Economy Of Karachi

Karachi is the financial and commercial capital of Pakistan. In line with its status as a major port and the country's largest metropolis, it accounts for a lion's share of Pakistan's revenue. According to the Federal Board of Revenue's 2006-2007 year book, tax and customs units in Karachi were responsible for 46.75% of direct taxes, 33.65% of federal excise tax, and 23.38% of domestic sales tax. Karachi also accounts for 75.14% of customs duty and 79% of sales tax on imports. Therefore, Karachi collects a significant 53.38% of the total collections of the Federal Board of Revenue (since renamed as the Central Board of Revenue), out of which 53.33% are customs duty and sales tax on imports. (Note: Revenue collected from Karachi includes revenue from some other areas since the Large Tax Unit (LTU) Karachi and Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur & Quetta cover the entire province of Sindh and Balochistan). Karachi's indigenous contribution to national revenue is 25%.
Karachi produces about 30 percent of value added in large scale manufacturing. A substantial chunk of Sindh’s gross domestic product (GDP) is attributed to Karachi (the GDP of Sindh as a percentage of Pakistan’s total GDP has traditionally hovered around 28%-30%). Karachi’s GDP is around 20% of the total GDP of Pakistan. A PricewaterhouseCoopers study released in 2007, which surveyed the 2005 GDP of the top cities in the world, calculated Karachi’s GDP(PPP) to be $55 billion (projected to be $127 billion in 2020 at a growth rate of 5.8%). It confirmed Karachi’s status as Pakistan’s largest economy, well ahead of the next two biggest cities Lahore and Faisalabad, which had a reported GDP(PPP) of $28 billion and $10 billion, respectively. Karachi's high GDP is based on its mega-industrial base, with a high dependency also on the financial sector. Textiles, cement, steel, heavy machinery, chemicals, food, banking and insurance are the major segments contributing to Karachi's GDP. In February 2007, the World Bank identified Karachi as the most business-friendly city in Pakistan. Karachi is the nerve center of Pakistan's economy. The economic stagnation caused by political anarchy, ethnic strife and resultant military operation during late 80s and 90s led to efflux of industry from Karachi. Most of Pakistan's public and private banks are headquartered on Karachi's I.I. Chundrigar Road, while most major foreign multinational corporations operating in Pakistan have their headquarters in Karachi. The Karachi Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Pakistan, and is considered by many economists to be one of the prime reasons for Pakistan's 8% GDP growth across 2005. A recent report by Credit Suisse on Pakistan's stock market is a testimonial to its strong fundamentals, estimating Pakistan’s relative return on equities at 26.7 percent, compared to Asia’s 11 percent.
Recently, Karachi has seen an expansion of information and communications technology and electronic media and has become the software outsourcing hub of Pakistan. Call centres for foreign companies have been targeted as a significant area of growth, with the government making efforts to reduce taxes by as much as 10% in order to gain foreign investments in the IT sector. Many of Pakistan’s independent television and radio stations are based in Karachi, including world-popular Business Plus, AAJ News, Geo TV, KTN,Sindh TV,CNBC Pakistan, TV ONE, ARY Digital, Indus Television Network, Samaa TV and Dawn News, as well as several local stations.
Karachi has several large industrial zones such as Karachi Export Processing Zone, SITE, Korangi, Northern Bypass Industrial Zone, Bin Qasim and North Karachi, located on the fringes of the main city.Its primary areas of industry are textiles, pharmaceuticals, steel, and automobiles. In addition, Karachi has a vibrant cottage industry and there is a rapidly flourishing Free Zone with an annual growth rate of nearly 6.5%. The Karachi Expo Centre hosts many regional and international exhibitions.There are many development projects proposed, approved and under construction in Karachi. Among projects of note, Emaar Properties is proposing to invest $43bn (£22.8bn) in Karachi to develop Bundal Island, which is a 12,000 acre (49 km²) island just off the coast of Karachi.The Karachi Port Trust is planning a Rs. 20 billion, 1,947 feet (593 m) high Port Tower Complex on the Clifton shoreline.It will comprise a hotel, a shopping center, an exhibition center and a revolving restaurant with a viewing gallery offering a panoramic view of the coastline and the city.

MEDIA OF KARACHI

MEDIA

Many of Pakistan’s independent television and radio channels are based in Karachi, including Business Plus, Geo TV, CNBC Pakistan, Hum TV, TV ONE, AAJ TV, ARY Digital, Express News, Indus Television Network, K.T.N, Kawish Television Network, Sindh TV and Dawn News, as well as several local stations. Local channels include Metro One.
Pakistan's premier news television networks are also based in Karachi, including The Geo News, ARY One World and AAJ News. AAG and MTV Pakistan are the main music television channels and Business Plus and CNBC Pakistan are the main business television channels based in the city. The bulk of Pakistan's periodical publishing industry is centred in Karachi, including magazines such as Spider, Herald, Humsay, Cricketer, Moorad, and The Internet.

Fashion, shopping & entertainment

Fashion, shopping & entertainment

Karachi has always been proactive in organizing large events but because of the political and economic crisis in the country, activities have recently been slowed down. However, Karachi continues to host many different cultural and fashion shows. In 2009 a four-day-long fashion show was organized in Karachi's luxury Marriott hotel.Karachi also has many glitzy shopping malls in the Clifton area, Tariq Road and Hyderi Shopping area, such as Park Towers, The Forum, Dolmen Mall and Millenium Mall. Zamzama Boulevard is known for its designer stores and many cafes. Almost all foreign brands along with famous Pakistani fashion labels such as Amir Adnan, Khaadi, Sputnik footwear, Metro Shoes, English Boot House, Cotton & Cotton, Men's store and Junaid Jamshed are present in various major shopping districts of the city.

sports of karachi

sports of karachi

Cricket is the most popular sport of the city and is usually played in many small grounds around the city. Gully cricket is played in the narrow by-lanes of the city. Nighttime cricket, popularly called 'night match', can be seen at weekends when people play brightly lit, late night matches on less traversed city streets and the game continues till dawn. Karachi has one world-class cricket stadium, named National Stadium. The National Stadium became Karachi's fifth and Pakistan's 11th first-class ground. The inaugural first-class match was played at NSK between Pakistan and India on April 21–24, 1955. In 34 Tests between that first match and December 2000, Pakistan won 17 and were never beaten. Their only Test defeat on the ground came in the gloom against England in 2000-01. Since then, major terrorist activity, mainly bombings, have meant that non-Asian sides have refused to play in the city, and in five years only Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have visited.
The first ODI at the National Stadium was against West Indies on November 21, 1980, and it went down to the last ball as Gordon Greenidge drove Imran Khan imperiously to the cover boundary with three needed. It has been a far less successful limited-overs venue, with defeats outnumbering victories. In fact, in a little under five years from the start of 1996, Pakistan failed to win on the ground. It also staged a quarter-final match in the 1996-97 World Cup.

