LAHORE: The ongoing development projects — both public and private sectors — have come to a grinding halt in Lahore and other parts of Punjab after the suspension of delivery of supplies of construction material due to the ongoing wheel-jam strike by goods transporters.

The situation of dust pollution, smog and other environmental issues has also worsened due to the incomplete projects, Dawn has learnt.

“At present, the work on all the ongoing development projects in which construction material (mainly cement, crushed stones etc) is required is stopped for the last seven days or so due to the suspension of material delivery from Sargodha and other parts of Punjab,” commented an official of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA). “The situation persists not only in Lahore but also in other cities and towns of the province where a huge number of development works are underway at the moment,” he added.

According to another official source in the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore, the work on the ongoing development schemes under the Lahore Development Plan (LDP) has also slowed down due to the non-supply of construction material. “The concrete work is a vital part of construction that cannot be completed without crushed stones, cement and other items,” he explained.

Public and private sector development projects in Punjab have come to a grinding halt owing to the lack of construction material delivery

Talking to Dawn, a private builder said that all construction-related activities requiring core building material had stopped or slowed down not only in Lahore but also in other cities including Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur and Multan. “At present, no work is in progress at the under-construction building requiring brickwork, lenter, plaster, tilework etc, as there is no supply of cement, crushed stone and other material. Even those constructing their houses privately have no option but to stop work in such a terrible situation,” he explained. He requested the government to make efforts to resume business activities as the same was also causing unemployment.

On the other hand, the transporters have refused to surrender before the government till the acceptance of their demands, including suspension of the controversial clauses of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 2025, stopping registration of FIRs against drivers, imposition of heavy fines and impounding vehicles on various traffic laws violations.

“We will not call off the strike until the acceptance of our genuine demands,” said Khalid Arain of the Punjab Stone Transporters Association based in Sargodha. “We can call off the strike if, at least, someone responsible can give us an assurance to resolve our issues within the shortest possible time,” he said, requesting the government to cooperate for the sake of a huge number of people having no work due to the strike.

EXHIBITION: The annual Chrysanthemum Flower Show 2025, organised by the Parks & Horticulture Authority (PHA), is in full swing at the Jilani Park, captivating citizens with its vibrant colours, pleasant fragrance, and creative floral displays.

The event has emerged as a major attraction for families, with more than 100,000 people visiting the park over the weekend alone to enjoy the breathtaking exhibition.

According to PHA Managing Director Raja Mansoor Ahmad, the visitors had appreciated the excellent arrangements, artistic presentation, and innovative landscaping showcased at the exhibition. Featuring more than 200 varieties of flowers and thousands of beautifully arranged flowerpots, the show has transformed Jilani Park into a mesmerizing blend of colors and scents. The park has become a serene, family-friendly, and visually appealing recreational destination for children, women, and men alike.

“Chrysanthemum Flower Show will continue at Jilani Park until December 15,” said the MD. He said that the annual flower show had proven to be a special gift for the public. “So far, more than 1.5 million visitors have attended the exhibition, reflecting its immense popularity and public appreciation,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2025

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LAHORE: The ongoing development projects — both public and private sectors — have come to a grinding halt in Lahore and other parts of Punjab after the suspension of delivery of supplies of construction material due to the ongoing wheel-jam strike by goods transporters.

The situation of dust pollution, smog and other environmental issues has also worsened due to the incomplete projects, Dawn has learnt.

“At present, the work on all the ongoing development projects in which construction material (mainly cement, crushed stones etc) is required is stopped for the last seven days or so due to the suspension of material delivery from Sargodha and other parts of Punjab,” commented an official of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA). “The situation persists not only in Lahore but also in other cities and towns of the province where a huge number of development works are underway at the moment,” he added.

According to another official source in the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore, the work on the ongoing development schemes under the Lahore Development Plan (LDP) has also slowed down due to the non-supply of construction material. “The concrete work is a vital part of construction that cannot be completed without crushed stones, cement and other items,” he explained.

Public and private sector development projects in Punjab have come to a grinding halt owing to the lack of construction material delivery

Talking to Dawn, a private builder said that all construction-related activities requiring core building material had stopped or slowed down not only in Lahore but also in other cities including Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur and Multan. “At present, no work is in progress at the under-construction building requiring brickwork, lenter, plaster, tilework etc, as there is no supply of cement, crushed stone and other material. Even those constructing their houses privately have no option but to stop work in such a terrible situation,” he explained. He requested the government to make efforts to resume business activities as the same was also causing unemployment.

On the other hand, the transporters have refused to surrender before the government till the acceptance of their demands, including suspension of the controversial clauses of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 2025, stopping registration of FIRs against drivers, imposition of heavy fines and impounding vehicles on various traffic laws violations.

