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Punjab Ends Transport Strike, Approves Regulated Basant; Police Probe Launched as Rangers Seize Smuggled Phones

The administration also cleared Lahore’s first surface‑water treatment plant with AIIB backing, underscoring a blend of negotiation, tight festival controls and law‑enforcement action.

Overview

  • Goods transporters called off their strike after talks with Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, with a joint committee formed to resolve outstanding demands.
  • Punjab authorized a tightly controlled Basant in Lahore for February 6–8, requiring registration (Rs1,000 for kite/thread makers; Rs5,000 for kite‑flying associations) and limiting kite size and cotton thread to reduce risks.
  • Islamabad police opened a case against two ASIs and accomplices accused of abducting a gold trader and extorting Rs20 million, following an SP inquiry that found them culpable.
  • Punjab’s PDWP approved a BRB Canal surface‑water treatment plant for Lahore to deliver about 54 million gallons per day with AIIB cooperation, targeting completion by 2031 and including a 5 MW solar system.
  • Pakistan Rangers in Karachi arrested two suspects and recovered 750 smartphones and 61 tablets hidden in a Mazda truck in a non‑custom‑paid smuggling case.