Maryam Nawaz chaired a four-hour review meeting, receiving detailed briefings from eight major departments.

She also ordered the speedy completion of the Cath Lab project and directed health officials to expand data collection, with 32,000 households already surveyed in a pilot phase.

Read Also: Over three million parents refuse cervical cancer vaccination

She especially directed the Special Education Department to formulate a project for the welfare of special people along with their education.

The chief minister applauded the Health Department for its response during recent floods, noting that 1.15 million people were treated in affected areas.

Officials told her that 174 snakebite cases had been reported, but all patients survived after being given anti-venom at relief camps.

On transport, Maryam Nawaz ordered that 1,115 electric buses should become operational by December, with charging stations to be established across the province. She approved a standard design for bus stops.

She also approved a schedule for the launch of electrobus program in various districts, besides directing the authorities concerned to start SRT project in the province as soon as possible.

The Chief Minister noted that WASA (Water and Sanitation Agency) had expanded from five cities to 19 within a year and a half. She set a target for WASA to be present in 25 districts by the end of December, and emphasised the need to accelerate work on more than 5,000 water filtration plants.

She directed to provide bottled water to every household to relieve them of the hardship of bringing water from remote areas.

She further instructed the Housing Minister Bilal Yasin to personally visit and review the water filtration plants, besides including water filtration plants in KPIs of Deputy Commissioners.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed the relevant authorities to complete work in 15 cities before monsoon under Punjab Development Program.

Officials briefed her that the first phase of Lahore Development Project would be completed by 30 November, with over 4,600 streets already renovated.

She directed PHA to plant bamboo forests, besides further activating Parks and Horticulture Authorities (PHA) in different cities of Punjab.

On rural development, official reported that Model Village Project has been launched in 472 villages across the province, with the highest number in South Punjab.

Chief Minister Punjab directed the authorities to begin the Placer Gold Project, under which the profit earned should go to the people of Punjab.

She was further briefed that “Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif Ration cards” had been issued to 11,000 miners in Punjab, and the target of 25,000 cards would be completed this month.

Officials added that contracts for pink salt had been re-auctioned, increasing revenue fivefold, and that marketing efforts were underway in the United States, Europe and the UAE.

Owing to the stormy rains, rainwater accumulated on the main roads of Bahawalpur city and the adjoining areas.

On the other hand, heavy downpours also kicked off in Okra and its near-by areas while the torrential rains are lashing with intervals.

Owing to the rains supply of electricity was disrupted in the many areas of the city.

Besides that rain also commenced in Kashmore area of Sindh on Saturday evening.

Whereas owing to the heavy rains in the area, it is likely that water level could rise in the Guddu barrage.

Moreover, Chairman Prime Minister Youth Program (PMYP) Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan on Saturday, today, visited its political constituency PP-172 Lahore,   affected by floods.

Read More: Strong monsoon system brings more rain to Punjab, KP, AJK

During the visit, the Chairman PMYP reviewed the situation in  the flood-affected areas and also held meetings with  the flood-affected people.

At the occasion, Rana Mashhood directed the rescue officials speeding  up the relief activities and making it more impressive and  effective.

Lahore district authorities have vowed to take stern action over finding dengue larvae breeding at a place in the city.

The city officials registered cases against managements of a private hospital, a bank and a school after finding dengue larvae at the buildings.

Dengue control spray teams visited these premises along with district officials and found dengue mosquitoes larvae over there during checking.

Punjab Minister for Environment earlier said that the government was fully prepared to deal with dengue threat and preventive measures were being taken on emergent basis in those areas of the province where dengue cases had been reported.

He was talking in a meeting regarding anti-dengue campaign. He said that modern techniques were being utilized to eradicate dengue larvae.

In order to control dengue larvae breeding, timely disposal of garbage in addition to the indoor and outdoor spray in hospitals and other buildings should be ensured, he stressed.

“Resolving the problems of people is my first and last priority. Today, a common man has ascended as  chief minister of the province so people will always find his door open for them,” the CM said while meeting a number of delegations comprising common people who apprised him of their problems.

The chief minister listened to problems of the people and issued orders on the spot to resolve them.

He said he belongs to an undeveloped area of the province and knows the problems of the common man.

“I will not allow anybody to impede the processing of resolving problems of the people and will fight against every mafia,” said Buzdar.

He further said that new Pakistan is the dream of PM Imran Khan and his team is ready to sacrifice everything to realise this dream.

The people thanked the chief minister for taking personal interest in resolving their problems and said the hard work of the chief minister has laid the foundation of new Pakistan and it will also be cause of the change.

According to the official results so far issued by the ECP, the PML-N and PTI are running neck-to-neck with the former winning 127 seats in Punjab Assembly while the latter 118 seats.

