Main Suspect in Alleged Murder of Russian Siblings Brings Police to Burial Site Near Pattaya

Lahore: An important consultative meeting of the Core Committee of the Pakistan Association of Alternative Medicine (PAAM) was held, in which the “Policy Draft and Working Paper” was finalized to make the country’s alternative medicine sector namely Homeopathy, Herbal, and Unani economically self-reliant and to transform it into an international industry. During this meeting, PAAM Core Committee members Dr. Tariq Mahmood Chaudhry and former Director of Homeopathy at the Punjab Health Department, Dr. Jamil Akhtar Ghauri, met with PAAM President Kashif Aslam Malik and held deep consultations on the framework of the proposed federal ministry. According to the text of the policy draft, more than 80 percent of the world’s population relies on alternative and natural methods of treatment. China earns an annual export profit of 60 billion dollars from this sector, and India earns over 5 billion dollars in valuable foreign exchange. In contrast, despite having abundant natural resources and hundreds of thousands of qualified doctors, Pakistan accounts for less than 0.5 percent of the global market due to the lack of an independent federal ministry. The working paper prepared by PAAM highlights that establishing an autonomous federal ministry could be the fastest way to pull Pakistan out of its economic crisis and boost exports. The PAAM leadership has presented three-year economic targets to the government and parliament, setting the export target at 200 million dollars for the first year, 500 million dollars for the second year, and aiming to exceed 1.5 billion dollars in the third year through international trade agreements and Business-to-Business (B2B) partnerships. Another key feature of this policy draft is that commercial herb farming will be initiated nationwide under the new ministry, directly benefiting the rural economy and local farmers. Furthermore, this initiative aims to eliminate Pakistan’s reliance on expensive imported raw materials for the allopathic industry, making the country truly economically independent. During the meeting, the PAAM leadership emphasized that the alternative medicine sector is facing a severe crisis due to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan’s (DRAP) hyper-focus on allopathic brands and bureaucratic red tape. They noted that introducing a one-window operation under an autonomous ministry would ensure medicine quality complies with World Health Organization (WHO) and International Herb Pharmacopeia standards, while also reducing public healthcare expenditures at the government level by up to 50 percent through the provision of affordable alternative medicines. Following the completion of the policy draft, PAAM has demanded a joint emergency meeting of the Senate and National Assembly Standing Committees on Health and Commerce, the formation of a dedicated task force, and a special export package for alternative medicine manufacturers. The Chairman and Core Committee of PAAM reaffirmed their commitment to presenting this policy paper to the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Federal Cabinet very soon to make the country self-sufficient on both economic and medical fronts.

KARACHI: Karachi is expected to experience partly cloudy and humid weather over the next 24 hours, with the Meteorological Department forecasting a possibility of light drizzle in the city tonight. Temperatures are likely to remain between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius during the day, while the minimum temperature recorded over the past 24 hours was 27.5°C. The weather is expected to remain humid as sea breezes continue to sweep across the city from the southwest at around 15 kilometres per hour. The humidity level has been recorded at 75 per cent. Residents may experience some relief from the persistent heat if the forecast drizzle occurs, although the overall weather is expected to remain warm and humid.

  Lahore: A deeply unfortunate, alarming, and unacceptable incident occurred today at Punjab University when the young daughter of a university professor was attacked by stray dogs roaming freely on the university campus. The brutal attack left the child with approximately fifteen deep bite wounds on different parts of her body, requiring immediate medical attention. The tragic incident has caused immense shock, grief, and concern among the victim’s family as well as the entire university community. The Academic Staff Association (ASA) and the Joint Action Committee stated that they have repeatedly raised concerns over the growing stray dog population on the campus through both written communications and verbal representations over the past several months. According to the associations, they had consistently warned the university administration that the increasing number of stray dogs posed a serious threat to the lives and safety of students, faculty members, university employees, and their families. Despite numerous complaints and repeated demands for action, the administration allegedly failed to address the issue with the seriousness it deserved, displaying what the associations described as criminal negligence, indifference, and a lack of responsibility. They maintained that today’s tragic incident is a direct consequence of this continued inaction. The Academic Staff Association and the Joint Action Committee expressed profound disappointment over what they described as the misplaced priorities of the current university administration. Instead of focusing on resolving the institution’s fundamental issues, ensuring campus security, and protecting the welfare of the university community, the administration has allegedly remained preoccupied with retaliatory actions, harassment of faculty and employees, and unnecessary administrative conflicts. The associations argued that when an administration neglects its basic legal and administrative responsibilities, such unfortunate incidents become inevitable, and responsibility for the consequences rests with the concerned authorities. Strongly condemning the incident, the Academic Staff Association (ASA) and the Joint Action Committee have put forward the following demands: An immediate, transparent, and impartial inquiry should be conducted to determine responsibility for the incident and hold those accountable. The injured child and her family should be provided with every possible medical, administrative, and financial assistance. A comprehensive, effective, and permanent operation should be launched on an emergency basis to make the entire Punjab University campus safe from stray dogs. A clear, practical, and sustainable campus safety policy should be developed and implemented to ensure the protection of students, faculty members, employees, and their families. The Academic Staff Association and the Joint Action Committee further warned that if the university administration fails to take immediate and effective measures to permanently resolve the stray dog issue, and if any similar incident occurs in the future, they will reserve the right to pursue all available legal remedies against those responsible. These measures may include the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) and other legal proceedings against the relevant authorities for negligence. The associations urged the university administration to set aside personal preferences, retaliatory attitudes, and unnecessary disputes, and instead devote its full attention to addressing the university’s core challenges. They stressed that ensuring campus security and safeguarding the lives and property of students, faculty members, employees, and their families must remain the administration’s highest priority. The statement concluded by emphasizing that the protection of human life is the foremost responsibility of any institution, and any further negligence in fulfilling this duty would be entirely unacceptable.

