LAHORE DIVISION

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Punjab government has decided to further tighten the ongoing crackdown against illegal Afghan nationals, directing district administrations and police across the province to intensify intelligence gathering, step up search operations and make the profiling of undocumented foreigners more effective. According to sources, Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi has issued an important letter to all commissioners and regional police officers. The letter was sent after a high level meeting with the federal government on May 25, during which the strategy regarding the repatriation, monitoring and arrest of foreigners residing illegally in the country was reviewed. Officials said that 15 to 30 illegal Afghan nationals are being traced and detained daily in different districts of Punjab, particularly in northern Punjab. In view of this situation, the provincial government has decided to further strengthen monitoring, reporting and operational coordination at the district level to make the campaign more organised and effective. The Home Department has directed all deputy commissioners to prepare and submit detailed reports on every illegal Afghan national being kept at holding centres. District administrations have also been instructed to compile details about the background of each arrest, previous hideouts, movement routes and the individuals or networks allegedly involved in providing accommodation, logistical support or protection. The letter stated that undocumented foreigners present in holding centres could provide highly important information to law enforcement agencies. Deputy commissioners and district police officers have therefore been directed to use the information obtained from them for meaningful intelligence based and search operations. Under the revised reporting mechanism, districts will no longer be required to provide only the number of newly arrested illegal Afghan nationals. They will also have to explain how such individuals were identified, where they had been hiding, how their accommodation was arranged and how they managed to avoid arrest during previous operations. Officials have been informed that the entire process will be closely monitored by the Home Department. Deputy commissioners and DPOs have been directed to take personal responsibility for the campaign so that no negligence or weak coordination occurs at the field level. Copies of the letter have also been sent to all divisional commissioners and regional police officers for immediate implementation and operational coordination. Officials said the policy is part of broader efforts to strengthen internal security, regulate undocumented migration and improve the border control system. Security officials said Punjab has become a key focus of the campaign because a large number of undocumented Afghan nationals leaving border areas and other provinces were attempting to take temporary shelter in urban and semi urban areas of central and northern Punjab to avoid identification. Officials said many undocumented individuals frequently change their places of residence, use informal tenancy arrangements and evade routine verification and search operations with the help of local facilitators. For this reason, the new strategy gives basic importance not only to arrests but also to identifying facilitator networks, secret hideouts and patterns of movement. Senior security analysts said the Punjab government’s new policy reflects a clear shift from conventional actions toward intelligence led operations. The objective of this strategy is not only to identify people living illegally in the country but also to reach those elements that provide them with shelter, mobility or other forms of assistance. Officials said the campaign is aimed only at individuals residing in the country without legal documents. Operations will continue under federal policy guidelines in coordination with provincial governments, district administrations, police and law enforcement agencies.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has offered the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank partnership opportunities in major housing, transport, water, sanitation and urban development projects across the province. The offer was made during a meeting in Lahore with AIIB Chief Investment Officer Konstantin Limitovskiy. AIIB Director General Xiaohong Yang was also part of the delegation. The meeting focused on potential institutional cooperation in development initiatives aimed at improving public services, urban infrastructure and climate-sensitive planning in Punjab. During the meeting, the chief minister briefed the AIIB delegation on ongoing provincial development programmes and highlighted the government’s priority projects. She said Punjab was moving ahead with a broad reform and development agenda focused on housing access, modern transport, clean water supply, sanitation, healthcare and urban governance. Maryam Nawaz Sharif particularly mentioned the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar housing programme, describing it as one of the province’s flagship public welfare initiatives. She said the programme had delivered more than 100,000 homes within one year, providing housing support to families across Punjab. The chief minister also briefed the delegation on electric bus and e-bike programmes being introduced to promote environmentally friendly transport. She said Punjab was working to modernise public transport through cleaner mobility options and better urban connectivity, while reducing pressure on existing transport systems. Water and sanitation projects also came under discussion during the meeting. Maryam Nawaz said Punjab was already cooperating with AIIB in Lahore’s water and sanitation sector through an MoU aimed at improving infrastructure. She said planned projects included wastewater drainage systems, water treatment facilities and other urban service improvements. According to the chief minister, Punjab’s development approach is based on data-driven planning, climate-sensitive governance and improved service delivery. She said the provincial government wants to expand partnerships with international development institutions for sustainable infrastructure and long-term public benefit. The AIIB delegation and the Punjab government expressed interest in strengthening cooperation in infrastructure and development sectors. Both sides agreed that housing, clean transport, water, sanitation and urban development offered important opportunities for future collaboration across the province.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan Punjab’s grand Eid cleanliness operation continued on the second day of Eid ul Azha, setting new standards of sanitation across the province. In the first two days of Eid, a total of 222,000 tons of waste was collected across Punjab. According to official figures, Suthra Punjab vehicles covered 3.228 million kilometres across the province during the first two days. The cleanliness operation continued in full swing on the second day of Eid, during which more than 112,000 tons of offal and animal remains were disposed of. In 41 districts of Punjab, offal and animal waste were collected and transported to designated waste points on the second day of Eid as well. Roads, markets and streets in different cities were washed with phenyl, while rose water was also sprayed to freshen the environment. According to the data, Suthra Punjab vehicles covered more than 1.346 million kilometres on the second day of Eid, while roads stretching over 1,054 kilometres were washed across the province. On the instructions of the Punjab Chief Minister, commissioners, deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners remained present in the field and monitored the cleanliness operation. Offal and waste identified through Safe City Authority cameras and drone cameras were immediately removed and disposed of. Officials said complaints related to cleanliness and the presence of animal waste were addressed promptly in every district of Punjab. Streets and roads in Mandi Bahauddin, Mianwali, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Rahim Yar Khan and Sargodha appeared visibly clean. In Sialkot, Kasur, Pakpattan, Murree and Vehari, roads were washed with phenyl and sprayed with rose water. Cleaning of streets, neighbourhoods and sacrifice sites was also completed in Wazirabad, Rajanpur, Multan, Attock, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar. New cleanliness records were also set in Bhakkar, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Chakwal on Eid ul Azha. In Narowal, Jhelum, Jhang, Khushab, Dera Ghazi Khan, Hafizabad and Gujrat, the hard work of Suthra Punjab workers helped keep the cleanliness operation running effectively.