Culture of karachi

Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The National Academy of Performing Arts.located in the newly renovated Hindu Gymkhana, offers a two-year diploma course in performing arts that includes classical music and contemporary theatre. The All Pakistan Music Conference, linked to the 45-year-old similar institution in Lahore, has been holding its Annual Music Festival since its inception in 2004. The Festival is now a well-established feature of the city life of Karachi that is attended by more than 3000 citizens of Karachi as well as people from other cities.The National Arts Council (Koocha-e-Saqafat) also has musical performances and mushaira(poetry recitations). The Kara Film Festival annually showcases independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries.
Karachi has many museums that present exhibitions on a regular basis, including the Mohatta Palace and the National Museum of Pakistan. Karachi Expo Centre hosts many regional and international exhibitions.
The everyday lifestyle of Karachi differs substantially from that of other Pakistani cities and towns. The culture of Karachi is characterized by the blending of South Asian, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Western influences, as well as its status as a major international business centre. After the partition of Indian subcontinent, Karachi received a large number of refugees from all over India, whose influence is now evident in the city's different sub-cultures. Karachi also hosts the largest middle class stratum of the country.

Sindhi popular culture

Sindhi popular culture
Karachi has been sung in many Sindhi songs, notably the folk songs sung in Sindhi marriages, called Sehra (سهرا) and Ladda such as:
آيلڙي مون ته سُئي وڃائي ڪراچيءَ جي شهر مان مون سُئي گھُرائي
sung by Zarina Baloch and
ڪراچيءَ جي شهر مان منڊيون جوڙايم سونا گل ڪراچيءَ جي موٽر ڀرجي آيا
In addition, Karachi is also known for the legend of Morirro Mirbahar, whose braveness has been praised and sung by Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in his poetry. The legend has also been depicted in the Sindhi movie Ghatoo Ghar na Ayaa (in Sindhi گھاتُو گھر نه آيا).
Karachi jaa ddeeha' aee' raatioo' (in Sindhi ڪراچيءَ جا ڏينهن ۽ راتيون), Days and Nights of Karachi is a novel written by Muhammad Bakhsh Johar.

Geography of Karachi

Geography of Karachi

Karachi is located in the south of Pakistan, on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Its geographic coordinates are 24°51′ N 67°02′ E. Most of the land comprised largely of flat or rolling plains, with hills on the western and Manora Island and the Oyster Rocks. The Arabian Sea beach lines the southern coastline of Karachi. Mangroves and creeks of the Indus delta can be found toward the southeast side of the city. Toward the west and the north is Cape Monze, locally known as Raas Muari, an area marked with projecting sea cliffs and rocky sandstone promontories. Some excellent beaches can also be found in this area.

History of Karachi

The area of Karachi was known to the ancient Greeks by many names: Krokola, the place where Alexander the Great camped to prepare a fleet for Babylonia after his campaign in the Indus Valley; 'Morontobara' (probably Manora island near Karachi harbour), from whence Alexander's admiral Nearchus set sail; and Barbarikon, a port of the Indo-Greek Bactrian kingdom. It was later known to the Arabs as Debal, the starting point for Muhammad bin Qasim and his army in 712 AD. Karachi was founded as "Kolachi" by Baloch tribes from Balochistan and Makran, who established a small fishing community in the area.Descendants of the original community still live in the area on the small island of Abdullah Goth, which is located near the Karachi Port. The original name "Kolachi" also survives in the name of a well-known Karachi locality named "Mai Kolachi". The city was visited by Ottoman Admiral Seydi Ali Reis in 1550s and mentioned in his book Mirat ul Memalik (The Mirror of Countries), 1557 AD.The present city started life as a fishing settlement when a Balochi fisherwoman called Mai Kolachi took up residence and started a family. The village that later grew out of this settlement was known as Kolachi-jo-Goth (Village of Kolachi in Sindhi). By the late 1720s, the village was trading across the Arabian Sea with Muscat and the Persian Gulf region. A small fort was constructed for its protection, armed with cannons imported from Muscat. The fort had two main gateways: one facing the sea, known as Kharra Darwaaza (Brackish Gate) (Kharadar) and the other facing the Lyari River known as the Meet'ha Darwaaza (Sweet Gate) (Mithadar).The location of these gates correspond to the modern areas of Kharadar (Khārā Dar) and Mithadar .

Bird's eye view Suddar Bazaar [Karachi].

Bird's eye view Suddar Bazaar karachi.

Photograph with a view of Saddar Bazaar, Karachi, with the Empress Market in the right background, taken by an unknown photographer, c.1900, from an album of 46 prints titled 'Karachi Views'. Karachi, one of the world's largest metropolises, was once the capital of Pakistan. It is now the capital of the Sindh province in the lower Indus valley, and is the financial and commercial centre of Pakistan. This huge city was however developed only in the mid-19th century after the British conquest of Sindh. Karachi is built around a bay which is a natural harbour protected from storms by a group of small islands. Its history prior to the 18th century is sketchy but it is believed to be the ancient port of Krokala on the Arabian Sea, visited by Alexander's admirals in 326 BC. The small fishing village was known as Kolachi-jo-Goth in the 18th century, and then became a trading post under the Kalhoras and the Talpur rulers of Sindh, but the port remained small. With the British development of its harbour it grew into the large city of Karachi and an important centre of trade. Sadr Bazaars were permanent markets which existed all over the Indian sub-continent, they were developed by British forces in the towns they occupied to facilitate the provision of supplies to the troops in the cantonments. The Saddar Bazaar at Karachi followed a typical gridiron plan; all the major north-south streets of the Bazaar were laid out at right angles to Bunder Road, Frere, Somerset and Elphinstone Streets which along with Victoria Road, linked the northern part of the cantonment to the southern part. The area soon developed into the most fashionable part of the city, supplying the needs of both its civilian and military parts.

Karachi Jan 28: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has directed EDO Master Plan to complete the survey of residential and commercial units for GIS map within a week. He also instructed for more acceleration in the work by forming a 2 member team for survey in every union council.
Earlier during a review meeting held in Civic Center on Thursday it was informed that the survey of residential and commercial units in 14 union councils has already been done while work in rest of the city was currently underway.
On this occasion City Nazim said that the GIS map will be given legal status after its approval from the city council. He said that the union councils will be authorized to approve or disapprove any trade within their jurisdiction. A representative officer from Master Plan Department will be deputed in all 178 union councils of Karachi who will work under the union nazim. The union council would submit report to master plan department on daily basis.
Nazim Karachi also directed that all utility service providers be informed to provide the record and details of their service to master plan department as soon as possible so that this could be incorporated in the GIS map.

Eco-tourism to be promoted

Eco-tourism to be promoted
The Sindh government is planning to promote ecotourism in Nagarparkar, Tharparkar district, focussing on attracting local and international tourists to visit the historical sites and enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
In this regard, adviser to Sindh chief minister Sharmila Farooqui has sent a project proposal to the chief minister for approval, in which she has recommended to declare Nagarparkar as a national park.
The letter said that uncontrolled use of natural resources has indirectly put the entire ecosystem at risk. Vast rangelands that can bring in an improved and better living standard to the local community through its wise and sustainable use are being overlooked, mismanaged and wasted.
The advisor told The News that she has visited the area and designed a proposal to save the natural resources and went on to add that the area has great potential to promote tourism.
The project will also function to preserve and restore the old historical temples and mosques existing in a deplorable condition. In this regard, a non-governmental organisation will implement the ecotourism project.