“We will not call off the strike until the acceptance of our genuine demands,” said Khalid Arain of the Punjab Stone Transporters Association based in Sargodha. “We can call off the strike if, at least, someone responsible can give us an assurance to resolve our issues within the shortest possible time,” he said, requesting the government to cooperate for the sake of a huge number of people having no work due to the strike.

EXHIBITION: The annual Chrysanthemum Flower Show 2025, organised by the Parks & Horticulture Authority (PHA), is in full swing at the Jilani Park, captivating citizens with its vibrant colours, pleasant fragrance, and creative floral displays.

The event has emerged as a major attraction for families, with more than 100,000 people visiting the park over the weekend alone to enjoy the breathtaking exhibition.

According to PHA Managing Director Raja Mansoor Ahmad, the visitors had appreciated the excellent arrangements, artistic presentation, and innovative landscaping showcased at the exhibition. Featuring more than 200 varieties of flowers and thousands of beautifully arranged flowerpots, the show has transformed Jilani Park into a mesmerizing blend of colors and scents. The park has become a serene, family-friendly, and visually appealing recreational destination for children, women, and men alike.

“Chrysanthemum Flower Show will continue at Jilani Park until December 15,” said the MD. He said that the annual flower show had proven to be a special gift for the public. “So far, more than 1.5 million visitors have attended the exhibition, reflecting its immense popularity and public appreciation,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2025

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Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Bilal Bin Saqib has said that the no-objection certificates (NOCs) issued to global cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and HTX were not a “blanket approval” but the “first step under a risk-mitigated, phased, supervised entry framework”.

Saqib’s video statement, televised on Sunday, comes after Pakistan gave initial clearance for Binance and HTX on Friday to register with regulators to set up local subsidiaries and begin preparations for full exchange licence applications.

The clearances allow the exchanges to register on the Anti-Money Laundering system, set up local units and prepare full applications.

Speaking about the development, Saqib said the issuance of the NOCs to Binance and HTX was the “first practical step” that reflected a “new mindset”.

He further said that the step was based on the “Pakistan-first” approach.

Saqib detailed that by working under a supervised entry framework, authorities had been able to establish “control” in three areas, namely money laundering and terrorism financing; transparency of ownership and fitness and propreitary checks; and paving the way for licensing through the enforcement of timelines.

“It is mandatory for every platform to register on the AML [system] and have direct linkages with the financial monitoring unit,” he said, further asserting that no platform would be allowed entry in the country without “disclosures and verification”.

Moreover, he said, the process of licensing would be initiated for entities after they would “move forward in line with Pakistan’s law and with its oversight”.

Saqib said this model was not unique to Pakistan and the world’s leading financial centres had been approaching new industries in a phased manner.

Reiterating that a “Pakistan-first approach” was being employed in the crypto sector, he said, “We will first control this industry and then scale it.”

He said Pakistan ranked among the world’s top three “crypto-adoption countries”, adding that it was estimated that there were 30 to 40 million crypto users in the country.

“They have adopted this industry without any regulatory framework, classroom and education,” he said. “The good thing here is that this shows that our youth is world class. But are our systems world class? Are our regulations world class?”

Saqib further questioned whether it would be wise for the state to stay out of a sector in which people were involved on an extensive scale.

“You cannot ignore innovation,” he said, stressing that not introducing the “right policies will weaken the country and make people unsafe”.

Keeping this in view, he continued, “our country’s leadership has tried to narrow this gap”.

Stressing the need for regulation, he said countries that would take an early initiative in this regard would be able to attract capital.

“Few countries have the opportunity that Pakistan has,” he said, adding, “We are not trying to promote crypto but to regulate it as people here have already adopted it.

“Our country is the fifth-most populous country with tech-savvy youth and where digital adoption is growing fast. But, the [country will be able to] benefit from this talent when they have a legal, structured path [to follow]. When they will have a framework. Otherwise, they will leave.”

He said it was the responsibility of the state to create an enabling environment for emerging technologies. “There needs to be smart regulation here so that capital from [around the world] flows into the country.”

He said that through the framework devised for the crypto sector, the government aimed to prepare for the “industries of 2035 and 2025”.

“We do not want the Pakistani youth to be just consumers but evolve into builders and global experts.”

Saqib emphasised that the country needed to prepare for the future and be globally trusted. “So that we are able to strengthen our sovereignty and economy through technology.”

He said his message to the international community was that Pakistan was open to business and welcoming innovation in the area of digital assets, but only from those entities who would follow the country’s rules, create opportunities for the youth here and operate in line with a “Pakistan-first approach”.

Coming back to the NOCs for Binance and HTX, he said while addressing the youth, “This is not our destination. This is the foundation of a building that you have to construct.”

“Pakistan’s future should not be imports. It should be built here, by your hands. Pakistan should emerge as a global case study in the area of global assets.”

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