Punjab Province

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
The Rawalpindi Ring Road project has missed its sixth completion deadline, with the long awaited corridor still not ready for inauguration despite August 14 having been set as the latest target date.
Main construction work has largely been completed along the 38.3 kilometre route stretching from Banth Mor on GT Road to the Thallian Interchange. However, the project cannot become fully operational until the remaining toll booths and toll collection system are completed.
According to the latest project status, the Project Management Unit will formally hand over the road to the Punjab Ring Road Authority once the outstanding tolling infrastructure is finished.
Of the five planned interchanges, four have already been completed at Banth, Chakbeli Khan, Adiala and Chakri.
Work at the Thallian Interchange, however, remains incomplete after authorities decided to develop it as a broader interchange facility. Despite the unfinished work at Thallian, the Ring Road has already been connected with the motorway network.
The project’s total cost has now reached approximately Rs47 billion, translating into an average cost of around Rs 1.22 billion per kilometre.
The latest delay has primarily been attributed to incomplete tolling infrastructure rather than the main road construction. Once toll plazas and the associated tolling system are completed, the project is expected to be transferred to the Punjab Ring Road Authority for operation.
The Ring Road is considered a major transport infrastructure project for Rawalpindi, designed to divert through-traffic away from congested urban roads and improve connectivity between GT Road, major suburban areas and the motorway network.
Authorities have also removed a controversial service area that had earlier been established along the Ring Road corridor.
With most civil works completed, the project has now entered its final operational-preparation phase, but the missed August 14 deadline has further extended the wait for the road’s formal opening.

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
Rawalpindi city is set to have two mayors and four deputy mayors after being divided into two municipal towns under the finalized local government delimitation ahead of the upcoming local government elections.
The final delimitation notification has been issued after objections to the proposed boundaries were rejected, formally establishing Municipal Rawal Town and Municipal Potohar Town.
Under the new structure, Rawal Town will comprise 41 union councils, compared with 46 previously, while Potohar Town will have 33, down from 36.
Murree Road will serve as the boundary between the two municipal towns. Areas towards Raja Bazaar will fall within Rawal Town, while Dhoke Khabba and Sadiqabad will become part of Potohar Town.
The changes form part of a broader restructuring of local government across Rawalpindi district. The Rawalpindi District Council has been dissolved and its areas redistributed among six tehsil councils. Two new tehsil councils—Saddar and Cantt—and a new municipal committee at Daultala have also been created.
Rawalpindi city will consequently be administered through four local government areas: Rawal Town, Potohar Town, Tehsil Council Saddar and Tehsil Council Cantt.
Saddar Tehsil Council will comprise 22 union councils and Cantt Tehsil Council 29. The total number of union councils across these four Rawalpindi areas will reach 125, compared with 82 previously.
At the district level, Rawalpindi will now have 17 local government bodies, comprising two municipal towns, five municipal committees, six tehsil councils and four cantonment boards.
The municipal committees include Gujar Khan with six union councils, Taxila with five, Kahuta and Kallar Syedan with four each, and Daultala with two.
The six tehsil councils are Gujar Khan with 36 union councils, Kahuta with 12, Kallar Syedan and Taxila with 13 each, Saddar with 22 and Cantt with 29.
Following Murree’s elevation as a separate district, Rawalpindi district now has four cantonment boards—Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Wah and Taxila—compared with five previously.
The final delimitation was approved by the three-member Delimitation Authority comprising District Election Commissioner-I Sajid Rathore, District Election Commissioner-II Safia Akbar and Local Government Director Shazia Mumtaz, clearing the administrative framework for the forthcoming local government elections.

Lahore : ReNews Pakistan
The Lahore Development Authority has sealed a total of 80 properties across different parts of the city in a major operation against illegal commercial use and non-payment of commercialisation fees.
Acting on the directions of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq, teams from the Town Planning Wing carried out enforcement operations in areas falling under the authority’s controlled jurisdiction. The action covered Gulberg, Model Town Extension, Canal Road, Shadman, New Muslim Town, Poonch Road and Mustafa Town, where residential and commercial properties were inspected for regulatory violations.
According to the LDA, 25 properties were sealed in Gulberg and Model Town Extension for being used for unauthorised commercial purposes.
Another 47 properties were sealed on Canal Road, in Shadman, New Muslim Town and Poonch Road over illegal commercial use and failure to pay outstanding commercialisation fees.
In a separate recovery operation in Mustafa Town, Town Planning Wing teams sealed eight additional properties for non-payment of dues, bringing the total number of sealed properties to 80.
The LDA said the sealed premises included private schools, clinics, beauty salons, cafés, restaurants, food outlets, grocery stores, hardware stores, pharmacies, shops, showrooms, offices and other commercial establishments.
Officials said action was taken against properties where commercial activities were being carried out in violation of the approved land use or where owners had failed to clear outstanding commercialisation charges.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Chief Town Planner-I Asad-uz-Zaman, with teams from the Town Planning Wing carrying out simultaneous enforcement actions in different areas of the city.
LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said indiscriminate action against illegal commercial buildings and properties with outstanding commercialisation fees would continue across LDA-controlled areas.
He directed the relevant wings to ensure strict enforcement of building and commercialisation regulations and to continue action against violations without discrimination.