On crimes of varying nature

On crimes of varying nature
The city continued to face law and order situations during the last week, as kidnapping for ransom cases, killing of a young girl due to the negligence of doctors and other varying incidents were reported.On the first day of the week, the Karachi Police claimed to have solved the Ashura Day blast case by apprehending suspects from the Mauripur area and alleged that those responsible for the blast belonged to the militant outfit Jundullah. In this regard, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) registered two cases against the alleged Jundullah men at the Mauripur and Sir Syed Police Station. At the Mauripur Police Station, Sub Inspector (SI) Abdul Sattar, SIU stated that he along with his team were patrolling in the Mauripur area when a spy informed him of the accused Murad Shah, who was said to be involved in the lighthouse bomb blast had been sighted, and was heading towards the Mauripur area. He then along with his team started the random checking of vehicles at the turning of Hawkesbay Road. During that period, as the suspects reached the check post area opened fire upon seeing the police. The police retaliated and after a brief encounter managed to arrest Murad Shah, Mohammed Shaqaib Farooqi, Wazir Mohammed and Murtaza while the accused Siraj fled under the cover of fire. The police recovered four TT pistols and a case was registered.In the second case, registered at the Sir Syed Police Station, SI Naseem Farooqi, SIU West stated that the accused Murad Shah along with the others arrested in the Mauripur area are all affiliated with Jundullah. During interrogation, it was disclosed that the accused had been responsible for the blast bomb on the 7th of Muharramul Haram, as well as other occasions. The accused also disclosed the location of another bomb which was planted in a cement block at plot R-699, opposite Bagh-i-Qasim Sector-7/D-3 North Karachi. The information led the police team to raid the area and recover the planted bomb. A case was registered at the Sir Syed Police Station. In another case, two political groups clashed in the Surjani Town area. In this regard, Mohammed Nasir a resident of LERP, Surjani Town registered a complaint against Qasim and other members of a political group stating that he and other members of his party initiated a quarrel and used abusive language against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) workers. Moreover, while Mohammed Nasir was present at the PPP ward office situated in Sector-51F, Surjani Town, the accused Qasim, Hero, Imran, Anwer Bengali, Jabbar, Babul and others came on motorcycles and opened indiscriminate fire upon them then fled from the scene. Due to the firing, two people present at the ward office, Imran Butt and Rao Atif were left wounded. The police have lodged an FIR; however, no arrests have been made as yet.In another incident, it was reported that a young girl died due to the negligence of doctors in the New Karachi area. Umair, a resident of Sector-11E, registered a complaint at the New Karachi Industrial Area (NKIA) Police Station in which he stated that on 25th January his father informed him about his younger sister, Anum Komal suffering from the flu and that she had been given treatment at the Godhran Muslim Hospital situated in Sector-11G, New Karachi. Umair added that as his younger sister was still not feeling well and needed medical treatment, he took his sister to the Godhran Muslim Hospital again, where the duty doctor, Nasir, injected her with two injections available at the hospital and two other injections which the doctor brought from a store. Umair added that after some time, the doctor informed him about his sister’s death. The NKIA police said that a case was lodged against Dr Nasir, Abdul Sattar Dul, Haji Iqbal Loola and other staff members; however no arrest have been made so far.

Leadership conference held at IoBM

Zenith Leadership and Development Conference 2010 was conducted at the Institute of Business Management from January 22 to January 24 under the umbrella of the Strategic Human Resource Society. The objective of Zenith was to develop experience, knowledge-base and skill-sets of participants, and to develop a pool of young professionals through a series of seminars, workshops, activities, classroom-based training sessions, and coaching. The programme focused on academic activities during the day and entertainment-based activities at night. Each day had its own individual theme which was in line with the overall vision of Zenith.Having successfully conducted the first edition last year, Zenith was able to attract a talented pool of students from diverse schools ranging from Bayview, The Lyceum School, Nixor, Southshore as well as renowned universities such as Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Szabist and Iqra University. The theme of the first day was ‘Self Evaluation’, to help facilitate the delegates tap into their strengths and weakness so that they could mould themselves to reach their potential. CEO School of Leadership, Shireen Naqvi spoke about the importance of having an identity. She emphasised the need to break out of societal constraints and drive towards careers that one is passionate about. This was followed by an amusing and insightful session by Sohail Zindani, Chief Learning Officer of LEARNINGMINDS. During the evening, participants were given the opportunity to have the spotlight on them during the Talent Hunt which was followed by a gig. The emphasis on the second day was on ‘Organisational Life’. The purpose was to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical life. CEO 180 degrees, Qashif Effendi spoke about the art of persuasion. This was followed by a lecture by Shahbaz Ali Baig in which delegates were taught how to cope and adapt to politics in organisational life. After the sessions, a highly competitive and exhaustive Sports Meet was organised.The third day was dedicated to providing career-related guidance to delegates. A role model session was held in which the delegates got the opportunity to candidly talk with the role models about their life experiences and ask for guidance. The session consisted of eminent personalities including George Fulton, Nushra Ajmal, Yousuf B. Qureshi, and others. The role model session was followed by an amazing session on ‘Emotional Genuis’ conducted by Umair Jaliawala, Chief Turning Officer-Torque followed by a lecture on the advent of social media, conducted by Abid Nasim. The Masquerade Ball and formal dinner wrapped up three, fun-packed and highly educational days at the Zenith 2010.

Saeedabad blast suspect sent to jail

Saeedabad blast suspect sent to jail
An Administrative Judge (AJ) of the anti-terrorism courts (ATC) on Thursday sent an injured suspect of the Saeedabad blast to jail and directed the investigation officer (IO) of the case to a submit-charge sheet on February 4.
Khalid Khan, the sole survivor of the blast that killed six persons at a house in the Saeedabad area, had been admitted to the Civil Hospital Karachi. Police said that the suspect was unable to move due to injuries in the bomb blast.
The police said that the injured suspect confirmed that his associate, Arif, was wearing a jack filled with explosive substance when blast occurred. The police recovered 26 hand grenades, three Kalashnikovs, two suicide jackets and explosive material besides 5,000 bullets from the spot. The police registered a case against the suspect under explosive substance, illegal weapon and anti-terrorism charges.
The IO submitted that the police had to further investigate from the suspect about the incident and sought extension of police remand. The AJ Justice Amir Hani Muslim, however, sent the suspect to jail and directed the IO to submit the charge-sheet on the next date of hearing.
Policeman killing case: The Administrative Judge (AJ) also sent a suspect to jail in a policeman’s killing case and directed the IO to complete the investigation till February 4.
Qadir alias Dakait was arrested by the police on charges of killing a policeman and a passer-by in the Baghdai area during a clash with the police. The IO submitted that the suspect and his absconding co-accused fired rocket on an armoured personnel carrier and used heavy weapons against a police party during a raid on the hideouts of the Lyari gangsters on December 3, 2009.
Meanwhile, police submitted a charge-sheet against four suspects including Asad, Zafar, Adnan and Ms Mehwish alias Komal in kidnapping for ransom case.
They were charged with kidnapping eight-year-old Tufail Asad from the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area on December 23. The police said that suspects demanded Rs2 million from the father of the abducted boy, who is working in the State Bank. Later, the deal was finalized at Rs5,00,000 and the suspects asked the father of abducted to deliver the ransom money in the Korangi area. The police, however, arrested Ms Mehwish who had turned up to receive the ransom. She gave a lead about her co-suspects, who were later arrested by the police and the boy was recovered. The AJ accepting the charge-sheet sent the case to the ATC-I for trial.

