Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
A special meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved seven modern hospitals with a combined capacity of 1,519 beds under the Nawaz Sharif Medical City project.
Under the plan, specialised healthcare services in Punjab will be upgraded on modern lines. Facilities for surgery, orthopaedics, children’s healthcare, burn treatment and genetic diseases will be provided under one roof in line with international standards.
The meeting was informed that the Nawaz Sharif Medical City project will be completed in phases. The mega healthcare initiative aims to expand modern, integrated and specialised medical facilities for patients not only from Lahore but also from other districts of Punjab.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed the authorities to ensure quality, transparency and timely execution of the project. She said the Punjab government was pursuing healthcare initiatives that would provide direct relief to the public and reduce dependence on costly private treatment.
The meeting also reviewed the performance of the Punjab Public Private Partnership Authority. The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the authority becoming fully functional after 19 years. A total of 110 proposed development projects under the public private partnership model were also reviewed, including hospitals, roads, modern student hostels, trucking terminals, model bazaars and the Lahore Time Travel Park.
Officials said the public private partnership model would help improve public facilities by utilising private sector expertise and investment without placing an additional burden on government resources.
Medical experts believe the establishment of seven modern hospitals with 1,519 beds could prove to be a major step forward for Punjab’s healthcare infrastructure, especially at a time when population pressure, rising treatment costs and overcrowding in public hospitals continue to strain the health sector.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) has decided to introduce a risk based audit system under which a comprehensive risk register will be established to monitor taxpayers, suppliers and financial transactions.
Under the proposed framework, suspicious or high risk claims may be deferred, rejected or selected for audit. However, taxpayers will retain the right to a fair hearing and appeal before any action is taken against them.
The Finance Bill 2026 also proposes a significant increase in penalties. Under the new measures, failure to issue a tax invoice could result in a fine of Rs 500,000 for a first violation, while repeat offences may attract penalties of up to Rs1 million. A separate fine of Rs 500,000 has also been proposed for tampering with or bypassing the e invoicing system.
In addition, the PRA has proposed raising the financial threshold for initiating criminal proceedings in tax fraud cases from Rs 10 million to Rs 50 million.
Sources said the Finance Bill is also considering increasing the sales tax rate from 5 percent to 8 percent for a range of service sectors. These include restaurants, catering services, tour operators, property dealers, architects, rent a car services, gyms, fitness centres, laundry services, warehousing, equipment rental businesses, tax consultancy firms and real estate management services.
Different tax rates have also been proposed for information technology services based on the mode of payment. According to the proposal, IT services receiving payments through digital channels would be subject to an 8 percent sales tax, while services paid through other means would be taxed at 16 percent.
The bill further proposes the imposition of an 8 percent sales tax on event management services without the availability of input tax adjustment.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
Director General Pakistan Airports Authority Air Vice Marshal Zeeshan Saeed visited Lahore Airport to review the ongoing expansion project, inspecting development work, construction progress and various phases of the scheme.
During the visit, the DG PAA met NESPAK Managing Director Kaukab Hussain Bhatti and Project Director Tauqeer Iqbal. A high level meeting was also held on the project, where officials briefed him on the current status of the Lahore Airport expansion project, technical matters, challenges and upcoming phases.
The meeting was informed that the Lahore Airport expansion project holds significant importance for improving passenger facilities, increasing airport capacity and upgrading infrastructure in line with international standards. Once completed, the project is expected to reduce passenger pressure at Lahore Airport, enhance operational capacity and improve aviation services.
Air Vice Marshal Zeeshan Saeed said the timely completion of the Lahore Airport expansion project was of national importance and all relevant institutions must perform their responsibilities in an effective and coordinated manner. He directed officials to further accelerate work on the project to ensure its completion within the stipulated timeframe.
Zeeshan Saeed also inspected different sections of the project and expressed satisfaction over the ongoing work. He urged NESPAK and other officials associated with the project to maintain quality, pace and transparency at all stages so that the project could be completed according to its set targets.
On the occasion, NESPAK Managing Director Kaukab Hussain Bhatti assured full cooperation for the timely completion of the Lahore Airport expansion project. He said the technical and administrative stages of the project were being advanced effectively.
At the conclusion of the meeting, officials of the Pakistan Airports Authority and NESPAK reaffirmed their commitment to completing the Lahore Airport expansion project at the earliest and described it as an important milestone for the country’s aviation sector, passenger facilitation and Lahore’s urban infrastructure.