Punjab Province

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
A Rs 50 million road infrastructure project connecting Range Road with Dhok Banaras and Millat Abad has been completed and formally inaugurated in Rawalpindi, bringing upgraded road and drainage facilities to residents of the surrounding localities.
The newly completed Dhok Banaras Road project was inaugurated by Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat and PML N Rawalpindi Divisional President Malik Abrar Ahmed, MNA, along with Punjab Parliamentary Secretary for Zakat and Ushr Malik Iftikhar Ahmed, MPA, and MPA Malik Mansoor Afsar.
The project involved the complete reconstruction of the road stretching from Range Road towards Dhok Banaras and Millat Abad. According to officials, the development was completed at a cost of Rs50 million.
A major component of the scheme is the construction of an extensive drainage system along both sides of the road. The drainage infrastructure has been designed to improve the disposal of rainwater and help reduce recurring problems of waterlogging and urban flooding in the area.
The upgraded road is also expected to improve connectivity for residents and motorists travelling between Range Road, Dhok Banaras, Millat Abad and nearby neighbourhoods.
Local communities had faced problems related to deteriorated road conditions, traffic movement and inadequate drainage infrastructure. The reconstruction project is intended to address these issues while providing a more reliable transport corridor for daily commuters.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Malik Abrar Ahmed said the government was focused on fulfilling its development commitments and improving basic civic infrastructure across the constituency.
He said the reconstruction of the Dhok Banaras corridor would facilitate smoother traffic movement and help resolve long standing commuting and drainage problems faced by residents.
Malik Iftikhar Ahmed said development projects in the constituency would be accelerated, with priority being given to schemes aimed at improving public services and providing better civic facilities.
The project forms part of broader efforts to improve neighbourhood level infrastructure in Rawalpindi, where population growth and increasing traffic volumes have placed additional pressure on existing roads and drainage systems.
Improved drainage is particularly important in densely populated urban areas, where heavy rainfall can quickly cause standing water, disrupt traffic and damage road surfaces if stormwater infrastructure is inadequate.
Officials and elected representatives said the combination of road reconstruction and drainage improvements would provide longer term benefits by improving mobility while also protecting the road from damage associated with accumulated rainwater.
A large number of local residents, community elders and political workers attended the inauguration ceremony.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has introduced a Property Transparency System, PTS, aimed at giving citizens easier access to verified information about approved housing societies and helping property buyers make safer investment decisions.
According to a public awareness notice issued under the Punjab Land Records Authority's land administration reform programme, citizens can use the online system to check important information about housing societies before purchasing or investing in property.
The platform provides access to information including the list of approved housing societies, approved Layout Plans, or LOPs, details of plots and other relevant information related to housing schemes.
The government has advised prospective buyers and investors to verify the status and details of a housing society through the official portal before making any property transaction.
The initiative is intended to improve transparency in Punjab's housing and property sector by making official information more easily accessible to the public. It may also help buyers distinguish between approved projects and schemes whose regulatory status requires further verification.
The system offers citizens a relatively simple way to check property related information online rather than relying solely on claims made by developers, property dealers or marketing material.
According to the government's awareness campaign, the Property Transparency System is designed around three key benefits: greater protection for property buyers and investors, easier access to verified information, and availability of important housing society records through an official digital platform.
Citizens have been urged to obtain relevant information about a housing scheme before buying a plot or making an investment, particularly by checking its approval status and approved layout plan.
The government has made the information available through its Punjab Zameen online platform as part of broader efforts to digitise land and property related services and increase public access to official records.

Jhelum | ReNews Pakistan
The ancestral home of legendary Bollywood actor Sunil Dutt in Pakistan's Jhelum district has attracted widespread attention after a video of the property went viral on social media in both Pakistan and India.
Pakistani content creators Sameel Atif and Ayan Atif visited Sunil Dutt's ancestral village in Jhelum and shared footage showing the old family home connected to the celebrated Indian actor.
Sunil Dutt, whose original name was Balraj Dutt, was born in Jhelum before the Partition of the subcontinent and spent his early years there. His family later migrated to India after Partition in 1947, where he went on to become one of Bollywood's most recognised actors.
The video has received an emotional response from social media users on both sides of the border. Many viewers tagged Sunil Dutt's son, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, inviting him to visit Pakistan and see his father's ancestral home.
The viral video also features an old interview in which Sanjay Dutt speaks about his father's deep emotional attachment to his birthplace and expresses his own desire to visit the family's ancestral village in Pakistan.
Social media users have described the house as a reminder of the shared history and family connections that existed across the region before Partition.
Reports also state that Sunil Dutt returned to his ancestral village years later and asked the people living in the house to preserve its original character for future generations.
The renewed attention around the Jhelum property has once again highlighted how ancestral homes continue to connect families and memories across the Pakistan India border decades after Partition.