Varsities ink MoU

Varsities ink MoU
The International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi (KU), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The University of Hamburg, Germany, to further enhance research cooperation between both the countries in the area of natural sciences and bioinformatics.An official of the ICCBS on Thursday said that Director ICCBS Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhary on behalf of the centre signed the MoU in his recent visit to Germany.He said that the basic objective of agreement was to initiate and promote scientific cooperation and academic exchange in the field of natural sciences and bio-informatics between the University of Hamburg and academic institutions of Pakistan, supported by the ICCBS and the Ministry of Science and technology. He added that University of Hamburg will accept up to 10 MS and PhD students annually upon availability of supervising- and teaching- capacity, who fulfill the admission criteria of the university; these scholars will be supported by the ICCBS or other funding institutions of Pakistan. It was agreed that the majority of these students will be admitted in the fields of Bioinformatics, Structural Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. It was also agreed that annual workshops will be organised in both the countries in the fields of Bio-informatics and Structural & Systems Biology. These events will be held on rotation basis with one year in Pakistan and the following year in Germany. In Pakistan, the host institutions will cover the local hospitality of 10 to 15 guest scientists. It was also agreed that the first two workshops will be held in Karachi and Islamabad.

One commits suicide

One commits suicide
A woman committed suicide in the Nabi Bukhsh police limits on Thursday.Maria, 40, after an of exchange hot words with her husband locked herself in a room at her residence situated in Ranchore Lane in Nabi Bukhsh killed herself by consuming poison.Her husband after a few hours tried to enter the room and knocked the door, when she did not respond; he broke the door and saw his wife in an unconscious condition.He took her to Civil Hospital, where during treatment she succumbed to her injuries. 84 maunds of hashish seized: The Sachal police on Thursday seized 84 maunds of hashish.According to details, the Sachal police witnessed some suspicious persons unloading goods from one truck on to another in the Teacher Cooperative Society at Anara Garden. As the police reached the spot, the suspects opened fire. The police retaliated and after an encounter the suspects managed to flee leaving the goods and trucks behind. During the search police seized 84 maund of hashish. The police immediately seized the drugs and vehicles and registered a case.Police claimed that the hashish was smuggled from Baluchistan and NWFP and that the smugglers intended to smuggle it abroad.

Youm-e-Hussain marked at KU

Youm-e-Hussain marked at KU
We should convey the message of Imam Hussain (RA) to humanity that peace lies with truth and that the truth is confirmed when one makes sacrifices, said University of Karachi (KU) Vice Chancellor Prof. Pirzada Qasim while delivering his presidential address on Thursday at “Youm-e-Hussain” organised at the univerity.
The event was organised by a student advisor, Dr Tanveer Khalid, in collaboration with the Imamia Students Organisation.
Qasim said that sacrifices can only be made when one has full trust in God and divine justice. He said that peace cannot be made possible and uncertainty cannot be dispelled till the people of the world, individually and collectively, follow the path of Karbala, which leads to the truth, as well as showing magnanimous moral courage for immorality.
Maulana Agha Syed Jawwad Naqvi appreciated the efforts by students and administration for organising the event. “There is a lot to learn from Karbala, Imam Hussain (RA) and the sacrifices he and his family made to save Islam. We should not move with Hussain history, instead the need is to move with him in reality, revolution and change. Each of us should act as like Hussain because when we follow Hussain in his method, thought and spirit we can revive the soul of Karbala. It should be remembered that our current social and moral problems emerged out of our negligence; we should not let any more Yazeeds devour Muslim nations”, he remarked.
Dr Ehsan ul Haq, a senior Professor at the Department of Arabic, pointed out that one should look for commonalities among Muslims, the only way through which one can fight against negative powers.
Maulana Abbas Waziri said that Hussain was a personality who lived with the message of Allah and sought inspirations from the message for all aspects of his personality. It is impossible to confine Hussain and Karbala to a certain time or place or a group of people.
Dr Zahid Ali Zahidi, Department of Persian, Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman, and other speakers said that whoever is with the Karbala of Imam Hussain cannot pledge allegiance to an oppressors, nor can he stand along with him. The incident of Karbala is the most tragic incident of Human history but there is a lot to learn from this tragedy.
At this event, special security measures were taken by Security Advisor, Dr. Khalid Iraqi, ISO scouts. Stalls from various political parties including PSA, APMSO, PSF and ISO were also placed at the varsity. Sabeel-e-Imam Hussain was placed as a reminder to the impending thirst which Imam Hussain (A.S) and his family had undergone on the fateful days at Karbala.

Trailer carrying Nato supplies attacked

Trailer carrying Nato supplies attacked
Unidentified attackers opened fire and lobbed grenades on a convoy of trailers, carrying machines and goods to the NATO forces in Afghanistan on early Thursday morning. The incident took place on the Hab River Road near Dalda More in the limits of the SITE-B police station. Four people including Hadiatullah, Habibullah, Imran and Ghani-ur-Rehman, the drivers and conductors, were injured in the attack.Three prime-mover vehicles (TLK-9721), (SL-5826) and (LS-8417) carrying logistic support goods for the NATO forces from the Port Qasim were attacked by armed men, said SP SITE Town Asad Raza. He said that two unidentified suspects riding a bike intercepted the vehicles and opened indiscriminate fire, lobbed grenades and damaged one trailer (TLK-9721). After the incident, the area police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to a private hospital for treatment. The injured were, however, discharged after the first aid treatment. Later, the convoy resumed its journey towards its destination. The Station House Officer (SHO) of the SITE-B police station, Chaudhary Shahid, said that the police registered a case (76/10) against unknown accused under the explosive act.Meanwhile, the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) after an encounter with suspects recovered the abducted brothers in the North Nazimabad police limits on Thursday.Muhammad Abbas and Abid Ali, sons of a local businessman, were kidnapped for ransom from outside their residence, B-110, on January 22 from North Nazimabad Block-1. Initially, the kidnappers had demanded Rs50 million as ransom from the father of the abducted and the family reported the matter to the police and an FIR had been lodged at the police station concerned.A team of AVCC after tracing the movement of the kidnappers, raided their hideout in Bloch Para in the North Nazimabad police jurisdiction and recovered the abducted brothers. The accused, however, fled the scene under the cover of fire.

Mild tremors felt in parts of city

Mild tremors felt in parts of city
Dwellers in parts of Landhi, Korangi, Malir, and adjoining areas of the city felt mild tremors on Thursday.
The Meteorological Department recorded the intensity at 2.5 on the Richter scale that were felt at 11:27am.
Meanwhile, Chief Meteorologist in Karachi, Muhammad Riaz said that while there was rain forecast for parts of the upcountry the weather in Karachi on Friday was expected to remain partly cloudy with minimal chance of light drizzle. On Thursday, the weather remained cloudy during some parts of the day.
The Met office recorded 14 degree Centigrade and 28.3 degree C minimum and mercury-levels respectively with 61 per cent humidity. The Met office has forecast partly cloudy weather with cool night for Friday with minimum temperature expected to range from 12 degree Celsius to 14 degree C.

