Punjab Province

Lahore | Re News Pakistan

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) sealed 43 commercial properties and demolished structures and infrastructure in illegal housing schemes across the city during enforcement operations conducted on October 12 and 13, 2026.

According to details, LDA teams sealed 15 commercial properties in Gulberg, 10 in Allama Iqbal Town and 18 along GT Road. The affected premises included shops, private schools, clinics, pharmacies, restaurants, beauty salons, showrooms and workshops.

LDA officials said the sealing operations were carried out to curb unauthorized commercial activities and recover outstanding commercial fees. The authority continues to take enforcement action against businesses operating in violation of applicable regulations.

Separately, LDA teams conducted demolition operations in housing schemes located along Sundar–Raiwind Road and Multan Road. The operation involved the removal of boundary walls, offices, roads and other related infrastructure. The locations identified in the enforcement drive included Mashallah Villas, an illegal subdivision near Mal Pind, Daman City, Maraka Marketing, Maraka Homes, Maraka City and New Lahore City.

According to available records, 270.20 kanals of land in Blocks A and B of Daman City, situated in Mouza Maraka, was listed as finally approved in the LDA approval register on August 30, 2022. However, the details released regarding the recent operation did not clarify whether the approved land parcel was affected by the demolition drive or whether any change had been made to its approval status.

LDA officials said the primary objective of the enforcement operations was to protect citizens from potential financial losses associated with investments in illegal housing projects and to ensure that commercial and construction activities comply with relevant laws and regulations.

The authority is also using digital tracking systems to monitor the sealing and de-sealing of properties, with the aim of improving record-keeping and strengthening oversight of enforcement activities.

Meanwhile, LDA Director General Tahir Farooq, during a recent revenue review meeting, directed officials to accelerate the recovery of outstanding dues, ensure compliance with the prescribed auction schedule and advance marketing efforts for the proposed Tech Park on Ferozepur Road.

The enforcement operations were conducted under the supervision of Chief Town Planner-I Asad-uz-Zaman.

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.