MULTAN: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has issued a notice to a Lahore resident, directing him to appear before its Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Multan in connection with an inquiry into alleged social media activity. According to an official notice issued under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), Syed Imran Shafqat has been asked to appear before investigators as part of Enquiry No. ENQ-CCRC-MTN-1549/26, registered on July 24, 2026. The notice states that the inquiry concerns allegations that the individual shared false, fabricated, malicious, and baseless content targeting government institutions and public dignitaries through social media platforms. Investigators have instructed him to present himself at the NCCIA Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Multan along with his original Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to record his statement. The agency warned that failure to appear could result in the inquiry proceeding on the basis that no defence or explanation was offered by the recipient of the notice. The notice was issued by Sub-Inspector Tahir Mehmood of the NCCIA Cyber Crime Reporting Centre, Multan, as part of the agency’s ongoing investigations into alleged cybercrime-related offences. It is important to note that the issuance of a notice for appearance forms part of an inquiry process and does not, by itself, establish guilt or liability.

  A spokesperson has confirmed that Justice Shahid Karim is currently ranked sixth on the seniority list of judges serving at the Lahore High Court. His position on the seniority roster reflects his extensive judicial experience and years of service within Pakistan’s higher judiciary. According to the spokesperson, Justice Shahid Karim has been hearing cases related to smog prevention and environmental pollution for the past several years. During this period, he has presided over numerous hearings concerning environmental protection, air quality, and measures aimed at reducing the harmful effects of smog, particularly in Punjab. His courtroom has become a focal point for addressing environmental issues that have increasingly affected public health and the quality of life in the province. Justice Karim has been widely recognized for taking an active interest in environmental matters. Under his supervision, various government departments have been directed to implement policies and practical measures to tackle air pollution and improve environmental standards. His hearings have often involved officials from environmental agencies, local governments, industries, and other stakeholders responsible for ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. The issue of smog has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges in Pakistan, especially during the winter months, when air quality deteriorates significantly due to industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, crop residue burning, and unfavorable weather conditions. Through his judicial oversight, Justice Shahid Karim has consistently emphasized the need for coordinated action among government institutions to protect public health and reduce environmental degradation. The spokesperson further stated that Justice Shahid Karim’s retirement will create another vacancy in the Lahore High Court. Following his retirement, the total number of vacant judicial positions at the court will rise to 21. This increase in vacancies is expected to place additional pressure on the existing judges, who already manage a heavy workload involving thousands of pending civil, criminal, constitutional, and administrative cases. Judicial vacancies are a matter of concern because they can contribute to delays in the disposal of cases and increase the burden on the remaining members of the bench. Legal experts have frequently stressed the importance of filling vacant judicial positions promptly to ensure timely access to justice and maintain the efficient functioning of the court system. The retirement of a senior judge such as Justice Shahid Karim is also significant because of the experience and expertise he brings to the judiciary. Over the years, he has handled a wide range of important legal matters, but his role in environmental litigation has particularly distinguished his judicial career. His decisions and observations have highlighted the importance of environmental conservation, sustainable development, and government accountability in addressing pollution-related challenges. With his departure from the bench, authorities are expected to initiate the process of appointing new judges to fill the growing number of vacancies in the Lahore High Court. These appointments will be important in ensuring that the court continues to function effectively and that the backlog of pending cases does not increase further. Justice Shahid Karim’s retirement marks the end of an important chapter in the Lahore High Court’s judicial history. His contributions, particularly in the field of environmental justice and smog control, have had a lasting impact on legal and policy discussions surrounding environmental protection in Pakistan. As the Lahore High Court prepares for this transition, the appointment of qualified judges will be essential to maintaining the efficiency, credibility, and effectiveness of the judicial system.