Only one CDGK rescue boat for 16m people

Only one CDGK rescue boat for 16m people
Only one imported inflatable rescue rubber boat of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) Fire Brigade is in working condition, while four boats have gone completely out of order due to improper maintenance, The News has learnt.In 2006, five rubber boats had been imported from Spain at a cost of Rs5 million, sources said. These boats had a capacity to carry six persons, including an engine driver, two rescuers and three persons that need to be rescued. Sources explained that four of these boats were handed over to the Emergency Response Centre (ERC) at Hawkesbay while one boat was given to the Central Fire Station for rescue purposes. The ERC is a subordinate centre of the Fire Brigade, which has lifeguards to protect those who wish to swim in the sea during the summer season.The basic aim of importing these boats was to rescue those caught in untoward incidents in the sea. The authorities concerned, however, also used these boats as part of their rescue operations in sewerage drains during the monsoons as well. Sources said that four of these boats are not in any condition to be used during any sort of rescue operation, while the only boat that is workable condition cannot be deemed enough to cater to a population of around 16 million.Sources told The News that these boats were imported along with their repair kits. As these boats were regularly used, the stock of the repair kits ended somewhere in 2007, sources said. Nine repairing kits repairing kits were subsequently imported, and handed over to the centre by the end of 2007. However, sources continued, these repairing kits could not be used for almost two years, while the glue in some of repairing kits has expired.Two ERC boats were severely damaged during this time, while another two were modestly damaged, sources claimed. Sources said that there are a number of organisations in the city which have experts to deal with repairing of rubber boats, but they have not been approached for this purpose.Sources said that in July 2009, one ERC boat had minor damages but it was still used in rescue operation in Malir River during heavy downpours that year. This boat was kept at Manzoor Colony Fire Station so that it could be used in further rescue operations if needed. However, children of the area used it as jumping pad, which badly damaged the boat and its ends opened up. On the other hand, sources said, the boat of Central Fire Station was sent to Sehwan on the occasion of the Urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalander last year. Sources said that due to “almost unbearable heat,” the joints of this boat also went out of order and now, it has become ‘non-repairable’.Sources said that the deputed 54 lifeguards at ERC now have just one boat at their disposal. It is worth remembering that between 30 and 40 people drown in the sea every year due to lack of resources to handle rescue operations.

The resolution

The resolution
The joint resolution unanimously passed on Thursday by the Sindh Assembly says: “The Punjab government has proposed a 44 Megawatt (MW) power plant at the tail [end] of [the] Chashma-Jhelum link canal to be operated by a private party. The Sindh government has been opposing this project as it is detrimental to the interests of the province and will add to the already-acute water shortage being faced by the province.
“NEPRA and [the] Ministry of Water and Power (including the federal minister of water and power) have been made aware of [the] Sindh government’s reservations by the government. The honourable chief minister has also apprised the honourable prime minister of the objections of the government regarding the project. However, it appears that NEPRA is continuing consideration of the project.
Therefore, this Assembly resolves and recommends to the government to approach [the] federal government and again apprise them of the strong opposition of the people of Sindh to this project, which is detrimental to the interests of the people of Sindh and [to] convey to the federal government that this project is not acceptable to the people of Sindh and should be immediately shelved, as Sindh has been facing [an] acute shortage of water.”
The joint resolution was moved by PPP’s Dr Sikandar Mandhro, MQM’s Heer Soho, opposition leader Jam Madad Ali, PML-Q’s Shaharyar Mahar, Sassui Palijo, Anwar Ahmed Khan Mahar and Nusrat Sehar Abbasi.

Unsafe abortions cause over 10pc

Unsafe abortions cause over 10pc
Unwanted pregnancy has led many women to opt for unsafe abortion, which is a major cause for 10 to 12 per cent of maternal deaths in Karachi as medical professionals discussed and debated the procedure of abortion, the importance of using contraceptives, and a midwife’s role in the process, to a wide audience comprising of nurses and midwives, in a lecture hosted by Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Tuesday. “The role of a midwife and nurse is vital, as they play a preventive role for their patients. A doctor’s team is not complete without a trained nurse who knows the basics, for instance, sterilising the instruments that have been used etc,” said Dr Kaneez Fatima, a gynecologist. In her lecture she pointed out that annually 890,000 abortion take place in Pakistan as a result of unwanted pregnancy. “In Karachi there is a dearth of doctors who could perform abortion, as a result, majority of women go for an inexpensive abortion which is unsafe and causes infection in the uterus,”, she added. One out of six pregnancies is terminated by induced abortion which is mostly conducted by an unskilled person, Dr Kaneez said. “The law states that if a woman is not feeling well, physically and mentally, after 120 days of pregnancy, she can opt for an abortion. The problem is that not many women know such a law exists and if they do their families do not allow them to go for an abortion,” continued Dr Fatima. Telling a patient to go somewhere else for an abortion and getting preachy is not a doctors’ or a midwife’s job as there job is to fulfill there preventive role that is to inform them about the use of contraception and how it will protect them from having unwanted pregnancies, says Dr Nighat Shah, another gynecologist. “If your partner is not using condoms, the problem lies with you too as most of the woman do not discuss such issues with their partners or husbands, as a result of which they feel free to do as they please.” Dr Shah said that the first question she often asks her patients is on how much family planning they do before or after getting married. “It is related to a woman’s health and she has every right to decide what she wants to do with her body.” Dr Shah added that many times husbands or father in-laws sign the consent paper on behalf of a woman, that whether she wants to have babies or not. In this case the consent of a patient is very important as “you are a nurse or a midwife, you need to ask the patient first regardless of what their in-laws or families demand,” she said. In her presentation, Dr Shah informed that only 30 per cent of population in Pakistan use contraceptives or pills. “The remaining 70 per cent either does not want to go for contraception, or are afraid to use it, as they fear it will cause an infection.” The nurses also enacted a small skit in which the basic issues faced by the nurses while dealing with patients and their families were pointed out, which was appreciated by the audience a lot. Dr Shah said that informative advertisements on TV channels and programmes on radio can help a lot in understanding the issues related to unwanted pregnancy and family planning. The nurses have to start from scratch while speaking about such issues, which can easily be aired on TV and Radio, provided they are given ample time.

Power failure hampers water supply

Power failure hampers water supply
Owing to prolonged power failure at Dhabeji pumping station of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, the water utility could not supply over seven million gallons water to the city. The power supply at the pump disrupted at 9 pm on Monday and it could not be restored till 7 pm on Tuesday, while the work for the restoration of power supply was in progress by the KESC staff, said a KWSB statement.Various areas of the city including Saddar, Lyari, Jamshed, Liaquatabad towns and Shershah could face water shortage on Wednesday and Thursday. According to a KESC spokesman, work has been in progress on one standby feeder out of 12 dedicated feeders supplying electricity to Dhabeji pumping station. Other 11 feeders have been working normally while there was no issue of electricity shortfall, said the spokesman.

SHCBA to observe protest day tomorrow

SHCBA to observe protest day tomorrow
Sindh High Court Bar Association has decided to observe protest day on January 28 against un-necessary delay in the appointment of Lahore and Sindh high courts judges and non-implementation of Supreme Court’s judgment on National Reconciliation Ordinance.
The SHCBA, however, was of the considered view that in the matter of elevation to the Supreme Court, the principle of seniority should be strictly followed and the act of “pick and choose” in the matter of elevation of judges would create doubt amongst the nation. The SHCBA managing committee also endorsed the declaration and strike call given by National Lawyers Coordination Council. It was of the view that the decision of Supreme Court declaring the NRO as void and the judgment should be implemented at all cost with sincerely.

