Tag: Sindh

  • MQM nay ‘dil aur darwazay’ Opposition kay liye khol diye

    MQM nay ‘dil aur darwazay’ Opposition kay liye khol diye

    The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has decided to part ways with the government in principle. The final decision was announced today during a press conference, flanked by leaders of the joint Opposition, MQM-P. MQM is a government ally at the Centre.

    The development was “historic”

    MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui at the beginning of the conference said the development was “historic” and at the same time, it was a “test for the political leadership of the country” as the coming days would pose several challenges to them.

    “Today, we are gathered here to vow that we should work beyond promises and ensure that the decisions we take impact common Pakistanis,” Siddiqui said.

    A national jirga of the opposition … has come together: Shehbaz

    Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said: “Today is an important day in Pakistan’s history because a joint opposition … a national jirga of the opposition … has come together and efforts have been made for national unity.

    “This agreement will be implemented in letter and spirit,” added Shehbaz.

    PPP and MQM-P have to work together under any condition if we want to work for Karachi and Pakistan’s prosperity: Bilawal

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari thanked MQM-P and described its decision of teaming up with the opposition as “historic”.

    “I want to repeat that PPP and MQM-P’s working relationship is not related to the no-confidence motion. PPP and MQM-P have to work together under any condition if we want to work for Karachi and Pakistan’s prosperity,” he said.

    “Imran Khan has now lost his majority. He is not the prime minister anymore. The parliament session is tomorrow. Let’s hold voting tomorrow and settle this matter. We can then start working on transparent elections and the journey towards restoration of democracy and an end to economic crisis can then begin.”

    Following the formal announcement, MQM-P’s Siddiqui signed the agreement with the opposition parties.

    MQM-P’s Farogh Naseem, Aminul Haque step down as federal ministers

    Both members of MQM-P serving as federal ministers, Farogh Naseem and Aminul Haque, have stepped down from their posts, hours after the party’s announcement to side with the Opposition in the vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    Opposition congratulates Pakistan

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari congratulated Pakistan on the latest development.

    “The united opposition and MQM have reached an agreement. Rabta committee MQM & PPP CEC will ratify the said agreement. We will then share details with the media in a press conference tomorrow IA. Congratulations Pakistan.”

    Rabta Committee meeting today

    A draft agreement had been finalised between the two sides in the early hours today but MQM will publicly announce its final decision once the Rabta Committee has ratified the agreement. MQM-P will convene a meeting at their Bahadurabad office today at 2pm to discuss the agreement with the Opposition. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui will preside over the Rabta Committee meeting.

    MQM’s list of demands

    Journalist Gharidah Farooqi tweeted the list of demands made by the MQM.

    The government ally has asked the Opposition that the local government law will be made in accordance with Article 140-A, the Sindh government will present a draft amendment in the local body law in the assembly within a month, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab will resign from his post, put an end to fake domiciles in Sindh, an increase in the powers of local bodies, and administrators of local bodies in Hyderabad, Karachi to be appointed in consultation with PPP and MQM.

    PTI’s offer

    After the Opposition’s meeting, a delegation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also reached Parliament Lodges to convince the MQM, not to part ways with the government.

    Governor Sindh Imran Ismail told the media that the government has made a better offer than the Opposition.

    “We offered one more ministry and are willing to give whatever they will ask for. Our doors are open,” said Governor Sindh.

    Previously, the government had offered to give another ministry to the MQM.

  • Voting on no-confidence motion expected on April 3 or 4 : Sheikh Rasheed

    Voting on no-confidence motion expected on April 3 or 4 : Sheikh Rasheed

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said that voting on the no-confidence motion against oust Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will take place on April 3 or 4.

    The federal minister’s comments came during a press conference.

    The interior minister said that everyone is allowed to hold public gatherings in Islamabad; however, according to the directions by the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP), no one will be allowed to enter the Red Zone.

    The minister also announced that Pakistan People’s Party MNA Jam Abdul Karim would be arrested upon arrival in Pakistan as he is nominated in the Nazim Jhokhio murder case. “He is coming to cast his vote from Dubai. I have directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and talked with IG Sindh. We will arrest him and hand him over to the Sindh police,” said Rasheed.

