Category: Pakistan

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Metropolitan Planning Wing Private Housing Scheme’s squad Tuesday demolished structures in 12 illegal housing schemes at Shahzada Road and Ferozepur Road. According to a spokesperson for the LDA here, the Authority demolished under-construction roads, sewerage system, green-belts and other infrastructure of Al-Bashir Homes, Al-Fajar City, Al-Noor Park, Chughtai Garden, Engineer Park, Hamza Town, Ammad Garden, Shaheen Garden, Pearl Garden, Naseeb Abad, Kahna Canal View, and Al-Jannat Homes (Iqbal block). The LDA also sealed office of these illegal housing schemes.

ISLAMABAD: People who have received their Hajj permits for this year’s pilgrimage should visit their nearest vaccine center to receive their second jab within 48 hours of the permit being issued, the Saudi Arabia”s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has said on Tuesday. Just 60,000 people will be allowed to perform Hajj as registration for it was only open to citizens and residents of the Kingdom. The ministry’s portal received more than 550,000 applications before registration closed last Wednesday. Pilgrims should either be fully vaccinated, have had one dose at least 14 days before Hajj, or be vaccinated after recovering from a coronavirus infection. The ministry urged people with permits to get vaccinated, assuring them that no appointment was needed, Arab News reported . More than 17.2 million vaccine doses have been administered in Saudi Arabia so far, with a Ministry of Health spokesman saying that nobody had died from COVID-19 after completing the vaccination course.

ISLAMABAD: Prince Faisal bin Salman, the Governor of Madinah region, has tasked all agencies involved with Hajj to review and enhance their preparations for welcoming pilgrims to the Prophet’s Mosque and to other mosques and Islamic sites in the region. He said his call is based on directives from the Saudi leadership designed to ensure that all possible efforts are made to help pilgrims and provide the services they require. The Prince was speaking as he presided over a meeting to provide updates on Hajj preparations by the authorities, along with developments in the health situation in the region, Arab News reported. He highlighted the need to follow up on preparations for a field hospital in the courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque, which will provide medical services until the new Al-Salam Hospital, close to the mosque, is fully operational. Prince Faisal said the hospital will enhance the health services provided to worshipers and visitors. The construction of Al-Salam Hospital for Emergency and Critical Care in Madinah was announced by the Ministry of Health in October last year.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered removal of President, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Arif Usmani and Chairman Board of Directors (BoD), Zubair Soomro. IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani announced the judgment in a petition filed against the appointment of the NBP president. The high court had reserved the verdict on June 11. Earlier, the petitioners Syed Jahangir, Javed Iqbal, Fazal Raheem and Latif Qureshi had contended that the NBP president”s appointment was against the Public Sector Guidelines 2015, while Usmani did not hold a relevant degree.

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said the meeting on national security, to be attended by representatives of all parliamentary parties, would focus on the current security situation in Afghanistan and its impact on the region. In a statement, the foreign minister said the government had invited around 17 parliamentarians for the meeting being held on July 1.“The purpose of convening the meeting is to update the members of the parliament on the security situation in the region,” he said. Qureshi said Pakistan would take decisions that better served its national interest. To check money laundering, he said, the government had taken serious steps for its prevention. “We are committed to effectively control terror-financing,” he added. The foreign minister said Pakistan desired peace in Afghanistan and was playing a conciliatory role towards the success of Afghan peace process.