near the Wagah Border on July 17. The issue has also been referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), with a complaint filed against the relevant administrator. The committee has directed officials to provide regular updates on progress made towards recovering and securing the properties.
The committee has ordered comprehensive measures to prevent further encroachments, including geotagging of all AJK state properties, complete digitisation of ownership and administrative records, clear demarcation of boundaries and construction of boundary structures wherever required.
Administrator Adnan Khan informed the committee that geofencing of AJK state land had already been completed and the rent-collection system had also been digitised. He said 36 personnel were currently available to monitor AJK properties across Punjab.
The scale of AJK's property holdings in Punjab is substantial. The state owns 1,057 acres of agricultural land in Mauza Jangu Chak, Narowal, and another 906 acres in Mauza Purab, Sheikhupura. Its holdings also include approximately 242 kanals of commercial land in Lahore, besides properties located in Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Sialkot and Gujranwala.
Collectively, these properties generate around Rs280.98 million, or Rs28.098 crore, in annual lease income, making their protection important not only from an administrative and legal perspective but also for safeguarding a significant source of public revenue.
The committee observed that delays in dealing with encroached state land can make recovery increasingly difficult, particularly when disputes move between courts and government departments. It therefore emphasised stronger coordination, accurate property records and effective field monitoring to prevent illegal occupation from becoming entrenched.
Senator Asad Qasim said the committee would submit recommendations to the federal government aimed at strengthening the protection of AJK state land, eliminating encroachments and improving coordination among institutions responsible for managing the properties.