Lifestyle

The PKR 14 billion Kachehri Chowk infrastructure project in Rawalpindi is expanding with the launch of construction on three new underpasses (at Qasim Market, Race Course, and Cheering Cross), costing PKR 7.20 billion. This crucial phase, set to begin by early December, is part of the larger effort to create a signal-free corridor from Kachehri Chowk to Motorway Chowk. With round-the-clock work by the C&W Department and FWO, the entire corridor is targeting completion by June or July of next year to significantly ease traffic congestion.

The new electric bus service launched in Rawalpindi by CM Maryam Nawaz introduced 45 buses (out of a planned 80-bus fleet) to operate on four key routes. These buses offer significant upgrades over traditional transit, featuring air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, charging ports, and wheelchair accessibility. The standard fare is Rs 20, but the service prioritizes social welfare by offering free travel for women, the elderly, and children with special needs. This initiative is positioned as a part of a broader infrastructure improvement plan for Punjab.

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has finalized a plan to commercialize six major roads in Lahore to support the city’s growing commercial activities. Roads included are Sabzazar Liaquat Chowk to Multan Road, College Road to UET Roundabout, Defence Road to Kahna, GT Road to BRB Canal, LOS Road from Ferozepur Road to Multan Road, and Barki Road from Ring Road to BRB Canal. This move aims to create designated business corridors that meet increasing urban demand. Public feedback was sought, and enforcement teams also worked to remove illegal constructions in Johar Town to ensure proper urban development management.

A Cloudflare configuration error caused a global network outage, briefly taking down major sites like X and ChatGPT. The incident, which exposed the fragility of the internet's core infrastructure, affected users worldwide before services were restored.

The cost of the Rawalpindi Ring Road has increased from Rs33 billion to Rs50 billion after revising the project design, mainly to expand the crucial Thallian Interchange that links the road to the motorway. As a result, the completion deadline has been pushed from December 2025 to March 2026, even though officials say around 70% of work on the 38.3km route is already finished and still expected to transform regional traffic flow and future economic development along the corridor.

Meezan Bank, positioning itself as "the Premier Islamic Bank," has achieved a meteoric rise in Pakistan's financial sector. Conceptualized in the mid-1990s by its Founding CEO, Irfan Siddiqui, the bank faced an uphill battle introducing and developing Shariah-compliant Islamic banking in a conventional market. Through strategic execution and unwavering commitment to its $Riba$-free model, Meezan successfully built a powerful reputation and vast scale. Today, it stands among the top five banks in Pakistan, representing a significant paradigm shift and a definitive corporate success story.

MedIQ is making Pakistan's largest private AI investment in healthcare, moving from telemedicine to a data-driven system by developing a local AI infrastructure. This AI automates the entire clinical workflow (triage, note-taking, patient management), significantly increasing hospital throughput and reducing the burden of documentation for overworked clinicians.

Despite persistent user complaints about poor experience, the adoption of digital financial services in Pakistan is experiencing an unassailable boom. As of FY25, digital platforms have over 123 million registered users. Mobile banking is driving high-value transactions, surging 80% to Rs 83.2 trillion and processing more volume than all other digital channels combined. The biggest breakthrough is in throughput digitization, where the digital share of scheduled bank retail transaction value reached a record 21.7%. The primary challenge now is capitalizing on this momentum to digitize the complex business-to-business (B2B) payment universe.

The Islamabad Food Authority (IFA) has instructed all food outlets to complete their official registration by November 30. Starting December 1, the IFA will launch a strict enforcement campaign, conducting daily inspections. Any establishment found operating unregistered after the deadline will be sealed and heavily fined, according to Deputy Director Dr. Tahira Siddique. Business owners are urged to register immediately to prevent closure.