The PML-N doesn’t seem to be in a position to form the provincial government this time.

Sources say the PTI has already contacted 27 independent candidates and is expected to get a majority of seats in the Punjab Assembly as the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) is also likely to announce its support for the PTI.

The PML-Q has won 7 provincial assembly seats while the PPP has bagged six seats.

According to PTI chairman’s spokesperson Naeemul Haq, the party would form a government in the province and is in touch with various MPs-elect.

Senior party leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Jahangir Khan Tareen have been tasked to contact independent candidates and MPs-elect of other parties to join forces with the PTI to form the government.

The PTI will need at least 149 seats in the 297 house to form a government.

The police confirmed on March 22 that the teachers and students of the school along with one Wahid Ali filed a complaint against the man’s first wife and her brother that they have occupied the school illegally over a matrimonial dispute.

The dispute ballooned up when Rubina Kausar, Wahid Ali’s first wife, accused her husband of marrying another woman on March 15 without her consent.

The police are investigating the case.

In his statement, Wahid Ali told police that his wife Rubina Kausar and her brother Muhammad Shafeeq connived together in taking control over his school “and they also forced the staff and students to leave the premises.”

Wahid Ali further said that “teachers and students of my school have been supporting me instead of my wife.”

The Churna Island of Karachi and Gorakh Hill Station of Sindh are already discovered tourism venues besides a number of tourist attractions in Balochistan but there are numerous ‘unexplored’ gems like the beautiful Swaik Lake, just waiting to be discovered.

Swaik Lake is located next to Khandoyah in the Punjab province which can be accessed through the M2 motorway linking Lahore and Islamabad.

Here are the pictures for all aspiring explorers to discover how beautiful and serene this lake really is!

The trail that eventually leads to the breath-taking beauty which takes a 45-minute hike to reach the spot

The route to the magical lake is adventurous, making the journey memorable by passing through the rough terrain

The awesome landscape makes one hard to believe that its right here in Pakistan

One can fantasize about a beautiful day for a fresh and clear lake besides scenic mountains

Various fun-filled activities like cliff diving, trekking, and swimming could be experienced here!

A crystal-clear stream gushes away from the lake

The lush green waters just glistening in the broad daylight

The cascading waterfall situated at the lake

One cannot afford to miss taking a dip!

The water is so clear that one might spot a tiny fish scurrying in the water

People love cliff diving, swimming, and trekking while visiting such a natural beautiful place. People prefer to stay at Kallar Kahar and visit the lake in the daytime.

Pictures courtesy: Shughal

WATCH

Voting began at 8:00am and will continue till 5:00pm without any break.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Yasir Zafar and PTI’s Rao Sajid Mehmood are in the run for the seat, which fell vacant owing to the demise of former PML-N MPA Chauhdry Tahir Sindhu on January 8, 2018.

A tough contest is being expected between the ruling PML-N and the opposition PTI candidates.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has made special arrangements to conduct the by-poll in a transparent and peaceful manner.

The total registered voters in the constituency are 1,73,919, out of which 98,145 are male, whereas 75,774 are female.

137 polling stations have been set up in the constituency with 137 presiding officers as well as 417 assistant presiding officers performing their duties.

Special security arrangements have been put in place in and around the polling stations to avoid any untoward happening.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Dr Zarqa Taimur secured 38 votes in the upper house by-poll. The Senate seat from Punjab fell vacant after Nehal Hashmi’s disqualification.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared the PML-N Senate candidates as independent in the aftermath of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s ruling over the petitions challenging the Election Act 2017, which removed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as the party president.

The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has not fielded its candidate in the Senate by-election from Punjab. The polling for the vacant Senate seat will remain continued till 4:00 pm today.

Speaking to press outside Punjab Assembly, Dr Ashraf, a former MPA, criticized the apex court’s ruling, which deprived the ruling party of its election symbol of Lion.

“Our symbol has been snatched from us, this is unfair,” he complained.

During the election in the assembly Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah cast the first vote.

The provincial assembly of Punjab is comprises of total 368 members with 53 lawmakers in the opposition.

The woman identified as Razia Bibi had set herself ablaze at a police station when police officials declined her request to register a case against her husband and his family members.

She had suffered burn wounds and was shifted to Multan’s Nishtar Hospital for treatment. She was being treated at the hospital’s burn ward where she struggled against all the odds before she died of her burn injuries.

Back in 2015, a woman, who was a victim of rape, had died after setting herself on fire in front of a police station in Saddar area of Muzaffargarh.

Sonia Bibi, a resident of Deenpur area, was allegedly raped by three persons.

Depressed by the attitude of the police, the victim had set herself on fire, receiving severe burn injuries, which led to her death.