Capital makes M-Tag mandatory for all vehicles
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by CDA Chairman and Islamabad Chief Commissioner, Muhammad Ali Randhawa.
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CDA chief orders third-party audit of uplift projects
ISLAMABAD: Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Muhammad Ali Randhawa on Monday directed third-party audits for all ongoing development projects, and ordered expedited completion of Islamabad Model Jail, IT Facilitation Centres, electric tram feasibility, and the operationalisation of the Blue Area Food Street. The directives came during a review meeting at the CDA headquarters. The meeting was attended by senior CDA and ICT Administration officials, including Member Administration and Estate Talat Mehmood, Member Engineering Syed Nafasat Raza, Member Environment Esfandyar Baloch, and others. The meeting reviewed progress on critical infrastructure and urban uplift projects such as Shaheen Chowk, Kashmir Chowk, Faizabad Interchange, Gardenia Hub (CDA Model Nursery), Pak Secretariat uplift, modern streetlight installation, police station upgrades, Safari Park, Theme Park, cable car, ferris wheel, and dancing fountain initiatives. Randhawa also instructed a detailed financial study of all projects recently transferred from PWD to CDA, including cost assessments, fund utilisation, and quality evaluation. He tasked the Planning and Engineering Wings to develop a strategy for the timely and efficient completion of these projects. In addition, directives were issued to accelerate the rollout of electric buses, establish charging stations, enhance the solid waste management system, improve water supply across sectors, and upgrade all 279 parks in Islamabad. Funds from CDA's commercial plot auctions will be channelled into these initiatives. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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SECP registers DIGI Insurance to carry on non-life insurance business
ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has registered M/s DIGI Insurance Limited to carry on non-life insurance business. In this regard, the SECP has issued SRO 1335(I)/2025. According to the notification, in exercise of powers conferred under sub-section (1) of Section 7 and pursuant to sub-section (1) of Section 10 of the Insurance Ordinance, 2000, a notice is hereby published that M/s DIGI Insurance Limited has been registered by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, to carry on non-life insurance business (digital only as defined under the Insurance Rules, 2017) as provided under sub-clause (i), (ii), (vii), (viii), and (ix) of clause (a) of sub-section (3) of Section 4 of the Ordinance, with effect from July 22, 2025, subject to the conditions specified in the certificate of registration. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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MoH&W, Pak PWD come under scrutiny after financial mismanagement flagged
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Housing and Works and its executing agency, Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak PWD), have come under scrutiny after the Audit Report 2024–25 flagged financial mismanagement, unauthorised payments, non-recoveries, and procedural violations amounting to over Rs3.63 billion. The report highlights that Rs1.1 billion was paid to contractors for various civil works without following the required approval processes or verification protocols. While names of contractors are not mentioned, audit officials noted that the payments were made without completion certificates or evidence of actual progress. Performance guarantees were often not obtained, and there were serious deviations from standard public procurement procedures. An additional Rs225.9 million in public funds was lost due to inordinate delays in the construction of the Islamabad Model College for Boys, Margalla Town. The project, originally approved in 2008 and revised multiple times until 2023, suffered from delayed land possession by CDA and slow disbursement. Audit held the project management responsible for this delay and cost escalation. Another audit para revealed that Rs5.18 million was paid in advance to the CDA for the renovation of bathrooms in the Planning Commission's P Block, but the work remained incomplete even after 18 months. The CDA failed to submit any completion report or provide an account of the funds spent. In a separate finding, encroachment and unauthorised allotment of over 29 kanals of land belonging to International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) was traced back to CDA's actions, which had allotted portions of the university's land to private individuals and retained heavy machinery within the university premises despite court orders and environmental concerns. The report also identifies systemic issues in financial management and tenant oversight. Pak PWD failed to recover rent and utility bills from allottees of government residences, despite multiple reminders and audit observations in past years. The dues had accumulated over time, and neither eviction actions nor late payment penalties were enforced. Audit also noted the lack of updated tenancy records, making accountability more difficult. Despite the scale of observations, no response was submitted by the Ministry or Pak PWD to most audit objections, and Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) meetings were not convened in time. The report recommends fixing responsibility, recovery of outstanding dues, and strict enforcement of financial controls. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
