NEW DELHI: India has introduced legislation to expand its 20-year-old rural employment programme by increasing the number of guaranteed workdays. The proposed bill would raise employment from 100 to 125 days per household annually for unskilled manual labour. Read More: CM Punjab launches IT & digital skills training for 27,000 rural women Prime Minister Narendra […]
Infrastructure
Four years on, flood-hit Ranowalia still awaits schools and roads
MANSEHRA: Communities in Ranowalia and Dubair villages of Lower Kohistan remain deprived of basic services four years after devastating flash floods struck the area in 2022. Schools, roads, and health facilities washed away during the disaster have yet to be rehabilitated, leaving residents without access to education, healthcare, or proper transport. Read More: Flood surge to […]
Three-year-old dies in Karachi manhole, exposing systemic failures
A three-year-old boy, Ibrahim Nabeel, tragically fell to his death in an open manhole near Karachi’s Nipa Chowrangi on November 30, highlighting longstanding infrastructural gaps in the city. Read More: Mayor allocates Rs 100,000 monthly to UCs for streetlights, manhole covers Ibrahim had been walking with his mother after leaving the Chase Departmental Store when he […]
KMC–BRT blame game erupts after child’s death in open manhole
KARACHI: A heated dispute erupted on Wednesday between the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line management after both sides traded blame over the death of a three-year-old boy who fell into an open manhole near Nipa in Gulshan-i-Iqbal. Read More: Heads roll over Karachi child’s manhole death The rare public […]
Iran, Turkiye agree to build $1.6bn Silk Road rail link
Iran and Turkiye have agreed to construct a new joint railway connecting the two countries, creating a strategic trade corridor between Asia and Europe. The Marand-Cheshmeh Soraya rail line will run approximately 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Iran’s Marand region to Turkiye’s Aralik border area. Read More: Dar chairs inter-ministerial meeting to advance Pakistan-Iran ties Iranian […]
PM Shehbaz stresses modernization and digitalization of Pakistan Railways
ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday underlined the importance of Pakistan Railways as the backbone of the country’s economy and communication network. Chairing a high-level meeting at the PM House, he directed that international-standard legal and economic experts be hired for projects related to regional connectivity and international train links. The prime minister […]
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz launches Phase I of Rawalpindi green electric bus service
RAWALPINDI: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated Phase I of the green electric bus service in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, unveiling a fleet of 45 buses operating on four key routes across the city. The new e-buses come equipped with air-conditioning, CCTV cameras, free Wi-Fi, and mobile charging ports. The fare is set at Rs20 per […]
PSDP funds underutilized: Just Rs 76 billion spent by October
ISLAMABAD: The government spent only Rs 76 billion on development projects between July and October 2025. This represents just 7.6 percent of the total Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) budget. Officials cited delays in fund release and flood-related damages as reasons for the slow spending. According to the Ministry of Planning, the government planned to […]
PM Shehbaz, Balochistan CM discuss provincial affairs and security
ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti on Monday to discuss key provincial matters. The meeting focused on administrative and development issues in the province, with both leaders emphasizing the need for progress and stability. They also reviewed the overall law and order situation in Balochistan and discussed […]
Hanif Abbasi vows railways reforms to boost trade and connectivity
LAHORE – Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi on Tuesday said that Pakistan Railways is committed to reducing operational costs and enhancing connectivity to facilitate the business community and strengthen the national economy. Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Abbasi said Pakistan has regained its global reputation as a peace-loving nation, adding, […]