Latest news with #DistrictBarAssociation
Express Tribune
07-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Six new underpasses, flyovers on cards
Six new underpass and flyover projects have been included in Rawalpindi district's development plan for the fiscal year 202526. According to sources, funds have been formally allocated for feasibility studies and PC-1 documentation. Some of these projects will be entirely signal-free and will feature modern, state-of-the-art beautification, to be overseen by the Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment boards as well as the Parks and Horticulture Authority. Once completed, the projects are expected to make 90 per cent of traffic flow through cantonment areas signal-free. The Race Course Underpass is estimated to cost Rs2.6 billion, with Rs94 million earmarked for its initial phase. The Jinnah Park Flyover has a projected cost of Rs4.15 billion, and Rs149 million have been allocated for preparatory work. The Amar Chowk Flyover will cost Rs3.45 billion, with Rs124 million set aside. Chairing Cross Underpass is estimated at Rs1.5 billion, with Rs54 million allocated. The proposed cost for the Fauji Qabristan Chowk (Peshawar Road) Underpass is Rs1.9 billion, with Rs68 million reserved. The largest and most congested project, the District Kutchery Chowk Underpass and Road Widening, is projected at Rs4.45 billion, with Rs160 million allocated for its initial phase. The Iftikhar Janjua Road Underpass is estimated at Rs1.93 billion, with Rs69 million allocated. The District Bar Association has raised strong objections to the Kutchery Chowk project. Bar Secretary Malik Asad Mehmood warned of resistance if lawyers' chambers are dismantled. He urged the administration to share the project plans and consult with the bar before moving forward. The project also affects buildings belonging to the Civil Defence Department, Ministry of Local Government, and Police Department, along with boundary walls of Fatima Jinnah Women University and the Income Tax Office. Due to disputes between government departments and the District Bar, this state-of-the-art project has remained stalled for the past five years, leading to steadily rising costs. MNA Engineer Qamarul Islam, convener of the District Development Committee, stated that the new fiscal year will mark a major development phase for Rawalpindi. He added that work on all the approved projects will begin within three to five months and will be completed and functional by June 30, 2026. Daducha Dam feasibility The contract for preparing the PC-II feasibility study for the Daducha Dam project has been awarded. Once completed, the project will supply Rawalpindi with an additional 35 million gallons of water per day, significantly addressing the city's water shortage. According to the sources, consulting firm Usmani & Co. has been awarded the contract at a cost of Rs42.8 million. The firm is tasked with determining the project's total cost and land acquisition requirements within six months, said the sources, adding that Rs48 million were allocated for the feasibility study, but out of three bidding firms, Usmani & Co.'s bid of Rs42.8 million was accepted. WASA Managing Director, Muhammad Saleem Ashraf, said that the Daducha Dam is a very important project that will significantly enhance Rawalpindi's water supply.
Express Tribune
27-06-2025
- Express Tribune
Public anger grows over increased traffic fines
The city traffic police (CTP) have significantly increased fines for traffic violations, prompting widespread public anger and frustration across the city. Citizens complain that the government has turned traffic tickets into a steady source of revenue, with formal revenue targets now reportedly being assigned for traffic challans. New fines include Rs2,000 for not wearing a helmet, Rs2,000 to Rs5,000 for illegal parking, Rs500 for entering a no-entry zone, Rs2,000 for carrying three people on a motorcycle, Rs5,000 for wearing a plastic helmet, Rs1,000 for violating traffic signals, Rs2,000 for driving the wrong way, and Rs2,000 for driving without a license. Meanwhile, citizens argue that many city roads are in disrepair, riddled with potholes, yet no authority is held accountable. Faulty traffic signals go unattended, roads are dug up and left unrepaired, political banners and flex signs clutter the streets, footpaths are encroached upon, and many areas lack street lighting at night. Prolonged traffic jams are a daily occurrence. Residents have strongly condemned the harsh fine structure, claiming it treats citizens as criminals whose only role is to pay penalties. "It feels like we exist just to be fined," one citizen lamented. Malik Asad Mehmood, the general secretary of the District Bar Association, criticised the system, saying: "The maximum fine should not exceed Rs500. For motorcyclists, it should be Rs200 to Rs300."
Express Tribune
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Islamabad bar slams attack on Iran
The District Bar Association (DBA) has announced it will observe a complete strike on Tuesday to condemn the attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. The statement issued by the Bar President Chaudhry Naeem Ali Gujjar and Joint Secretary Sardar Adam Khan said that the attacks are a violation of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Iran reserves the right to retaliate, they said, adding that attacks on Iran are a violation of the principles of the United Nations. They said that Israel is a serious threat to international peace and stability, the United Nations should intervene and resolve the disputes peacefully. The Islamabad Bar Association stands with the Iranian government and people and the district bar will go on strike on Tuesday (today) in solidarity with Iran.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Lawyers demand better security
1 2 3 4 Keonjhar: Members of District Bar Association, Keonjhar, (DBAK) on Friday submitted a letter to superintendent of police, Keonjhar, Nitin Kushalkar, to improve law and order, following the recent gang rape and murder incident. They demanded that the trial be fast tracked. "We also demanded better security arrangements for Rath Yatra," said Alok Mohanta, president, DBAK.
Express Tribune
26-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Residents protest health teams' markings on homes
Residents of Rawalpindi and cantonment areas have expressed their frustration over the actions of anti-polio and dengue surveillance teams, who have been marking identification numbers on doors, windows, walls, signboards, and PVC pipes of residential and commercial buildings. These markings, often made with permanent black markers, have significantly defaced the exterior of properties, damaging their aesthetic appeal. The practice has sparked widespread outcry, particularly from homeowners who have spent large sums on painting and maintaining their properties. In response, the Human Rights Cell of the District Bar Association has announced plans to challenge the issue in the High Court, calling for the establishment of a proper mechanism that preserves property appearance while allowing for health monitoring. Many residents complain that their homes are repeatedly marked during monthly visits by polio, dengue, and lady health workers, leaving behind a trail of unsightly codes and numbers. This has led to mounting tensions, with reports of verbal altercations between citizens and health teams. The presence of women in these teams has occasionally led to confrontational encounters with male family members. Despite the backlash, the Health Department has no formal system to regulate or monitor this process. According to insiders, senior officials have directly instructed teams to ensure markings are clearly visibletypically using permanent inkwithout considering the damage done to personal property. These marks are difficult to remove and have marred the appearance of nearly every home in the city and the cantonment. Citizens are now urging the Health Department to develop an alternative systemsuch as maintaining written records with homeowner verification through signatures, thumb impressions, or CNIC copiesinstead of using permanent markers on buildings. Malik Saleh Advocate, head of the District Bar Association's Human Rights Cell, emphasised that it is the state's duty to provide services without violating citizens' rights or damaging their homes. "No institution has the authority to deface cities like this," he said, announcing that a formal petition will be filed with the Rawalpindi Bench of the High Court this week. Chairman of the Citizen Action Committee, Malik Zaheer Awan, also vowed to join the legal challenge. He argued that by writing on private property, municipal and health authorities are lowering the value of homes and causing distress rather than delivering public service. Residents like Ibrahim Khan have taken a firm stance, vowing not to allow anyone to mark their homes again. "Whoever writes on my property will be responsible for the damage," he warned. Sultan Mehmood, another homeowner, expressed similar frustration. "No matter how many times I repaint my doors, they're always defaced again the next day."
