Punjab Province

Rawalpindi: [ReNews Pakistan]
Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema has directed all concerned departments to ensure comprehensive arrangements at cattle markets being established across the district for Eid ul Azha, with a special focus on public convenience, animal health, cleanliness, security and traffic flow.
He issued these directions while chairing an important meeting on Tuesday to review preparations for Eid cattle markets. The meeting was attended by all assistant commissioners, officers of relevant departments and representatives of administrative institutions.
During the meeting, officials reviewed arrangements for essential facilities at cattle markets, including parking areas, lighting, clean drinking water, waste management, medical assistance and smooth movement of traffic. The deputy commissioner directed the departments concerned to complete all necessary preparations in advance so that citizens do not face inconvenience while purchasing sacrificial animals.
The meeting also decided that special counters of the Livestock Department would be established at cattle markets to provide facilities related to animal health, vaccination, disease diagnosis and immediate medical assistance. Veterinary teams will remain present at the markets to examine animals and provide timely treatment where required.
Officials were further instructed to ensure regular spray and disinfection at cattle markets to prevent the spread of diseases among animals and maintain a clean and healthy environment. The administration will also set up information desks to guide citizens and provide them with necessary assistance.
Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema said that effective cleanliness, security and medical arrangements must be ensured at all cattle markets. He added that, in line with the directions of the Punjab government, all possible facilities would be provided to the public during Eid-ul-Azha.
The deputy commissioner said the district administration would continuously monitor the arrangements at cattle markets to ensure smooth operations and resolve public complaints without delay.

Vehari: [Tariq Aziz Ansari District Coordinator ReNews Pakistan]
An important meeting regarding building fitness certificates for public and private schools was held in Vehari under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Khalid Javed Goraya. The meeting reviewed the safety standards of educational institution buildings and the implementation of government SOPs.
Addressing the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Khalid Javed Goraya directed all public and private schools to ensure the acquisition of building fitness certificates.
He said the survey of school buildings should be completed at the earliest, adding that legal action would be taken against those operating schools without valid fitness certificates.
The Deputy Commissioner said public and private educational institutions must strictly comply with government SOPs. He made it clear that children should not be taught in unsafe or dilapidated buildings, while such structures should be sealed immediately to prevent any untoward incident.
Khalid Javed Goraya said the protection of students and teachers is the top priority of the district administration. He added that all necessary measures would be completed on a priority basis to maintain parents’ confidence and ensure a safe future for children through a secure educational environment.
Additional Deputy Commissioner General Ghulam Murtaza, CEO Education Nasir Aziz, DEO Elementary Female Andleeb Asghar, DEO Elementary Mehr Muhammad Javed, District President Private Schools Association Mian Jahanzeb and other school owners attended the meeting.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has made building fitness certificates mandatory for private schools across the province, under which the strength, stability and safety standards of private educational institutions will be formally assessed.
According to sources, a building fitness certificate has been proposed as a mandatory requirement for school registration and renewal of registration. The certificate will be issued by the Buildings Department. In Lahore, around 3,500 private schools fall within the registration framework, and authorities have recommended adopting a structured mechanism for inspecting their buildings.
According to the official letter, a proposal has been made to appoint a third party consultant for the inspection of private schools. It has also been recommended that the responsibility be assigned to an independent engineering firm so that school buildings can be examined in an impartial and technical manner. A uniform survey of private schools across Punjab has also been proposed.
The letter revealed that many private schools are operating in residential buildings, while several structures have not been approved for institutional purposes. In addition, the building plans and structural records of several school buildings are not available, raising safety concerns for students, teachers and staff.
To ensure building safety, a comprehensive structural assessment has been proposed, along with destructive and non destructive testing of buildings. Officials said the purpose of the technical inspection is to ensure the safety of students studying in private schools and identify unsafe buildings.
The letter issued by the Punjab Communication and Works Department has sought an immediate policy decision from the School Education Department. The letter was sent in light of a communication from the CEO DEA Lahore.