Lahore Division

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Punjab government has granted administrative approval for the establishment of the Kulsoom Nawaz Cancer Hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan at a cost exceeding Rs 8.7 billion, with 100 kanals of land earmarked for the facility on Sakhi Sarwar Road. The project is scheduled for completion by June 30, 2029. The approval follows consideration of the scheme by the Provincial Development Working Party at its meeting on June 28, 2026, and subsequent endorsement of the project cost by the Planning and Development Board under the applicable Market Rates System. Details of the hospital’s land allocation emerged during a site inspection by Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique on May 1. Officials informed the minister that the 100-kanal site had been earmarked and the project’s PC-I planning document prepared. According to the briefing, the proposed development includes a two storey hospital building, residential accommodation and other necessary construction works. Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Azmat Mahmood accompanied the minister, along with regional administrative and buildings department officials. Official documents cited in the latest reports put the project’s capital component at more than Rs 3.12 billion and its revenue component at over Rs5.58 billion. The facility is intended to serve cancer patients from Dera Ghazi Khan and surrounding areas, reducing their need to travel to other cities for specialised treatment. The hospital forms part of Punjab’s broader expansion of specialised healthcare infrastructure. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approved its establishment alongside other medical institutions at a meeting in September. Work is also underway on the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research in Lahore, according to Secretary Health Azmat Mahmood. Separately, the Punjab Health Department has constituted a nine-member committee to review house jobs and postgraduate training for foreign medical graduates. Comprising medical university vice-chancellors and medical college principals, the committee will examine induction procedures, degree verification, registration, licences and eligibility requirements to promote a uniform, transparent and merit-based system.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan Punjab’s Environment Protection Department has installed 15 modern water quality monitoring stations across the province to track pollution in rivers, canals, drains and other surface water sources. The initiative will strengthen the department’s capacity to identify contamination and monitor changes in water quality. The stations are equipped with instruments that measure water quality and flow, while an integrated system stores the readings and transmits them to a central control room every hour. The network is intended to help authorities detect changes in pollution levels and identify potential sources of contamination. The project prioritises Punjab’s major river systems, including the Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum and Sutlej. Monitoring these waterways is expected to provide authorities with a steady flow of information to support environmental oversight and pollution control. However, the installation of equipment does not mean that all readings have been approved for publication. Environmental monitoring officer Noor Ahmad said the imported instruments were being calibrated for local conditions, while the data they generated was undergoing verification. The readings would appear on the central dashboard following clearance by an independent third party. Ahmad said monitoring locations included the Ravi siphon, a site downstream of Hudiara Drain and headworks. These installations form part of broader efforts to improve the monitoring of surface water pollution across the province. According to official documents cited in the report, the project was initially approved at an estimated cost of Rs 600 million. Its cost was revised to approximately Rs 2.97 billion in November 2024. Launched under the World Bank-supported Punjab Green Development Program, the project originally aimed to activate all 15 stations by May 2025. However, implementation faced delays, with equipment calibration and data verification remaining essential steps before readings can be displayed on the dashboard. WWF-Pakistan’s water affairs director, Sohail Ahmad Naqvi, welcomed the initiative and urged the government to make water quality information publicly accessible, similar to air quality data. He said public access would strengthen transparency and support pollution control efforts, while enabling wider scrutiny of water conditions. The project marks an important expansion of Punjab’s environmental monitoring infrastructure. Its practical effectiveness will depend on reliable data, completion of the verification process and meaningful action against water pollution based on the findings.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan Punjab has made registration as an Arazi Muawin, or land assistant, mandatory for deed writers, introducing new requirements for the preparation of property related documents across the province. According to reports citing officials, only registered Arazi Muawin operators will be authorised to prepare deeds from today, October 12, 2026. Individuals who have not completed their registration will no longer be permitted to continue providing deed-writing services under the new system. Existing deed writers have been offered online registration to join the system. To continue operating, they must complete the registration process and fulfil the applicable requirements. Officials say various monthly subscription packages have also been introduced for Arazi Muawin operators. According to official information from the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA), the Arazi Muawin initiative is a service delivery model that allows private individuals and organisations to provide land record services in partnership with the authority. Eligible applicants can operate authorised service centres after obtaining PLRA approval. The initiative aims to improve accessibility, convenience and transparency for citizens seeking land record services. Under the official procedure, applicants must complete an online application, obtain the relevant subscription, undergo biometric verification and submit the required documents. PLRA reviews applications before granting approval. Applicants must also hold a valid Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), have a mobile number registered against their CNIC and an active email address, and possess adequate knowledge of land record services. Modern biometric equipment has been made mandatory for newly registered deed writers. Officials say the requirement is intended to modernise document preparation and identity verification while improving transparency. PLRA’s published requirements for Arazi Muawin centres include a computer, biometric device, webcam, printer, scanner, backup power supply, internet connection and seating for visitors. Joining the system therefore requires both registration and the necessary technical infrastructure. The Arazi Muawin model already covers services such as the issuance of Fard documents, or land ownership records, and the processing of mutations, or changes in ownership recorded in land records. The authority’s official information also identifies e-registration and e-stamp services for inclusion in the system.