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Pakistan Reopens Torkham for Afghan Returnees as Bribery Probe Widens and Lahore Smog Surges

Trade remains suspended to balance security concerns with limited humanitarian movement.

Overview

  • Torkham crossing was reopened for Afghan citizens returning to Afghanistan with immigration and customs on duty from 7 a.m., while two-way trade stays closed, the Khyber deputy commissioner said.
  • Rawalpindi police reported a three-day crackdown that saw 16 landlords arrested and 163 Afghan nationals detained, with 51 cases registered and public advisories issued against renting or selling property to illegal residents.
  • A Lahore court extended until November 3 the physical remand of six National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency officers in the high-profile ‘Ducky Bhai’ bribery case, after the FIA detailed Rs42.55 million in cash recoveries and opened assets inquiries.
  • The federal Power Division launched a nationwide smart-meter rollout prioritizing single-phase consumers, set the meter price at Rs15,000, and projected savings through competitive procurement, as auditors separately sought records of LESCO’s AMI purchase exceeding Rs5 billion.
  • Lahore logged hazardous air quality with citywide readings near 483 and localized spikes above 700, prompting an emergency plan and stepped-up monitoring that identified over 6,000 pollution violations and more than 2,500 vehicle challans in October.