Lala Lajpat Rai Library restored as PM fuel scheme reaches Jhelum and PTI march security tightens

Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani visited Jhelum this week to personally oversee the Prime Minister's Fuel Relief Scheme, distributing subsidised fuel tokens to motorcycle and rickshaw owners at petrol pumps across the city. The visit coincided with the reopening of the city's historic Lala Lajpat Rai Library after a four-month, $36,000 renovation that has transformed the 90-year-old reading hall beyond recognition.

🗳️ Minister personally oversees PM Fuel Relief Scheme at Jhelum petrol pumps

Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani traveled to Jhelum on September 23 to personally review the ground-level implementation of the Prime Minister's Fuel Relief Scheme. He visited multiple petrol pumps across the city, inspecting the registration camps that have been established to facilitate citizens in obtaining subsidised fuel. Kayani observed the procedures for acquiring fuel relief tokens through SMS to the number 9771 and then went further by personally assisting citizens through the registration process. He also filled petrol in the motorcycles of eligible beneficiaries himself after their tokens were issued—a visible demonstration of the scheme's intent to benefit ordinary commuters directly. During the inspection, Kayani directed the district administration to establish additional registration camps beyond petrol pump locations, specifically outside the District Headquarters Hospital and at government colleges, so that citizens in those areas can access the scheme without travelling to designated fuel stations. He confirmed that subsidised petrol under the scheme is available for motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, Qingqi rickshaws, and vehicles with engines of 800cc or below. The direct involvement of a federal minister in the district's implementation process reflects the government's stated priority of closing gaps between policy and delivery at the local level. [1]

🎓 Ninety-year-old Lala Lajpat Rai Library reopens after four-month, $36,000 renovation

Jhelum's Lala Lajpat Rai Library, a landmark that has stood for nearly ninety years, has reopened after a four-month restoration carried out by the district administration at a cost of approximately $36,000. Those returning after an extended absence have found the building transformed almost beyond recognition. The dimly lit reading hall that once held little more than faded walls and a single table has been replaced by a bright, spacious room lined with polished wooden bookshelves. The restored facility now holds close to four thousand books and includes a newly installed computer lab alongside a fully refurbished reading area. Twenty-two-year-old Zain-ul-Abideen, who returned to the library after roughly a year away, described the change in striking terms. He said the old building had looked run-down, with faded paint and minimal furniture, but now—with new shelving, improved lighting, and thousands of books—it felt like an entirely different place. Local officials framed the project as a deliberate effort to revive reading culture in Jhelum, a city with a long-standing educational tradition. The renovation is expected to draw back students, young professionals, and lifelong readers who had been deterred by the library's deteriorated state, reestablishing it as a meaningful civic and intellectual resource at the heart of the Punjab city. [7]

🗳️ Security forces prepare to seal Jhelum and Chenab bridges ahead of PTI march

Pakistani security authorities were preparing to block bridges over the Jhelum and Chenab rivers ahead of a planned march by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, according to a report citing Dawn. The measures were intended to restrict movement along key arterial routes in central Punjab, with the Jhelum river crossing identified as one of the control points for security forces. Bridge blockades of this nature have been used in previous PTI mobilisations to limit the party's capacity to move supporters and convoys in the direction of Islamabad. The planned action reflects the sustained political friction between federal authorities and PTI, whose activities have kept Punjab's political landscape in a state of tension throughout 2026. Blocking the Jhelum river crossing—a major link between central and northern Punjab—would affect not only political convoys but also commercial freight and ordinary commuters whose daily movements rely on these crossings. For Jhelum city, which sits near the river and serves as a significant transit point in central Punjab, any extended closure of the bridges would carry direct consequences for business and travel. Residents and traders in the area were reported to be following developments closely as the march's date approached, aware that the security preparations could create days of disruption across one of Punjab's main transit corridors. [2]

Sources: [1] RADIO PAKISTAN · [7] Arab News PK · [2] UA.NEWS