All posts by : Web Desk

KARACHI: Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani has announced that criminal cases will be registered against those found responsible in connection with the recent HIV cases, adding that legal action will be taken after the completion of the investigation.

Speaking on the issue, Ghani said that nine HIV cases have been reported in Landhi.

He said the increase in the number of reported cases was due to expanded screening efforts. According to the minister, show-cause notices have been issued to 37 individuals, including the Medical Superintendent (MS) and staff of Wilika Hospital. He added that further action would be taken once the investigation is completed.

Saeed Ghani said that tackling HIV is the government’s top priority. He also said that he accepts responsibility for the spread of the virus and added that if his removal is considered the only solution, he would personally speak to the party leadership about replacing him.

Also Read: Police Arrest Five More Suspects, Including ‘Boss,’ in Foreign Women Kidnapping and Rape Case

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Home Secretary has said that an operation has become inevitable to restore peace and free the public from miscreants, alleging that armed groups of the banned Awami Action Committee are using advanced automatic weapons and explosive materials.

Addressing a press conference alongside the Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Home Secretary said the banned Awami Action Committee has been disrupting peace and normal life across Azad Kashmir for the past 38 days. He alleged that, under the guise of protesting for rights, the group has adopted intimidation and blackmail as a permanent political strategy.

He claimed that the organization’s objective is to promote an anti-Pakistan narrative and make derogatory remarks against the Pakistan Armed Forces, while deliberately attempting to damage the historical relationship between Pakistan and Kashmir. He further alleged that traders are being threatened into shutting down markets and that the group’s actions have made life difficult for ordinary citizens.

The Home Secretary also accused the group of using students, women, and children as human shields. He alleged that students are being forced away from their education and pushed into protests and disruptive political activities.

He said that normal life has been restored in most parts of the state and that all educational institutions have resumed operations. According to him, state institutions are fully mobilized to respond, in accordance with the law, to all forms of blackmail, intimidation, and unrest.

Also Read: Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Key Member of Banned Joint Awami Action Committee, Arrested in Azad Kashmir

The Home Secretary further alleged that Khawaja Mehran, identified as the leader of the banned organization, had issued a 48-hour deadline to block the entry points of Azad Kashmir. He said such tactics were not new and that similar threats had failed in the past. He also claimed that the overwhelming majority of the people of Azad Kashmir have distanced themselves from the banned organization and rejected its disruptive agenda.

He said previous protests by the banned committee had already caused economic losses worth billions of rupees to Azad Kashmir. According to the Home Secretary, armed individuals opened indiscriminate fire on civilians early in the morning at the Matial Mehra Bus Terminal in Rawalakot. He alleged that when police arrived to stop the firing, the armed groups attacked law enforcement personnel with automatic weapons and explosives, prompting security forces to immediately launch an operation against them.

He said Rangers had also arrived in Rawalakot to assist the police. According to the Home Secretary, the armed groups are using not only advanced automatic weapons but also improvised explosive devices. During the confrontation, one state security personnel was martyred in the line of duty while another was injured.

Referring to the clashes, the Home Secretary said that, according to reports, one member of the armed group was also killed in the exchange of fire. He added that the use of sophisticated weapons and explosives contradicted the banned committee’s claimed peaceful narrative. Therefore, he said, an operation has become unavoidable to free the public from miscreants and restore peace in the region.

The Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) has taken immediate departmental action after a video circulating on social media showed one of the authority’s official double-cabin government vehicles allegedly being used for a recreational trip to Naran Kaghan.

According to details, the video, which spread rapidly across social media platforms, showed an official vehicle belonging to Punjab’s newly established PERA force in the scenic valleys of Naran Kaghan. Citizens who recorded the video alleged that the government vehicle, along with official fuel, was allegedly being used by the family and children of a government officer for sightseeing and recreational purposes.

مال مفت دل بے رحم !

مریم نواز کی پیرا فورس کا سرکاری ڈالا ناران کاغان کی وادیوں میں سرکاری بابوؤں اور اُن کے اہل خانہ کو انجواۓ کروانے میں مصروف pic.twitter.com/xFlpXU6JxU

— Faizan Shaikh (@FaiziWithKhan) July 13, 2026

Following the emergence of the video, the PERA administration issued an official clarification, stating that the authority does not permit the personal or unauthorized use of government vehicles under any circumstances.

The statement added that all official vehicles are monitored around the clock through modern GPS and live fleet tracking systems, and that even minor violations of rules and regulations result in immediate departmental action.

Also Read: Punjab Launches Probe into Alleged Design Changes in Rawalpindi Ring Road Project

A PERA spokesperson said that immediately after the video went viral, the authority used its live tracking system to review the movement and location data of the vehicle in question. After the tracking system confirmed the violation, PERA initiated prompt action against the unauthorized use of the government vehicle for private purposes.

The spokesperson further stated that, in view of the serious negligence and violation of rules, the services of the responsible officer have been returned to his parent department. A formal repatriation order has also been issued in this regard.

In its statement, the PERA administration reiterated that it firmly believes in the equal enforcement of the law and that the personal use of government resources will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The authority further emphasized that strict disciplinary action will continue to be taken without discrimination against anyone found involved in the unauthorized use of government vehicles or other official resources, as well as against violations of the prescribed rules and regulations.