Kamal inaugurates KESC Grid Station

Kamal inaugurates KESC Grid Station
The City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal has stated that despite there being no role of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in Karachi Electric Supply Company’s (KESC) affairs, the city government has supported the organisation for the last four years as the organisation itself belongs to the city of Karachi. “Not owning it [KESC] would harm the city”, he said.
“That is why we allowed the KESC road cutting at newly constructed thoroughfares in the larger interest of the citizens. The current planning process would also enable KESC to supply electricity to other parts of the country” he said.
He expressed these views after inaugurating the grid station in Gulshan-e-Maymar constructed by the KESC with a cost of Rs460 million. The City Nazim said that KESC is the most important organization of the city and every citizen should cooperate so that its performance could improve.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Executive of KESC, Tabish Gohar stated that KESC’s administration has invested Rs20 billion in the power generation sector. Five hundred new PMTs are being installed in the city aw well as the construction of new grid stations. These measures would increase the power generation up to 450 Megawatts.

Two dead as Bengali groups clash

Two dead as Bengali groups clash
Two Bengali groups clashed in Zaman Town area on Tuesday, in which Fareed and Bilal belonging to Bengal Action Committee (BAC) were killed.
Police sources said that it was Tuesday afternoon when accused Jalal belong to Sheraay Bengal Group along with his companions came to Sector-48A, Korangi and started disputing with Fareed and Bilal of BAC group.
During their hot conversation Jalal and his men took out arms and had opened indiscriminate fire due to which Fareed and Bilal died on the spot. In the meantime, the residents and supporters of deceased persons came and caught accused Jalal along with his two companions Abdul Hakim and Lal Mohammed and started beating them. A police team of Zaman Town police station and taken into custody the accused persons with murder weapon. During investigation it was found that both the group had disputed on the rally day and today Jalal came to kill Fareed over that issue.
In yet another case, a dacoit Ali Hassan was shot dead by a truck driver in Memon Goth police limits. Police said that Imtiaz Ali, a truck driver, was going to Sohrab Goth with some consignment, when two armed bandits tried to loot him. At this, Imtiaz put up resistance and killed Ali Hassan.
Mishaps: M Rayaz, 20 and M Ayoub, 27, were killed while Qasim, Shakeel, Ahmed Raza and an unidentified, 37-year old woman were injured, when a speeding Abdullah Coach lost control and turned over at in the Maripur police limits.
Babu Lal, 40, died while Mujeebullah, 40, Rafeeq, 45, Zakir, 40 and Mahmood, 45, fell unconscious in an underground water tank in the Mehmoodabad police area.
Abdul Razaq, 36, died at his residence situated in Habib Square in Shah Waliullah Road in the Baghdadi police jurisdiction after consuming poisonous food. Body of Yar Muhammad, 36, was found at the Hawkesbay Beach in the Maripur police limits.

Two JSQM activists shot dead

Two JSQM activists shot dead
Two activists of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaaz (JSQM) were killed on Tuesday. Nazeer Hussain and Javed Hussain were shot dead by armed men in the Korangi Industrial Area (KIA) police limits. Police sources said that on Tuesday afternoon unidentified armed men riding on motorcycles and cars entered into Mehran Town and opened indiscriminate fire.
Due to heavy firing, three people including Nazar Hussain and Javed Hussain were injured, while the accused fled from the scene. Moreover, the injured belonged to JSQM and were shifted to the hospital where Nazar Hussain and Javed Hussain succumbed to their injuries.
After recovering the bodies of the deceased from the hospital, relatives and JSQM activists returned to Mehran Town, and staged a demonstration on Korangi Industrial Area road.
During the period, the KIA police took action and carried out a raid with some eyewitnesses of the incidents and traced the accused in a locality situated near Mehran Town. On seeing the police, the accused opened fire which was retaliated by the police and after a brief encounter, arrested Waseem, Bilal, Taufiq, Ali Jan and Kashif with a recovery of Kalashnikovs, repeaters and other arms and a huge quantity of bullets.
The demonstration, which held up traffic for about 45 minutes, concluded when word was received that the culprits had been apprehended.
They police said that the held suspects belong to a political group presently working with the government as collation partners. Moreover, the deceased were relatives and are running a general store in the area, they belong to Larkana (Sindh), married and left behind children.
A case was registered and investigation from the accused is underway.
suicide: A drug addict, Muhammad Ashfaq, 25, committed suicide after an exchange of hot words with his parents by locking himself in a room and hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his residence situated in City Railway Compound at Haqqani Chowk in Arambagh in the Preedy police jurisdiction on Tuesday.
The body was found when the mother called him for breakfast and knocked on his door, when he did not respond she called her husband whom along with his neighbours broke the door down and saw his body hanging from the ceiling. The police were immediately informed and the body was taken to Civil Hospital.

Gold robbery accused identified

Gold robbery accused identified
Two prosecution witnesses identified three of the accused allegedly involved in robbing gold from a workshop in Sarafa Bazar worth Rs 45 million.
PWs Mohammed Nauman and Noor Ali identified three suspects Agha Nasir, Mohammed Kashif and Shahzad who were produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate Sadruddin Bohyo.
When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday the investigation officer sought extension in the remand. The court, however, sent the three suspects to jail till February 4 with the direction to IO to submit challan on the next date of hearing.
Mohammed Nauman and Noor Ali, the employees of the workshop, told the court that they were being forced to remain silent at gunpoint by the accused. They said that four armed men barged into the workshop in Sarafa Bazar, Kharadar, and took eight workers of the workshop hostage at gunpoint for an hour and decamped with 15 kg of gold worth around Rs 45 million.
According to prosecution, the workers were busy in the workshop owned by Mohammed Muneer when the suspects robbed maximum quantity of gold kept at the workshop.
Interestingly, there was no security guard or lock on the main entrance of the building and no close circuit camera was installed at the main door.
The Kharadar police registered FIR No. 17/2010 under sections 392 (punishment for robbery) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the workshop owner.

