France tightens borders after deadly Ceuta migrant crisis

Voting was suspended at a polling station in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Bhimber district after a clash broke out between workers of two political parties during the first phase of the AJK elections. The incident took place at the Darbar Baba Shadi Shaheed polling station in constituency LA-6 Bhimber. Following the confrontation, polling was halted temporarily. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Abdul Razzaq Chaudhry alleged that workers of an opposing political party started the fight at the polling station. District Returning Officer (DRO) confirmed that a clash had taken place at one of the polling stations at Darbar Baba Shadi Shaheed. According to the official, miscreants snatched a ballot box and set it on fire. The DRO said the ballot box contained 232 votes when it was set ablaze. Returning officials and security personnel are currently present at the polling station. The DRO said legal action would be taken against those involved in disrupting the polling process. Officials have yet to decide whether polling will be held again at the affected polling station. The DRO said a decision on re-polling would be taken later in accordance with the relevant election rules. Apart from the affected polling station, polling is continuing normally at all other polling stations across the constituency. Meanwhile, the DRO also said that former AJK prime minister Anwar-ul-Haq had raised a complaint regarding polling arrangements in constituency LA-7. Officials visited the polling stations where complaints had been received and found that the relevant polling agents were present there.

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has said that around 11 million people in Pakistan are living with hepatitis C, while a large number of cases remain undiagnosed because many people have not undergone screening. Addressing a ceremony in Karachi, the minister highlighted several major public health challenges facing the country. He said around 80% of people in Sindh do not have access to clean drinking water. Kamal said approximately 11,000 mothers die every year during childbirth, while around 400,000 children die annually. He also claimed that one in every three people in the country suffers from diabetes. He expressed concern that Pakistan is still recognised as a polio-affected country. According to the health minister, nearly 68% of diseases are linked to the consumption of contaminated water, highlighting the need for improved water and sanitation facilities. Speaking about healthcare services in the area, Kamal said the site where the ceremony was held previously operated as a federal government dispensary. The facility currently provides medical services from 8am until noon. He said telemedicine services had been introduced at the dispensary as part of efforts to improve access to healthcare. Doctors can now examine patients remotely through online consultations. The minister announced that the dispensary would be upgraded into a secondary-care hospital. He said it was the fourth location where the federal government had laid the foundation for a secondary hospital. The new facility will have 40 beds and will provide a range of medical services. Kamal said the hospital would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs660 million and was expected to be completed within four months. The hospital will also provide emergency services around the clock, he added. Kamal said residents would no longer need to travel long distances for X-rays and other essential medical services once the hospital becomes operational. The federal health minister acknowledged that securing approval and funding for development projects from the federal government was not an easy process. He said the private sector would also be brought on board to improve the management of the healthcare facility. Kamal further said the federal government had allocated Rs2.86 billion for plans to expand and upgrade dispensaries across the country. The announcements are part of the government’s efforts to expand basic healthcare services and improve access to medical facilities, particularly in areas where residents have limited access to hospitals and diagnostic services.

LAHORE: The Provincial Management Service (PMS) Officers Association has strongly opposed the Punjab government’s proposal to create 101 new Additional Assistant Commissioner (AAC) posts, describing the move as unnecessary and harmful to the existing administrative structure. The association argued that the AAC posts had been abolished years ago and their revival was not justified, particularly after the establishment of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA), which was created to strengthen enforcement and regulatory functions across the province. During an executive committee meeting chaired by Association President Qamar Zaman Qaisrani, members unanimously decided to raise their concerns with senior government officials. A delegation of the association is expected to meet the Punjab services secretary and the additional chief secretary to seek a review of the proposed decision. The association warned that if its concerns remain unaddressed, PMS officers across Punjab will begin a province-wide protest campaign. As part of the first phase, officers plan to wear black armbands while performing official duties to register their protest against the government’s decision. PMS officers believe the creation of the new posts would place a significant financial burden on the provincial treasury. According to the association’s estimates, establishing one Additional Assistant Commissioner post, including official facilities, office infrastructure, staff, transport and operational expenses, would cost approximately Rs46.8 million. They claim that creating all 101 posts would require nearly Rs4.73 billion initially, in addition to recurring expenditures on salaries, allowances and other administrative costs. The association further expressed concerns over what it described as long-standing issues within the provincial bureaucracy. These include delays in promotion boards, alleged discrimination in transfers and postings, and the appointment of junior officers to positions traditionally reserved for senior officials. Former administrative secretary Yawar Mehdi also commented on the proposal, saying that efforts to improve public service delivery were welcome if they genuinely strengthened governance. However, he stressed that introducing additional administrative positions should not weaken the existing civil service structure or negatively affect the career progression of Provincial Management Service officers.