BARCELONA: Chairman Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Syed Qamar Raza Shah arrived in Barcelona on a three-day official visit to Spain, where he received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from Pakistani community leaders and representatives of various organizations.

Upon his arrival at the airport, Consul General of Pakistan in Barcelona Murad Ali Wazir, along with Parvez Akhtar Jani, Raja Mukhtar Soni, Chaudhry Shoaib Warraich, Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sadiq, President of Peace Forum France Zahid Hashmi, Malik Muhammad Sharif, Qazi Ehsan, Shoaib Tarrar and other community leaders and office-bearers of different organizations welcomed the OPF chairman.

The welcoming delegation presented bouquets of flowers to Syed Qamar Raza Shah and expressed their good wishes for his visit.

During his stay in Spain, the OPF chairman is scheduled to attend an event organized by the Kashmiri community, an international cricket event and other gatherings of the Pakistani community.

His visit is expected to provide an opportunity for interaction with overseas Pakistanis and to discuss matters of mutual interest concerning the Pakistani diaspora.

ISLAMABAD:Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has taken notice of alleged irregularities in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) held in Sindh and ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the complaints.

According to official sources, the minister directed a five-member committee, including the President of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), to conduct a transparent investigation and submit its report within 15 days.

The committee has been tasked with examining the complaints and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the alleged irregularities during the examination, sources said.

The minister directed the committee to complete the inquiry within the stipulated timeframe and present its findings for further action in accordance with the applicable rules.

ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Sohail Ashraf has directed officials to accelerate work on the Islamabad Expressway Service Road East project while ensuring strict compliance with approved designs and construction standards.

During an inspection of the project on Saturday, the chairman reviewed progress and was briefed on ongoing works and the next phase of development.

He directed the project director and relevant departments to maintain continuous field monitoring and quality control and ensure effective traffic management to minimise inconvenience to commuters.

The chairman described the Expressway East project as an important infrastructure scheme for improving connectivity, traffic flow and road capacity in the capital. He also stressed that construction quality should not be compromised in efforts to meet the project timeline.

During the visit, he was also briefed on an ongoing enforcement operation against unauthorised and illegal construction along the Islamabad Expressway.

According to the CDA, 377 buildings have been identified for action, including 281 commercial structures. So far, 58 buildings have been sealed, while 124 buildings between Sohan and Khanna bridges have been marked for demolition.

The authority said Rs234.685 million had been recovered through land-use conversion, unauthorised construction and de-sealing charges. Around Rs3 billion remained recoverable under applicable regulations in connection with land-use conversion and violations relating to unauthorised construction, setbacks, floor area ratio and covered area.

The chairman directed the relevant departments to ensure strict enforcement of building-control and land-use regulations, particularly mandatory fire-safety requirements.

The enforcement operation is being conducted by the CDA’s Building Control Section and Enforcement Directorate in coordination with the district administration and Islamabad police.