Author: Faiza Liaquat
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced the launch of a three-day electric bus service to facilitate participants attending the annual Raiwind religious congregation. During a meeting with members of the Tablighi Jamaat’s central consultative council, the Chief Minister said the buses would operate continuously from Lahore Railway Station and Allama Iqbal International Airport to Raiwind, ensuring smooth and eco-friendly transportation for thousands of attendees. To ensure seamless arrangements, Maryam Nawaz directed senior officials—including the Deputy Commissioner, CCPO, DIG, and CTO—to personally inspect all preparations. She also ordered road repairs and patchwork on key access routes leading to Raiwind,…
The Punjab government has decided to fully digitize all toll plazas across the province, replacing the traditional paper-based receipt system with a modern electronic model to ensure transparency and smoother commuter experience. The decision was approved during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Under the initiative, a “One App, One System” model—similar to the digital payment system currently used on national motorways—will be implemented at 38 toll plazas across Punjab. Officials briefed the chief minister on ongoing development projects related to transportation, infrastructure, energy conservation, and urban beautification. Five major road projects were also approved under public-private…
The Punjab government has announced a landmark renewable energy initiative to solarize 355 public colleges across the province, aiming to cut costs and promote clean energy in the education sector. The Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) and the Department of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Saturday to launch the project, valued at Rs. 2.94 billion. The program will be executed in three phases by 2028, with a total installed capacity of 18,825 kilowatts. Once fully operational, the solarization initiative is expected to generate 24.47 million units of electricity annually, saving the provincial government an estimated Rs. 1.34…
The Islamabad Police has officially launched a new mobile application called ‘1 Info’, designed to enable citizens to report crimes, emergencies, or suspicious activities instantly with just one tap. Available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, the app allows users to send real-time alerts directly to police control rooms, ensuring quicker response times and improved public safety across the capital. According to officials, the launch of ‘1 Info’ reflects Islamabad Police’s efforts toward digital transformation and better community engagement. The platform aims to bridge the gap between law enforcement and residents, making policing faster, smarter, and…
Pakistan Army has secured a remarkable victory at the Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2025, winning the Gold Medal in one of the world’s most challenging military competitions held annually in Wales, United Kingdom. Led by Captain Muhammad Saad, the Pakistani contingent outperformed 137 military teams from 36 countries. Known globally as the ultimate test of physical endurance, tactical excellence, and battlefield leadership, Cambrian Patrol requires soldiers to cover over 60 kilometers of rugged terrain while performing complex military tasks such as reconnaissance, weapon handling, navigation, casualty evacuation, and threat response—all under severe time and resource constraints. Despite the harsh conditions and…
In a breakthrough move for environmental governance, the Punjab government has launched Pakistan’s first AI-powered EcoBot, designed to provide real-time air quality data and citizen-friendly guidance on pollution safety. Developed by the Environment Protection Department (EPD), the AI EcoBot serves as an interactive digital assistant that enables residents to instantly access Air Quality Index (AQI) readings for major cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, and Multan. A New Digital Bridge Between Citizens and Government Environment Protection Department Secretary Sajid Bashir said the AI EcoBot creates a direct communication channel between government authorities and the public. “Our goal is to make Punjab…
A Pakistani-origin entrepreneur is making headlines in Silicon Valley’s cloud infrastructure race. Ovais Tariq, former head of cloud engineering at Uber, has raised $25 million in Series A funding for his U.S.-based startup Tigris Data, positioning it as a direct challenger to tech giants such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, according to TechCrunch. The round was led by Spark Capital, with participation from notable investors including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) — one of Silicon Valley’s most influential venture capital firms. Disrupting the Traditional Cloud Model Tigris Data is built around a bold thesis: the age of…
ConnectHear, Pakistan’s leading social enterprise for disability inclusion, has partnered with Ufone 4G (a PTCL Group company) to launch SUNO — the world’s first AI-based Early Warning System designed to deliver emergency alerts in sign language for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. The initiative, supported and funded by the GSMA Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation Fund, bridges a vital communication gap during disasters such as floods and earthquakes by ensuring timely, accessible information for the Deaf community. Through SUNO, AI-generated sign language video alerts are distributed instantly via Ufone’s WhatsApp bot, reaching at-risk users nationwide free of cost. ConnectHear develops the AI…
The Punjab government has approved a major healthcare initiative to provide free palliative care for stage-III and stage-IV cancer patients at the newly established Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research in Lahore. The institute, which will be the largest public sector cancer hospital in Punjab, is a 900-bed project that includes a dedicated 100-bed palliative care block aimed at offering comfort and medical support to critically ill patients during the advanced stages of the disease. According to provincial health officials, this marks the first time that a government-run hospital in Punjab will integrate specialized palliative care within a…
The Punjab government has unveiled an ambitious housing project aimed at constructing 57,000 affordable homes for low-income families across the province. The initiative seeks to provide quality housing along with ownership opportunities through convenient installment plans. According to a spokesperson for the Punjab Housing Department, the scheme will ensure standardized, low-cost housing under strict government supervision. In the first phase, construction will commence on 20,000 homes across 41 selected sites in 24 districts. The government has also approved the transfer of state-owned lands to the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency to facilitate project execution. The housing units will vary…