Punjab CS voices anger over dog bite incidents, open manholes

By Muhammad Shahzad
Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman has expressed strong displeasure over recurring incidents involving stray dog attacks and accidents caused by uncovered manholes, warning that such lapses pose serious threats to public safety and will not be tolerated.
Chairing a video-link meeting of divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners at the Civil Secretariat on Tuesday, the chief secretary said stray dogs and open manholes had emerged as “serious risks to human life,” stressing that negligence in addressing these issues would invite strict administrative action.
The meeting reviewed progress under the Suthra Punjab Programme, measures to repair potholes on major roads, and ongoing initiatives aimed at urban beautification.
Zaman said the provincial government was enforcing a zero-tolerance policy in line with directives issued by Chief Minister Punjab, emphasizing that ensuring public safety remains the government’s foremost priority.
He directed authorities to make district-level Parks and Horticulture Authorities (PHAs) and the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) fully functional without further delay. The chief secretary also instructed officials to submit, within two days, a comprehensive plan detailing staffing requirements and financial needs for PHAs across districts.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary of the Communication and Works Department, the Director General of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), and other senior officials. The Secretary Housing Department, along with divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners, participated via video link.