Dissolution of local bodies

Sindh government is likely to appoint administrators for holding local bodies’ elections within 90 days in consultation with its coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).Talking to journalists at Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Tuesday, Sindh Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Mohammed Ayaz Soomro said that Pakistan People’s Party wanted to revive LB system of 1979 but their coalition partner (MQM) has reservations over it. He promised that a “consensus bill” would be brought before Sindh Assembly to bring “changes” in the system.He pointed out that Balochistan and Punjab wanted to appoint administrators for one year while NWFP intended to appoint the administrators for indefinite period. He, however, added that Sindh was in favour of appointing administrators for a period of 90 days. He said that MQM has its own point of view about the LB system and they (PPP) respected it, adding, some contentious issues have been left to the chief minister and the governor Sindh to resolve them.Ayaz Soomro said that the Sindh Assembly session on Wednesday (today) would be adjourned after offering Fateha for provincial minister Abdul Jalil Memon, who recently died in a road accident in Thatta. He said that the legislation work would be taken up in the PA session on Thursday (tomorrow) and disclosed that chief minister Sindh has taken notice of some legislators who used to come late at the session.He said that judges’ vacancies in Sindh High Court would be filled on merit and in consultation with chief minister and governor Sindh. “We do not want to clash with judiciary,” he said, adding that the government would implement Supreme Court’s judgment on National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). He pointed out that it was the PPP government that gave vehicles and other facilities to judges.Condemning the death of a maid Shazia Masih in Lahore allegedly at the hands of a lawyer, the minister regretted the lawyers’ “undesirable” attitude meted out to the journalists covering the appearance of the accused lawyer before the court in Lahore. He urged the Pakistan Bar Council to take up deceased Shazia’s case and wondered as to why NGOs were not coming forward to help the aggrieved family.Talking about the performance of PPP government during the last two years, the law minister said that better law and order, provision of jobs and launching uplift schemes were the three main priorities of their government.He said that a network of roads has been laid in the province whose impact was “visible”. He said that the government has brought investment for utilizing Thar coal reserves where two power plants were being established, with each project generating 60,000 jobs. Besides, he added, efforts were being made to provide drinking water in Thar.He said that 1,000 law officers have been recently appointed in the province through Sindh Public Service Commission and on contract basis.Soomro lamented that the previous regime had subjected Larkana to discriminatory attitude because it happens to be the hometown of slain PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto. He said that the present government has given internal and external roads of Larkana to National Highway Authority for developing the same, besides a daily PIA flight has been started from Karachi to Moen-jo-Daro.He said that a “unique” university to be named after Benazir Bhutto would be constructed in Larkana and the land for this purpose has been reserved at Baqrani Road. He further said that the provincial government would establish lawyers and journalists’ colony in each district and district coordination officers have been asked to allocate lands for the purpose.

Destroying of seized substances

An event on Tuesday that was meant to be the annual crowning glory of Customs turned into a nightmare for the officials. The traditional mass incineration of narcotics, alcohol and other illegal substances and materials seized by the various authorities of Pakistan, was invaded by the public, who made away with plenty of the illegal substances, throwing the officials and security present on the spot into a frenzy.
As per the details, Customs officials claimed on Tuesday to have bulldozed about 19,413 bottles of liquor and 55,600 cans of beer, and torched 177,223 kilogrammes of betel nuts, 185 kg of heroin powder and medicines, 19,250 CDs and VCDs, 3,700 foreign cigarettes, thousands of kilogrammes of household raw material, and other items. The News, however, saw that far fewer bottles of liquor and only 2,000 cans of beer were bulldozed.
Customs South Chief Collector Sher Nawaz concurred with this number, but said that about 200,000 cans of beer and 207,913 bottles of liquor had been seized. Moreover, it was observed that several policemen, customs officials and other law-enforcement personnel fearlessly grabbed bottles of liquor in front of senior customs officers as well as the print and electronic media. The officers and policemen then calmly walked away unchecked.
Not to be left out, residents of nearby areas also took advantage of the situation, attacked Customs consignments, and made off with liquor, betel nuts and bags of other substances and materials. Later, Customs officials and the Mauripur police baton-charged residents and shot into the air to disperse them – but not before they made away with their booty.
Meanwhile, International Customs Day was also celebrated at the Custom House.

Youth centre in Lyari soon

Following the instructions of the federal government, the Lyari Town Administration has decided to establish a youth centre in the area, which will launch various skill development programmes for both, boys and girls. The youth centre will be established in Union Council-11, Eid Gah and will introduce information technology (IT), and other professional education programmes.Town Nazim Lyari Mahmoood Hashim told The News that the proposal of the project which has been named as Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari Youth Center, has already been sent to Islamabad and is under consideration. After its approval, the concerned authorities would design the PC-1, and work on the project would start accordingly, he added. “The project is being launched in an effort to address the issue of unemployment, which seems to be the primary cause that compels the youth to engage themselves in unlawful activities. My administration is keen to launch various other development schemes, specially, for skill enhancement of the area youth,” said Hashim. He said that President Asif Ali Zardari, during his recent visit to Karachi, had called in a special meeting with the representatives of Lyari to personally listen to their grievances, and attain their suggestions to remove them. The representatives raised the issues they have been facing, and complained that they have not seen the same commitment from the present Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership, which they used to see from the slain PPP chairperson Benazirt Bhutto, Hashim said.“The representatives told the president that their neighbourhood has been neglected in past in terms of development, and now the area needs proper attention from the government. The president, during the meeting, announced housing schemes for the poor, and dedicated activists of PPP, and provision of rickshaw and jobs for the unemployed youths,” he added. Meanwhile, a spokesperson of Lyari told The News that the PPP government has also initiated the Benazir Bhutto Support Programme for the benefit of women. It is running smoothly, and they expect that the initiative would help address the issues the women have been facing for decades.Moreover, officials of the Town Municipal Administration Lyari claimed that they have improved the water supply and drainage systems, and have replaced the old pipes to facilitate the residents. They added that an international football stadium with separate park and jogging tracks is also being renovated in the area.

Top stories of the week

• Exams cheaters, abettors caught red-handed – As a result of a detailed report on cheating during matric exams published by The News last week, the Board of Secondary Education (BSEK) raided an exam centre where both students and teachers were caught red-handed.
• CAP cancels Shanaakht festival – Following vandalism by the PPP workers (because of an ‘objectionable’ art work on display) on the opening day of the festival, the Citizens Archive of Pakistan cancels Shanaakht citing lack of government assurance for provision of safety as a cause.
• Blaze guts paint, loom factory – a paint factory, warehouse and loom factory in SITE are razed after a crate in the paint factory that caught fire earlier on.
• CDGK retrieves 150 acres from land mafia – in a five-hour long operation, the CDGK managed to get 150 acres of land in Ahsanabad evacuated that had been encroached upon by various ethnic groups.
• Reactivation of Public Safety Commission on the anvil – The Sindh government considers restarting the Safety Commission to look into the complaints against the police in Sindh.
• 18 CDGK schools functioning without proper buildings – Schools in Gadap Town, Bin Qasim Town and Keamari Town functioning without shelter and other facilities.

