Prices of 52 new medicines likely to be fixed soon

A new police case has been registered against social media personality Rajab Butt and several others following an alleged altercation at a private café in Lahore. The case was filed at Nawab Town Police Station after a woman accused the group of assault, intimidation, and involvement in a firing incident. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant stated that she and her friends visited a private café on July 25 when an argument reportedly broke out. She alleged that two men and two women behaved aggressively with one of her friends, leading to a heated confrontation. The complainant further claimed that members of the group physically assaulted them by slapping them and allegedly displayed firearms during the incident. The FIR also alleges that one of the accused fired a weapon, creating panic at the scene. In her complaint, the woman alleged that the entire incident took place at the direction of Rajab Butt. Based on these allegations, police have registered a case and initiated an investigation to determine the facts surrounding the incident. Authorities have stated that evidence will be collected, witness statements will be recorded, and all claims mentioned in the FIR will be examined as part of the ongoing investigation. As of now, Rajab Butt and the other individuals named in the FIR have not issued any official public response regarding the allegations. Since the investigation is still underway, the accusations remain unproven, and no court has determined criminal liability. Further developments are expected as police continue their inquiry.

Lahore: Preparations are in full swing for the second phase of the elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, during which polling will also be held for 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees residing in Pakistan. These refugees migrated to Pakistan following the Partition of British India in 1947 and continue to elect their representatives to the AJK Legislative Assembly. Election authorities are set to distribute polling materials and election-related equipment to polling staff today. Polling for two refugee constituencies in Lahore will take place on Sunday, with thousands of registered Kashmiri refugee voters expected to cast their ballots. LA-34 Jammu Constituency For LA-34 Jammu, a total of 15 polling stations have been established in Lahore. These include one male polling station, one female polling station, and 13 combined polling stations. The constituency has a total of 5,965 registered voters, comprising 3,175 male and 2,790 female voters. Election authorities have set up 30 polling booths to facilitate voting. A total of 17 candidates are contesting the seat. Among the prominent candidates, Bilal Mukhtar Butt of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) has been allotted the Eagle symbol, Chaudhry Abdul Qadir Chauhan of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will contest on the Arrow symbol, Raja Muhammad Sohail of Jamaat-e-Islami has been assigned the Scales symbol, while Nasir Hussain Dar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will contest on the Lion symbol. LA-41 Valley Constituency Polling for LA-41 Valley will also be held on Sunday. The constituency has 6,410 registered voters in total. Out of these, 5,708 voters are registered in Lahore, 583 in Sheikhupura, 117 in Nankana Sahib, and two voters in Kasur. Election authorities have established 19 polling stations for the constituency, including 13 in Lahore, four in Sheikhupura, and one each in Nankana Sahib and Kasur. Notably, a dedicated polling station has been established in Kasur for just two registered voters, ensuring that every eligible voter is able to exercise their constitutional right. A total of nine candidates are contesting the LA-41 seat. The main contest is expected between PML-N candidate Muhammad Amir Shah and independent candidate Saba Diwan, who is backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). PPP candidate Ghulam Abbas Mir and IPP candidate Saeed Ahmad Dar are also among the contestants. Polling across both constituencies will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, with election officials making arrangements to ensure a smooth, transparent, and peaceful voting process.

  Azma accuses PPP of disrespecting elders as Bilawal faces sharp attack. PPP’s Lahore convention plans halted after govt denies approval. Punjab’s ruling PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party appeared to be on a collision course on Friday, as a sharp verbal attack by a senior provincial minister coincided with the sudden halting of PPP convention preparations in Lahore, leaving the two parties at odds on multiple fronts. Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari strongly criticised PPP spokespersons, saying they should choose their words carefully and learn to respect their elders. She said it was ironic that people she described as coming from a “blackmailing mandate” were now taunting others.  Bokhari said PPP leaders repeatedly mock a person old enough to be their father by making faces and chanting “Raiwind, Raiwind.” She asked whether PPP leaders did not consider it disrespectful when their own leader ridicules someone of a father’s age. She said PPP leaders had turned Raiwind into a subject of mockery and routinely insult senior figures through their gestures and remarks.The minister warned that if such language continued, it would be met with an appropriate response. She said Bilawal Bhutto was not a figure beyond criticism. She further accused him of repeatedly naming Punjab’s cities in his speeches to spread what she called falsehoods and misleading propaganda, questioning whether his conduct was serious at all. The sharp exchange came on the same day that preparations for a PPP workers’ convention at Greater Iqbal Park were halted. The Lahore district administration said the party had not secured formal written permission for the event, even though a stage and other arrangements were already in place. The convention had been planned for July 25, ahead of celebrations marking President Asif Ali Zardari’s birthday on July 26.  District authorities questioned why preparations had begun without official approval and asked PPP leadership to explain. Lahore PPP President Faisal Mir said the party had moved ahead after receiving verbal assurances from the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office that there was no objection to the event. He said preparations were made in good faith, but officials later stepped in and stopped the work.Mir criticised the administration, saying access to the venue had been restricted and vehicles carrying chairs and other equipment had been blocked from reaching the site. He said the party remained committed to holding the convention peacefully and said he was ready to face arrest if needed.The Chief Minister’s Office did not comment on claims that approval had been given through the chief minister’s principal secretary. PPP leaders shared videos on social media showing workers, the stage and seating arrangements already prepared, signalling the party’s intent to proceed regardless.Party sources admitted that written permission had not been obtained but argued that verbal approval was enough to begin preparations. They said local police had been informed of the gathering in advance.The convention was expected to feature PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing workers through video link, along with senior leaders including Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Hassan Murtaza and Qamar Zaman Kaira. Officials said permission could still be granted if formalities were completed, but noted that approving the event without standard procedure could complicate similar requests from other parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which is seeking permission for a Lahore gathering next month.Taken together, the harsh words from Bokhari and the administrative roadblock facing PPP’s convention point to a provincial government and opposition party growing increasingly hostile toward one another, with neither side showing signs of backing down.