Feb 112013
 

With the inauguration of Metro Bus Service, Pakistan has joined the metro transport club of 147 countries. The 27-kilometer, two-lane, 10-metre-wide road has been prepared with a speed capacity of 60km/h. However, the speed limit has been fixed at 40km/h. The government claims that the total cost of the project is Rs 29.8 billion, and the project has been completed in 11 months. There are 29 stations of the bus from Shahdara to Gajju Matta. The project has 104 escalators and 664 platform doors. A 3.8km portion of the track is elevated and two rotaries have been constructed – at Jain Mander and MAO College – with one roundabout between them. As much as 338,000 tonnes of concrete and 40,000 tonnes of steel has been used in the project. A total of nine million man-hours’ labour was made to complete the project. In the elevated track, 60,000 tonnes of concrete and two million tonnes of steel has been used. Each bus has a seating capacity of 38+1. However, it is spacious and has a vast capacity for standing passenger, which can accommodate 150 people. Its annual payback has been calculated at 24.6 percent of the total cost.

Jan 282013
 

Association asks Supreme Court to allow kite flying in rural areas

LAHORE: As authorities are planning to continue the ban on the festival of kites this year, the All Pakistan Kite Flying Association has urged the Supreme Court chief justice to allow holding the festival outside the urban areas so that the centuries-old tradition could be preserved.

All Pakistan Kite Flying Association Chairman Khawaja Nadeem Wayn said that around 150,000 people in Lahore and 180,000 people in Gujranwala and Kasur districts, affiliated with the kite industry, had lost their jobs and were facing hardship, as they had no other means to earn livelihood.
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Feb 072011
 

Taking advantage of the problem of metal and chemically treated strings used for flying kites, the ‘spoilsports’ led by the religious parties were able to convince both the provincial government of Punjab as well as the higher judiciary that kite flying was a dangerous activity and violated the rights of individuals who were injured by these strings

Too many things are going on worth writing about. But for me something more important than all the major stories filling the newspapers and TV headlines is the one about Basant (festival of the kites). Evidently, the governor and the chief minister of Punjab have agreed that the people of Lahore will be allowed to fly kites this year. That is great news and is in its own way more important than the sort of stuff consuming the attention of our op-ed page commentariat as well as the talking heads on TV. Continue reading »

 Posted by at 8:54 pm
Nov 022010
 

* Rose farmers say their earnings are low, profits earned by retailers

By Shabbir Sarwar

LAHORE: With the increasing trend of using flowers in the elite and upper middle class of the city, Lahoris use over one million roses and other flowers as well as 25,000 kilogrammes of rose petals every day for various purposes including, decoration at weddings, parties as well as to perform rituals on funerals, Daily Times learnt on Monday.
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 Posted by at 8:55 pm
Jun 052010
 

* Industrial units stuck in residential areas causing land, air pollution
* Factories also causing difficulties for city planners to provide basic facilities
* Many rubber, steel industries discharging untreated effluent into River Ravi

By Afnan Khan

LAHORE: The cultural metropolis is being labeled the country’s most polluted city, as huge industrial units stuck in the middle of densely-populated areas are constantly adding to environmental degradation. Continue reading »

 Posted by at 4:18 pm
Apr 232010
 

LAHORE: Hundreds of people from across the city will take to the streets for the next four weeks in the largest ever campaign, ‘Tidy Lahore’, to clean up the streets and neighbourhoods of the metropolis. The campaign which is part of the Azm-e-Alishan movement was launched to coincide with the Earth Day, the annual day of action that seeks to raise awareness about environmental concerns. Continue reading »

 Posted by at 4:36 pm
Mar 042010
 

LAHORE: An exhibition – ‘Fiza Signature’ – opened at the Nairang Art Gallery on Wednesday.

The exhibition showcased fashion model, Fiza Ali’s launch of her Kurti line.

She has experimented with fabrics ranging from chiffon, pure synthetics and lawns for her spring/summer collection, which includes gowns and eastern clothes. This is her first show in Lahore and she anticipates to organise future exhibitions in Karachi, Islamabad and Faisalabad. Continue reading »

 Posted by at 9:30 pm
Jan 042010
 

* Psychiatrists say intolerance, frustration and post-traumatic tensions cause street fights

By Muhammad Aayan

LAHORE: Walking on the streets, driving around or even hanging out with friends, hot-headed Lahoris got embroiled in more than 1200 street fights across the city during the year 2009, while 400 people were injured as a result of these brawls, sources told Daily Times. Continue reading »

 Posted by at 8:56 am
Jan 012010
 

* Madrassas, schools, public places all attacked by terrorists
* Provincial govt adds to fear with over-the-top ‘security measures’
* All entry points into city monitored, vehicles checked
* Defence analyst says govt’s measures adding to insecurity among masses
* Psychologist says child trauma cases doubled in 2009

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 Posted by at 11:42 am