Punjab Province

Gujranwala : ReNews Pakistan
The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Gujranwala has registered a case against 11 people, including four tehsildars and other revenue officials, over the alleged entry of 984 bogus land mutations based on fake registry documents in Ladhe Wala Warraich village.
According to ACE Gujranwala Region spokesperson Rana Shabbir Ashraf, the allegedly fraudulent mutations were entered into official revenue records from July 2024 onwards, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs115 million to the public exchequer.
The case was registered on the directives of ACE Punjab Director General Sohail Zafar Chattha and ACE Gujranwala Region Director Amjad Shehzad as part of an investigation into alleged manipulation of land and revenue records.
Officials said the inquiry centres on hundreds of mutations allegedly processed using fake registry documents. Investigators are examining how the documents were used to make changes in official land records and whether additional government officials or private individuals facilitated the alleged irregularities.
Those nominated in the case include Tehsildars Sarfraz Ahmed Cheema, Arshad Dulo, Imtiaz Sahi and Iltif Hussain Tarrar, as well as Naib Tehsildar Captain Naseem.
Other accused include Prosh, described as an HRC official at the Gujranwala Deputy Commissioner's Office; Manzoor Ahmed Wasal Baqi; Patwaris Mustafa Mann and Bilal Butt; and deed writers Faisal Bhatti and Amanat Bhatti.
The case has been registered at the Anti-Corruption Police Station Gujranwala under Sections 409, 420, 468, 471 and 162 of the Pakistan Penal Code, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
The allegations involve suspected cheating, forgery, use of allegedly forged documents and other offences connected with the handling of public records and property transactions. The accusations against those nominated in the case remain subject to investigation and have not yet been established by a court.
Land mutations form an important part of Pakistan's revenue administration system, recording changes relating to ownership and other rights in immovable property. Fraudulent entries can lead to disputes over property rights while also causing financial losses to the government through irregular or unlawful transactions.
ACE Gujranwala Region Director Amjad Shehzad said no concession would be given to anyone found responsible for causing losses to the public exchequer.
He said investigators would also determine the role of any other officials who may have been involved in the alleged irregularities. If evidence emerges against additional individuals during the investigation, action would be initiated against them in accordance with the law.
The investigation is expected to examine the origin and authenticity of the registry documents, the procedure through which the 984 mutations were entered into revenue records and the respective roles of officials and private individuals allegedly involved in processing the transactions.
Authorities are also expected to assess the full financial impact of the alleged irregularities as the investigation progresses.

Lahore : ReNews Pakistan
The Lahore Heritage Run will be held tomorrow morning bringing together runners and citizens from Lahore and other parts of Punjab for an event aimed at highlighting the city’s rich historical and cultural heritage.

The run will begin at the historic Diwan e Aam, from where participants will make their way through Lahore’s historic quarter before completing the route at Hazuri Bagh.

The event is aimed at combining healthy outdoor activity with greater public engagement with Lahore’s heritage, taking participants through an area that represents centuries of the city’s history, architecture and cultural identity.

People from different walks of life are expected to participate in the event, with regular runners as well as members of the public joining the heritage route.

Director General Pakistan Railways Walton Academy Muhammad Hanif Gul will also attend the Lahore Heritage Run as an observer and witness the event.

Organisers believe activities such as the Heritage Run can help promote physical activity among citizens, particularly young people, while also encouraging greater awareness of historic sites and the importance of preserving the city’s cultural heritage.

The route from Diwan e Aam to Hazuri Bagh will bring together sport, fitness and heritage in the heart of historic Lahore, offering participants an opportunity to experience some of the city’s most significant surroundings while taking part in the run.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has formally introduced sanitation charges for residential and commercial properties across the province under the Suthra Punjab Programme, bringing property owners and businesses under a new fee collection system linked to waste management and sanitation services.
According to a notification issued by the Local Government and Community Development Department, the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has been assigned responsibility for collecting the sanitation charges.
The new system took effect from July 1, 2026. Since charges for the first three months were not collected separately, the Excise Department will issue consolidated bills covering July, August and September during October.
Property owners and other consumers will have until October 31 to clear their outstanding sanitation dues, while an online payment facility is expected to become available by October 15.
The sanitation fee structure for residential properties in urban areas has been linked directly to property size, meaning larger homes will face progressively higher monthly charges.
Residential properties measuring up to five marlas will be charged Rs 300 per month, equivalent to Rs 3,600 annually if the same rate remains applicable throughout the year.
Homes measuring more than five marlas and up to 10 marlas will face a monthly sanitation fee of Rs 500, while properties measuring between 10 and 20 marlas will be charged Rs 1,000 per month.
For larger residential properties, the charges increase substantially. Homes measuring between 20 and 40 marlas will be required to pay Rs 2,000 per month, while residential properties exceeding 40 marlas will face the highest listed charge of Rs 5,000 per month.
At these rates, the annual sanitation cost would range from Rs 3,600 for properties in the lowest category to as much as Rs 60,000 for homes exceeding 40 marlas, provided the monthly rates remain unchanged.
Commercial properties in urban areas have also been brought under the sanitation fee regime, although their charges will be determined according to the size or category of the business rather than residential plot size.
Small businesses will be charged Rs 500 per month, while medium-sized commercial establishments will pay Rs 1,000. Large businesses will face a monthly sanitation fee of Rs 3,000.
The commercial fee structure translates into annual charges of Rs 6,000 for small businesses, Rs12,000 for medium-sized businesses and Rs 36,000 for large commercial establishments if the notified rates remain in force for a full year.
The introduction of property-based sanitation charges represents an important component of the provincial government's Suthra Punjab Programme, which seeks to establish a more organised waste collection, cleaning and sanitation system across Punjab.
Assigning collection responsibility to the Excise Department also links the sanitation fee mechanism with an institution already responsible for collecting various property-related taxes and government levies across the province.
For property owners, the new arrangement means sanitation services will now carry a recurring financial obligation based on the category and, in the case of residential properties, the size of the property.
The immediate financial impact will be greater in October because consumers are expected to receive bills covering three months simultaneously. A homeowner normally liable for Rs 300 per month, for example, would face Rs 900 for July through September, while a property in the Rs 5,000 monthly category would accumulate Rs 15,000 for the same period.
Similarly, the three-month sanitation liability would amount to Rs 1,500 for a small commercial business, Rs 3,000 for a medium-sized business and Rs 9,000 for a large commercial establishment.
With the fee structure formally notified and collection responsibility assigned to the Excise Department, residential and commercial property owners across Punjab will now be required to incorporate sanitation charges into their recurring property-related expenses under the provincial government's new waste management framework.