Pakistan eyes PNSC ships to boost GCC trade amid shipping crisis

Lahore’s old city is going through a major change under a heritage revival plan, and the project has now been placed directly under the leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-(N) leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. According to a recent notification issued by the Punjab government’s Local Government and Community Development Department, Nawaz Sharif has been made chairman of the newly formed board of the Lahore Heritage Area Revival project, also known as (LHAR) and patron-in-chief of the Punjab Walled Cities and Heritage Areas Authority (PWCHAA) Earlier, Nawaz Sharif only held the position of chief patron of the project. This meant he could give advice but had no formal powers. Under the new rules, the project’s legal structure has been changed, and a proper board has been formed. This board is now headed directly by the three-time former prime minister. The notification was published in the Punjab Gazette on July 23. It was issued under Section 8-A of the Punjab Walled Cities and Heritage Areas Authority Act 2012. The notification was approved by the governor of Punjab. With this change, the Lahore Heritage Area Revival Board has been formally established. The board now has full executive and administrative powers. Officials say this step was taken to remove bureaucratic delays in restoring the city’s historic fabric. The heritage revival areas cover Mughal, Sikh and colonial-era sites. Details of the ongoing work will be shared soon. Several government departments are working together on the project. These include the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency, known as TEPA, C&W and PWCHAA. TEPA is handling infrastructure work, such as building basements and parking. The PWCHAA is handling the restoration of old buildings. A major part of the plan is to turn old city streets into pedestrian zones. This includes the route from New Anarkali to Paan Gali in Lohari. It also includes Bora Bazaar, which has Bakshi Market inside it. Another walking route will run from Kacheri Chowk to Anarkali and then onward to Neela Gumbad. To name a few. Many buildings along these routes are old. All of them are being restored as part of the project. One of the biggest parts of the plan is a new public space called Neela Gumbad Square, where a two-floor underground parking garage is being built; it will become a place for families to walk and gather. Fountains and seating areas will be added. The Parks and Horticulture Authority will help plant trees and grass in the area. Other nearby heritage sites are also being restored. These include Ewing Hall and the first Bank of India building. The mosque near Neela Gumbad is also being renovated, while some roads nearby will be closed for traffic. LHAR spokesperson also responded to earlier criticism in media reports, where past reports only mentioned TEPA, even though other departments were also doing important work on the ground. The project now has a monitoring cell in place to track progress and check timely completion. The spokesperson further said that shopkeepers near Neela Gumbad were paid compensation a year before their shops were relocated. The officials had collected data on each shop’s daily business and income before deciding how much compensation to give; this was done so shopkeepers would not lose their livelihood during construction. With Nawaz Sharif now in the driving seat and his past records of completing mega projects on time, officials believe the project will move forward faster. The government says the goal is to restore Lahore’s historic buildings and streets while creating new public spaces for residents and visitors.

  Jibran Nasir, lawyer for Raza Mir, the father of young businessman Mir Raza who was found dead in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Johar area, has said that he has no expectations from the Sindh government led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), urging police officials to perform their duties and calling on the provincial government not to adopt a “double policy” in the case. Speaking to the media after the first meeting of the investigation committee formed to probe Mir Raza’s death, Nasir said the family had made a mistake by identifying an honest police officer who had tried to bring facts to light. “We made the mistake of finding an honest officer,” Nasir said, referring to an officer who had written a letter to the authorities on August 3, informing them about alleged mistakes made by officials working under him. The lawyer alleged that those attempting to bring the facts of the Mir Raza case before the public were being targeted. He said the medical board had been constituted on the orders of the court and criticised what he described as unfair criticism of officials who had performed their duties during the past 11 days. Nasir also defended Dr Samia, saying that targeting her with criticism was unjustified. He maintained that the Sindh government had corrected its earlier mistakes and had moved the investigation in the right direction. According to the lawyer, certain individuals had attempted to quickly portray the case as suicide. He said the government itself had not failed, but rather those who had adopted an incorrect position regarding the case had been proven wrong. Nasir said that after new facts emerged, evidence indicating that Mir Raza had been murdered was acknowledged. He added that those who had initially insisted that the death was a suicide had been proven wrong and that officers who helped move the investigation in the correct direction should be encouraged. Speaking on the occasion, Mir Raza’s father said that if these steps had been taken earlier, there would have been no need for the exhumation of his son’s body. He said the family had provided investigators with all the information they had and only wanted justice for their son. Earlier, Jibran Nasir had written to the Sindh government, stating that Mir Raza’s parents did not want a judicial inquiry. He said the family had complete confidence in the judiciary but believed that the government wanted to make the case controversial under the name of a judicial commission. He also maintained that, under the law, the police had the authority to conduct the investigation. Later, Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar said that the decision to establish a judicial commission had been postponed for the time being following a request from Mir Raza’s parents. Mir Raza’s body was recovered from Gulistan-e-Johar on July 29. Following the exhumation of his body, a second post-mortem examination was conducted on August 8. The examination reportedly revealed traces of acid in Mir Raza’s stomach. His lungs were also found to have been severely affected by acid, while signs of acid exposure were reportedly detected on his shirt, hands and feet. Police have sealed a guesthouse near the location where Mir Raza’s body was recovered. Six people working at the guesthouse have reportedly been taken into custody. So far, 21 people, including Mir Raza’s friends and business partners, have been detained for questioning, and their statements have been recorded. Meanwhile, a five-member investigation committee headed by DIG Crime Branch Amir Farooqi held a meeting to review the case. Authorities said Section 201 of the Pakistan Penal Code has also been added to the case, in addition to Sections 365 and 302. Section 201 relates to causing evidence of an offence to disappear or giving false information with the intention of screening an offender. The investigation is continuing as authorities examine the emerging evidence and statements from people connected to the case.