ANP for making city weapon-free

Awami National Party (ANP) held a public meeting in Landhi on Sunday to pay tributes to the “Khudai Kidmadgar” (Servant of the God) Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan and the party leader Wali Khan.
Addressing a huge gathering, President ANP (Sindh) Shahi Syed said that he always used to talk about reconciliation, adding: “I want to make this metropolis a weapon-free city and an ideal commercial hub”. He said that there should be no more murders in the city from now onwards.
Syed said that Malaysia, Dubai and Saudi Arabia happen to be weapon-free states and successful business centres, adding, “We must set them as standard to achieve our target”.
He said that owing to fragile law and order situation many industries have been shifted to other places, particularly outside Pakistan, which was quite alarming and the ruling class was responsible for it. Without naming any particular party or group, he said that several leaders were encouraging their followers to buy weapons, which was not a good sign at all.
He said that ANP would soon establish Nangayele Force (Youth Phaktoon Force) comprising 10,000 youngsters and added that Phaktoons would soon hear good news regarding Phaktoonkhwa (new name proposed for NWFP).
Pointing at the rally participants, Shahi Syed said that this gathering amply shows that Phaktoons live here in large numbers, adding: “ANP is not running for ministries since we simply want respect in society”.
Phaktoons were not getting due recognition in society in the past but now the scenario has changed, he said, adding that Phaktoons and other people must be aware of fake Phaktoon Student Federation. He asked them to inform the local ANP leadership if they hear any news regarding this bogus student organisation. He blamed that this bogus student wing was responsible for causing trouble and embarrassment for the community.
He further said that owing to the presence of Taliban and their activities innocent Phaktoons were being killed in Pakistan and across border, adding: “I am fighting for the rights of Phaktoons and the religious scholars must tell me if I am wrong”.
Syed appealed the people to stand up with him against terrorism. “It does not matter which language you speak, you must be aware of the lawlessness in the city. Today there is a dire need of peace in the city since this city has become a stockpile of arms and weapons,” he added.
“Actually the land of the city is valuable and its market price is increasing day by day, which has provoked the interest of many stakeholders,” he said. He alleged that one of the influential parties was claiming the ownership of Karachi and Hyderabad, saying, the war was about postings and transfers”.
Responding to the demands of Sindhi nationalist parties, Shahi Syed said that every Pakistani has the right to live anywhere in the country. The 1973 Constitution gives such right to all Pakistanis and no one can claim the ownership of the land, he declared. “Today it has been proved that Phaktoons constitute a big force and nobody can force them to quit,” he warned.
Provincial Minister for Labour Amir Nawab Khan, party’s provincial General Secretary Amin Khatak and others also spoke on the occasion.

PPP opposes any dam, canal on Indus

Perceived partial and wrong decisions of successive rulers have destroyed the Indus River, according to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
In a statement issued on Sunday, PPP Sindh General Secretary Taj Haider and office-bearers of the PPP Karachi division Najmi Alam, Saeed Ghani, Habibuddin Junaidi and Lateef Mughal appreciated the people of Sindh for observing the Indus Day on Sunday to highlight the significance of the river.
They said that today there was no water in the river and because of lack of fresh flow to downstream Kotri, around 2.2 million acres of three districts had been destroyed, rendering hundreds of thousands of farmers and fishermen jobless besides adversely affecting the food production of Sindh.
They said that it was consensus demand of the people of Sindh that no dams or canals should be constructed on the Indus River as it would destroy the economy of the province.

Will the BBMC ever see the light of day?

The ambitious Benazir Bhutto Medical College (BBMC) project, the construction of which began in December last year, is still waiting to be recognised by the Pakistan Medical Dental Council (PMDC), a senior official told The News on the condition of anonymity.As such, faculty and other staff members cannot be hired without accreditation from the PMDC. The official said that nothing was done even after the Sindh chief secretary was alerted to this fact, and there are fears about the project being shelved.Sindh Chief Secretary Fazal Ur Rehman, however, refuted all claims regarding the project being shelved. He said that the recruitment of faculty and staff members had begun; the project was complete; and will be inaugurated on January 27 by President Asif Ali Zardari.Rehman added that the inauguration had been postponed due to some prior commitments of the president, and that, all issues will be dealt after the college is inaugurated.“One wonders how applicants are being recruited without a selection board to test and interview them,” Sher Mohammed Raees, an active member of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), said. “The registration of students, appointment of the faculty and most importantly, a selection board, are some of the vital things that need to be thought about before the college is inaugurated, not after.”Apparently, classes at the medical college were supposed to begin in the first week of January, Lyari Town Nazim Mahmood Hashim said. At present, however, the location of the medical college is the main hurdle. “The building where the medical college is being started was previously the Ayaz Sammo Nursing School. The structure is small, and not suitable for a medical college, because the latter needs laboratories and space for equipment,” he said.Apart from this, the old building has warehouses whose tenants refuse to leave. “Some of them have a lease till 2036 and therefore cannot be asked to leave the place. Some leases, however, expired as far back as 1995; these warehouses are being used illegally,” he said.The PPP government announced a Rs930 million development project for Lyari earlier in 2009, under which the BBMC and a cardiac ward at the Lyari General Hospital were to be established and later inaugurated by President Asif Ali Zardari. Since its inception, however, the medical college has been facing one problem after another. To start with, the date of the inauguration has been changed thrice, adding to the worries of the administration involved with the project. Linked to the starting of the project is the law-and-order situation in Lyari which keeps hampering the construction process, “which is proceeding on a snail’s pace anyways,” Raees said.Moreover, with Sindh Health Secretary Hashim Raza Zaidi removed from his post in a continuous reshuffling in the government, Raees hopes that the construction and development of Lyari tops the priority list of the newly-designated secretary.

Body of Pakistan Steel official found

The body of a Pakistan Steel Mills Accounts Department Manager was found from Awami Colony police limits. The brother of deceased pointed the finger of suspicion at the deceased’s wife and her brother.
The body Mohammed Ajmal, 50, was found from Awami Colony police limits. Sub Inspector (SI) Raza of Awami Colony said that on Sunday morning, information was received that a man’s dead body was lying near Bagh-i-Korangi. A patrolling mobile immediately rushed towards the place and shifted the body to the hospital.
The deceased was identified as Mohammed Ajmal, Deputy Manager of PSM Accounts Department, and a resident of house No 14/26, Main Bazaar, Shah Faisal Colony. Doctors said that they did not see any marks of torture on the deceased’s body or any sign of strangulation, but they had taken some blood samples for chemical examination, to check if he was killed by poisoning.
He added that Mohammed Ehsan, deceased younger brother visited the hospital and claimed and in his statement to the police stated that his brother married Shagufta a few years back but due to some problems from his in-laws side, Ajmal had left his own house and shifted to Shah Faisal Colony
Ehsan added that, from the past few days his deceased brother was mentally disturbed and told him through call that his brothers-in-law were giving him death threats.
SI Raza said that, Ehsaan suspected that Ajmal’s wife Shagufta, and her brothers Shakeel and Takzeel killed his brother by feeding him some poisonous substance In this regard, police have lodged an FIR of murder and nominated the above-noted persons. He added that no arrest had been made in the case yet, as they were waiting for medical report from the Medico-Legal Officer of the JPMC which would confirm the cause of death.

KU announces exam forms date

The Controller of Examinations, University of Karachi has announced that examination forms and fees of BS Physiotherapy 2nd Year (Batch 2008) and BS Physiotherapy 3rd Year (Batch 2007) will be accepted at their respective colleges till February 3 with total fees of Rs4,950.BS PHYSIOTHERAPY EXAMS FEE: Forms with Rs4,050 fee for BS Physiotherapy First and Fourth Year Examination could be submitted by February 3.The forms for second and third years BS Physiotherapy exam could also be submitted with Rs4,590 fee by February 3.APTITUDE TEST FOR ADMISSION IN MS/PHD, MD: An aptitude test for admission in MS/PhD and MD in various departments was held on Sunday, which was attended by more than 2,500 candidates.Dean Faculty of Science Prof. Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi, Dean Faculty of Arts Prof. Saleem Memon, Dean Faculty of Management Sciences Prof. Abuzar Wajidi, Dean Faculty of Pharmacy Prof. Dr Waseemuddin and Dean Faculty of Medicine Prof. Dr Sadia Kareem supervised the test.Registrar Prof. M Rais Alvi visited the test centres. The KU also allowed those doctors to appear in the test whose registration expired three months ago. Results will be issued on the official website of KU www.uok.edu.pk. It is important to mention that candidates are required to score at least 50 per cent marks to pass the test.