Benazir Shah

London, Pakistan

Reporter, Newsweek Pakistan at Newsweek

Won the 2013 U.N. Correspondents Association Award for Newsweek’s coverage of the polio campaign. Editor @GeoFactCheck

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Articles

KP's mines, minerals bill faces criticism from allies, opposition

1 week ago | geo.tv | Benazir Shah

LAHORE: A recently tabled bill in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to regulate investment in the province’s mining and minerals sector has sparked sharp debate, drawing criticism from opposition parties, allies, and even voices within the PTI itself. Opponents argue the proposed law threatens to undermine provincial autonomy and hand greater control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s natural resources to the federal government.
KP mining bill draws fire from allies and opposition

1 week ago | thenews.com.pk | Benazir Shah

LAHORE: A recently tabled bill in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to regulate investment in the province’s mining and minerals sector has sparked sharp debate, drawing criticism from opposition parties, allies, and even voices within the PTI itself. Opponents argue the proposed law threatens to undermine provincial autonomy and hand greater control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s natural resources to the federal government.
Punjab pushes bill to curb urban sprawl

1 week ago | geo.tv | Benazir Shah

LAHORE: The Punjab government has introduced a bill aimed at drafting master plans for every district in the province in an effort to curb the unregulated expansion of housing societies across Pakistan's most populous region. However, critics — including some lawmakers and urban planning experts — warn that the proposed legislation would centralise power, stripping elected local governments of a key constitutional function and handing it to unelected bureaucrats. What does the bill propose?
Punjab pushes bill to curb urban sprawl

1 week ago | thenews.com.pk | Benazir Shah

LAHORE: The Punjab government has introduced a bill aimed at drafting master plans for every district in the province, in an effort to curb the unregulated expansion of housing societies across Pakistan’s most populous province. But critics, including some lawmakers and urban planning experts, warn that the proposed legislation would centralise power, stripping elected local governments of a key constitutional function and handing it to unelected bureaucrats. What does the bill propose?
Punjab Forensic Science Agency placed under direct political control after govt overhaul

1 month ago | geo.tv | Benazir Shah

LAHORE: On Friday, the Punjab government passed a controversial piece of legislation that dissolved the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) and established a new body which will be directly overseen by the chief minister and primarily staffed by bureaucrats. The move is seen as an attempt by the provincial government to consolidate greater control over forensic science services in the province.
Experts warn Pakistan's VPN policy threatens online freedom

Nov 21, 2024 | geo.tv | Benazir Shah

KARACHI: Starting from November 30, the government is set to enforce a restrictive new policy that will refrain internet users in Pakistan from accessing Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) only offers VPN registration to companies and freelancers who use these services for commercial purposes, a senior official of the state regulator PTA confirmed to The News.
Pakistan’s VPN policy threatens access for ordinary internet users: officials, experts confirm

Nov 21, 2024 | thenews.com.pk | Benazir Shah

KARACHI: Internet users in Pakistan may soon find themselves without access to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as the government moves to enforce a restrictive new policy starting November 30. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) only offers VPN registration to companies and freelancers who use these services for commercial purposes, a senior official of the state regulator PTA confirmed to The News.
Ravi Riverfront City: Three years, two governments later, farmers in Punjab still struggle to save their land

Oct 23, 2024 | thenews.com.pk | Benazir Shah

LAHORE: On August 1, Colonel (retired) Abid Latif, director of public relations at the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), proudly declared in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) that his latest project was nothing short of a “piece of heaven” on earth. That so-called “heaven” is Chahar Bagh, a luxury housing development sprawling along the banks of the river Ravi. Now 70% complete, it promises a mix of villas, towering skyscrapers, mid-rise apartments, and high-end condominiums.
Punjab govt seeks 3-month extension in Section 144

Sep 28, 2024 | geo.tv | Benazir Shah

Bill tabled by Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman. Law currently allows govt to impose Section 144 for max 2 days. Amendment would empower DC to enforce a ban for up to 30 days. LAHORE: The Punjab government presented an amendment bill in the provincial assembly which would allow the imposition of Section 144 for a minimum of three months, The News reported on Sunday.
Punjab government proposes 90-day extension in imposition of Section 144

Sep 28, 2024 | thenews.com.pk | Benazir Shah

LAHORE: The Punjab government has tabled an amendment bill in the provincial assembly, which would allow the imposition of Section 144 — a colonial-era law used to ban public gatherings — for at least three months. The Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Act 2024, which seeks to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, was presented in the Punjab Assembly on September 5 by Punjab Minister for Finance Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman.