Punjab Province

Multan : ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has directed authorities to ensure effective implementation of the Multan Master Plan in order to manage the city’s rapidly growing population and expanding built-up areas. Under the plan, future residential, commercial and other development will be guided by established town planning principles.
The directive was issued during a meeting chaired by Punjab Housing Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal, where progress on ongoing development schemes in Multan, town planning matters and issues related to the Water and Sanitation Agency were reviewed in detail.
Additional Director General of the Multan Development Authority Ataul Haq Khokhar briefed the meeting on development projects being carried out by the MDA. Following the briefing, the housing secretary instructed officials to ensure implementation of the Multan Master Plan under all circumstances.
The Multan Development Authority is a key institution responsible for the city’s planned growth, development of new housing schemes and expansion of urban infrastructure. Its jurisdiction covers approximately 362 square kilometres. According to official information, the MDA has previously completed several residential and development schemes, including Shah Rukn-e-Alam, Lodhi Colony, New Qasimpur, Tughlaq Town and New Shah Shams.
The importance of implementing the Multan Master Plan has increased as the city continues to experience population growth and rising construction activity. Official records put Multan’s population at around 5.36 million, while long-term master planning for WASA has also been undertaken for the period from 2014 to 2040, covering improvements to existing water supply and sewerage systems as well as the extension of services to newly developed areas.
Under the Punjab government’s master land-use planning framework, master plans are intended to curb unplanned urban sprawl, regulate the allocation of land for residential, commercial and other uses, reduce traffic pressure, protect open spaces and identify future requirements for infrastructure and basic civic services.
Against this backdrop, effective implementation of the Multan Master Plan will require more than land-use mapping alone. It will also need to guide decisions related to new housing schemes, commercial construction, roads, traffic management, water supply, sewerage and other urban services so that the city’s expansion remains planned and does not contribute to worsening encroachments, congestion, infrastructure shortages and unregulated development.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the government to effectively incorporate recommendations from chambers of commerce, industrial associations and the wider business community into the formulation and implementation of the National Integrated Energy Plan 2027–2060.
The chamber said the long-term energy policy should be designed around the actual needs of industry, taking into account production costs, energy affordability and Pakistan’s export competitiveness.
LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol welcomed the approval of the high-level design of the National Integrated Energy Plan, describing it as an important step towards making Pakistan’s energy system more efficient, affordable, reliable and sustainable.
He said Pakistan’s economic growth, industrial expansion and export development require a coherent long-term energy policy that gives equal importance to the availability of electricity and other energy sources, their pricing and their financial impact on industry.
A major development on the plan came on August 18, when the Cabinet Committee on Energy, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, approved the high-level design report for the National Integrated Energy Plan 2027–2060.
Under the government’s framework, federal and provincial governments, along with other relevant stakeholders, are expected to be involved in the planning process.
The plan is primarily aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s energy security and improving economic competitiveness. It seeks to develop a strategy for supplying electricity and other forms of energy to industrial and domestic consumers at affordable rates.
The framework also envisages promoting low-carbon power generation, cleaner energy sources and energy systems capable of withstanding the growing impacts of climate change.

Lahore | Faisal Salharia ReNews Pakistan
Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) Chief Executive Officer Engineer Ramzan Butt has said there are now no “no-go areas” for the company when it comes to electricity theft or bill recovery, while the recovery rate has reached 101% and overbilling has been eliminated.
Speaking to the media during a visit to the Lahore Press Club, Butt said LESCO has also started recovering Rs93 billion in outstanding dues that had remained unpaid for nearly a decade.
According to him, the amount is owed by various defaulters, including major industrial consumers, and recovery proceedings are now underway.
Butt said eliminating overbilling, achieving full recovery and improving services for consumers remain among LESCO’s key priorities, adding that significant progress has been made in these areas.
He also announced a complete ban on the private repair of transformers, saying transformers damaged due to excessive load are being replaced.
The LESCO chief further warned that if electricity remains suspended in any area for more than four to five hours, the concerned officer will be held responsible.
On the occasion, Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari welcomed Ramzan Butt and appreciated LESCO’s efforts to address consumer complaints, expressing hope that practical measures would continue to resolve electricity related problems faced by the public.