Punjab Province

Rawalpindi: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Rawalpindi Ring Road project has reached 98% completion, with only the installation of the toll plaza remaining before the strategic transport corridor becomes operational. The Punjab government has also approved a dedicated policing and management system to oversee traffic enforcement, security and day to day operations once the road opens to the public.
The progress was reviewed during a high-level meeting chaired by Rawalpindi Commissioner Salman Ghani, where officials presented updates on construction, traffic management arrangements and landscaping plans for the 38.3 kilometre project.
Officials informed the meeting that all major civil works have been completed, including the main carriageway, flyovers, subways, interchanges, nullah bridges, river bridges and railway bridges. Road barriers, lane markings, traffic signboards and street lighting have also been installed, leaving the toll plaza as the final component before completion.
Under the approved operational framework, the Punjab Ring Road Authority will manage the toll plaza, collect tolls in accordance with rates notified by the Punjab government and oversee traffic management along the corridor. A dedicated policing and management system will also be established to ensure effective law enforcement, road safety, security and administrative control.
The Punjab government has so far released more than Rs 29 billion for the project, while the remaining funds are expected to be disbursed in the coming weeks to complete the outstanding works.
During the meeting, Commissioner Ghani directed the relevant departments to accelerate the remaining activities, including landscaping, tree plantation and grassing along both sides of the road, so that the project can be completed and opened to traffic without delay.
Once operational, the Rawalpindi Ring Road is expected to significantly ease congestion by diverting heavy traffic away from the city's urban areas. The project is also expected to improve traffic flow on major routes, including GT Road, Peshawar Road and Murree Road, while reducing travel time, fuel consumption and vehicle emissions. Authorities believe the new corridor will provide safer, faster and more efficient transport, while strengthening regional connectivity and supporting long-term urban and economic development in the Rawalpindi region.

Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Lahore Development Authority has sealed 108 properties during a major operation against illegal commercial use and non payment of commercialisation fees across different parts of the city.
The operation was carried out by the LDA Town Planning Wing on the directions of Director General Tahir Farooq in areas falling under the authority’s jurisdiction. Several properties were sealed for violating land use and commercial regulations in Gulberg, New Garden Town, Shadman, Wapda Town and Sabzazar.
According to LDA officials, 30 properties were sealed in Gulberg and New Garden Town for illegal commercial use, while action was taken against 23 properties in Shadman and 30 in Wapda Town.
During a separate recovery operation, 25 properties in Sabzazar were sealed over non-payment of commercialisation fees.
The sealed properties included private schools, grocery stores, cafés, restaurants, food outlets, bakeries, beauty salons, clinics, workshops, shops, offices and other commercial establishments.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Chief Town Planner One Asaduz Zaman and Chief Town Planner Two Azhar Ali, with multiple enforcement teams carrying out action in the identified areas.
LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said indiscriminate action against illegal commercial buildings and commercial fee defaulters would continue. He stressed that violations of urban development regulations and the unauthorised commercial use of residential properties would not be tolerated.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed satisfaction over the progress of the province’s 2025 26 plantation campaign, saying barren land is being transformed into green forests and the plantation of more than 50 million trees marks the beginning of a green revolution.
In a message posted on X, the Chief Minister said Punjab would increasingly be recognised as a province of forests, clean air and rivers. She described the two-year plantation campaign as a major environmental achievement in the province’s history.
According to figures shared by the Chief Minister, more than 50 million trees have been planted across over 54,000 acres of land throughout Punjab. A total of 3,085 rows of trees have also been developed in different parts of the province.
She said thousands of acres of barren land were converted into green landscapes between October 2024 and June 2025. Plantation and forest restoration activities were carried out across a wide geographical area, extending from Bahawalpur to Dera Ghazi Khan, Murree to Muzaffargarh, Chichawatni to Faisalabad and Rahim Yar Khan to Gujranwala.
According to the provincial government’s data, more than 1.8 million trees were planted across 1,500 acres at Ghazi Ghat in Muzaffargarh, while 559,000 trees were planted over 2,091 acres in Thal Maksi.
More than 700,000 trees were planted across 1,470 acres in the Khanani area of Muzaffargarh, while approximately 250,000 trees were planted on 200 acres at Phakowal in Gujrat.
The Chief Minister said the forest restoration programme was being expanded to Lal Sohanra, Mianwali, Gujranwala, Murree and other areas. Additional barren land is expected to be converted into forested landscapes under the next phase of the campaign.
She described plantation as a gift for future generations and said the initiative reflected the government’s commitment to developing a greener, healthier and environmentally sustainable Punjab.
Maryam Nawaz said advanced technology was being used to protect provincial forests against illegal tree cutting, encroachments and fires. Forests and plantation sites are being monitored through the Punjab Forest Department’s Geographic Information System laboratory.
Artificial intelligence enabled drones and satellite imagery are also being used at a command and control centre to monitor forest areas and identify potential threats.
The digital monitoring system uses satellite technologies including Landsat, Sentinel, SPOT and WorldView. According to the Chief Minister, these systems enable the authorities to promptly detect illegal logging, forest land encroachments and incidents of fire.
She said forests were a national asset and their protection was essential to securing Punjab’s green future. The Chief Minister also urged citizens to plant trees and participate in the campaign to leave a healthier and greener province for future generations.