Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed has sought the details of public sector companies established in the province from all the administrative secretaries within a day.  In a circular, the S&GAD wrote to all department heads to furnish details to the chief secretary office. Zahid took the step as the Lahore High Court issued directives to submit the data.  Profile of chief operating officers (CEOs), salary, service structure of other key persons of companies were also demanded from the departments.  Details sought include total financial outlay of the company, whether it was audited or not, if yes last date of audit. Details like whether the company was registered under the Companies Ordinance 1984 or Companies Act 2017, grant of loan, CEO status, his date of appointment and per month perks. Other information sought include under which department the company was established, nature of the charge with CEO – substantial or additional –  mode of appointment by transfer or through competitive selection process, his BPS, tenure of the appointment, extension if any, his performance and whether terms and conditions got settled by the S&GAD or not. Petition Sania Kanwal moved the court, alleging that Punjab Saaf Pani Company has been plagued by corruption.  –Staff Reporter

Chief secretary apologises to court

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday accepted the apology of Punjab chief secretary in a contempt petition over the implementation of a court order on a 31-year-old property case. As the proceedings commenced, Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed appeared before Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and tendered an unconditional apology. The court accepted his apology and warned him of initiating contempt proceedings against him if he failed to appear before the court. The court directed the chief secretary to submit within two-week a compliance report about an order of the high court being flouted since 1986.  Taj Din, a resident of Toba Tek Singh, had moved a contempt petition for action against the local district administration for not allotting him an alternate property against his shop demolished by the government. The petitioner was a tenant of seven-marla plot of district council on which he constructed a shop.  The petitioner obtained a stay order against demolition of his shop but the local government razed the shops of petitioner and other tenants. –Staff Reporter

PIA plane ‘crash-lands’

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight heading to Saudi Arabia from Sialkot on Wednesday made an emergency landing in Lahore. PIA flight PK-755, which departed Sialkot for Riyadh at 6am, crash-landed at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport after smoke was detected in the cargo compartment of the airbus A-320 jet, airport sources said.  All the passengers onboard were safely evacuated after the landing. PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar, however, rejected reports that the plane made an emergency landing or that it had caught fire mid-air. Tajwar told media that the pilot had decided to make a "technical landing" after receiving a smoke warning signal soon after takeoff. "Keeping in mind the safety precautions, the pilot landed the aircraft in Lahore," he said, adding that the plane had landed normally. Subsequent inspection by the authorities, however, found no fire, the PIA spokesman said in a statement and the flight left for Saudi Arabia.–INP

US envoys, PML-Q leaders discuss politics

US Consul General Elizabeth K Trudeau along with Political Officer Ann Mason called on PML-Q president Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain and senior leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi at their residence Wednesday. The PML-Q leaders and US diplomats exchanged views on prevailing political situation in the country and Pak-US relations. The statement said the US diplomats, appreciating five years tenure of Ch Parvez as Punjab chief minister, said that under his leadership significant progress was made in the fields of health, education and peoples welfare.  Chaudharys welcomed and thanked the guests and said there was need for further improvement in US-Pakistan relations. They said new avenues of progress and development will open if both countries work together on peoples welfare projects. They said US can help Pakistan in health, education and other sectors for elimination of poverty from the country. –Staff Reporter