Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
A four member high level inquiry committee has been constituted on the directives of the Punjab chief minister to investigate allegations of substandard construction material and possible irregularities in ongoing beautification projects in Kamalia and other parts of Toba Tek Singh district.
The committee has been instructed to complete a comprehensive investigation and submit its report to the chief minister within three days.
According to official orders, the committee will conduct on site inspections of all relevant beautification projects underway in Kamalia and other areas of Toba Tek Singh. It will assess the quality of construction work, the material used, compliance with technical requirements and the administrative process followed during project execution.
The inquiry will determine whether the work was carried out in accordance with approved standards, specifications and relevant rules.
The chairman of the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team has been appointed as the committee’s convener. The director general of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Planning and Development Board will serve as a member, along with one representative of the CMIT and another member nominated by the convener.
The committee will also examine official records, tender documents, contracts, construction files and other relevant material linked to the projects.
Investigators will assess whether the construction material met the prescribed quality standards and whether any negligence, poor workmanship or financial and administrative irregularities occurred during implementation.
The Punjab government has directed the committee to identify any officials, contractors or other individuals found responsible for the use of substandard material, poor construction, negligence or irregularities.
The committee has also been asked to include clear recommendations for action against those responsible in its final report.
The findings will be submitted to the chief minister within three days, after which further legal and administrative action may be taken against the responsible parties.

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
The National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) has completed the preliminary feasibility study for the proposed Rawalpindi Ring Road Phase II, which will connect Thalian Interchange with Hakla Interchange as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route development.
According to official sources, NESPAK has prepared three alignment options for the project and will submit them, along with its technical recommendations, to the Punjab Cabinet for final approval.
The feasibility study identifies the expansion of the existing M-2 Motorway as the most practical, economical and technically feasible solution. Under this proposal, the current three lanes on each side of the motorway would be widened to five lanes in each direction along a 15.3 kilometre stretch. The project is estimated to cost approximately Rs9 billion.
The second option proposes constructing a new 19.5 kilometre highway on the eastern side of the motorway at an estimated cost of Rs18 billion. The third option envisages a 26.5 kilometre western corridor, with an estimated cost of Rs24 billion, making it the longest and most expensive alternative under consideration.
According to the feasibility report, widening the existing motorway could reduce overall construction costs by 50 to 60 percent compared with the two new corridor options. The study highlights that the availability of existing infrastructure, significantly lower land acquisition requirements and a shorter construction timeline make the motorway expansion the preferred option.
The report also outlines several engineering and operational challenges, including traffic management during construction, right-of-way constraints and interchange improvements. However, NESPAK concludes that these challenges are manageable and are outweighed by the financial and operational advantages of upgrading the existing motorway.
In contrast, the western alignment has been assessed as the least feasible option because it would require extensive land acquisition and substantially higher investment, while offering limited additional benefits compared with the recommended motorway expansion.
The Punjab Cabinet is expected to review the three proposals before taking a final decision on the project's alignment and implementation strategy.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has made it mandatory to establish green buffer zones around all industrial areas across the province as part of a major initiative to control industrial pollution and provide citizens with a cleaner environment.
According to directives issued by Punjab Environmental Protection Department Director General Dr Imran Hamid Sheikh, plantation-based buffer zones will be developed around all industrial estates and industrial zones to reduce the impact of smoke, dust and hazardous gases emitted by factories.
A modern Geographic Information System, or GIS, will also be introduced under the initiative. GIS is an advanced technology used to collect, store, analyse and present geographic and spatial data in the form of maps. By linking detailed information with specific physical locations, the system enables authorities to identify and analyse patterns, relationships and trends more effectively.
The measure has been introduced under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, with the objective of reducing industrial pollution, protecting the environment and addressing risks to public health.
The Environmental Protection Department said industrial pollution had become a serious challenge for both public health and the environment. It warned that strict legal action would be taken against organisations found violating environmental laws.
Under the directives, institutions that fail to carry out plantation in industrial areas will be held accountable. The cutting of trees without prior approval will be completely prohibited, while action will also be taken against individuals or entities encroaching upon or damaging green belts.
The department has instructed the relevant authorities to ensure strict implementation of the directives through effective field monitoring.
The GIS Department has also been assigned responsibility for mapping and monitoring industrial areas to support the planning and effective management of green buffer zones.
Officials said the initiative would help establish a better balance between industrial development, environmental protection and public health.