    Rasheed said that the suspect is being brought to Pakistan from Dubai without obtaining bail ahead of voting on the no-trust motion against PM Khan. “This shows that their [Opposition’s] legs are trembling,” he added. 

    Taking a jibe at the Opposition, he said that they are “fools” because they played a major role in the popularity of Imran Khan.

    It is pertinent to mention here that National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned NA session on the vote of no-confidence motion till Monday (March 28).

  • 18-year-old Hindu girl shot dead for resisting kidnapping and forced conversion

    18-year-old Hindu girl shot dead for resisting kidnapping and forced conversion

    Trigger Warning: Violence/Senstive Content

    Pooja Kumari, an 18-year-old Hindu girl was murdered in Rohri, Sindh. As per media reports, she was shot during a failed abduction attempt. As per reports, the name of the deceased soul is Pooja Kumari Oad.

    Three men reportedly broke into Pooja’s house to kidnap and forcibly convert her. She was shot dead by a man named Wahid Bux Laghari, after she resisted a kidnapping attempt. According to journalist Sanjay Sadhwani, accused Wahid Laghari has been arrested.

    https://twitter.com/TheSindh8/status/1506006522542833665

    Hashtag #JusticeForPoojaKumari has been trending on Twitter, as people are using this hashtag to condemn the incident to demand justice for Pooja and her family.

    Read more- Forced conversion issue in only three districts of Sindh: Noor-ul-Haq Qadri

    https://twitter.com/AsadSol13260604/status/1505883862320226304

  • PPP says PTI is planning to attack Sindh House in Islamabad

    Several Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) members of the National Assembly (MNA) including Abdul Qadir Mandokhel, in a joint statement, said, “[Prime Minister] Imran Khan’s government is [hell]bent on [carrying out] terrorism” and planning to attack Sindh House.

    The members claimed they have information that Islamabad police and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Tiger Force are planning the “assault”. The parliamentarians, further said that if any harm comes to Sindh House’s facilities or to their members then the government would be responsible for it.

    While referring to Parliament Lodges’ operation by capital police last week, the lawmakers said they had asked the Sindh police for protection because the capital police had “illegally raided and endangered the lives of people”.

    However, the government claimed the Opposition had detained some of their lawmakers at Sindh House ahead of the vote on the no-confidence resolution against PM Khan.

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that no one is taking any action against anyone right now. “The time is far away”, he said.

    “There are some people in Sindh House. They have called in 300-400 policemen. No problem. There are many days left,” the interior minister added.

    Earlier this week, PM Khan had said that Opposition leaders are sitting in Sindh House with “heaps of money” to purchase loyalties of their lawmakers.

  • More than 63 million children to be vaccinated in massive five day polio drive

    More than 63 million children to be vaccinated in massive five day polio drive

    A five-day anti-polio drive began in different parts of the country on Monday. More than, 63 million children will be will be vaccinated during the polio drive. The government has set a target of twenty-two million children in Punjab and more than one hundred and fifty thousand polio workers have been deployed for the purpose.

    In Sindh, anti-polio drops will be given to approximately ten million children under the age of five in thirty districts. The initiative will involve seventy thousand health professionals and ten thousand supervisors.

    During the drive, anti-polio drops would be given to nearly 2.5 million children under the age of five in Balochistan. Approximately 10,000 teams have been formed for this purpose.

    In the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, anti-polio vaccination will be provided to around 6.2 million children under the age of five in twenty-nine districts.

    During the door-to-door campaign, over 30,000 teams will administer anti-polio drops to children. To esnure the administering anti-polio drops to maximum children polio teams will also be available at railway stations.

  • Covid-19: NCOC eases curbs for passengers travelling to Pakistan

    Covid-19: NCOC eases curbs for passengers travelling to Pakistan

    The National Command Control Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday announced that from tomorrow (February 24), requirement of negative PCR report for passengers travelling to Pakistan has been abolished for fully vaccinated travellers.

    According to the new orders, pre-boarding negative PCR has been abolished for inbound travellers who are fully vaccinated. It also says that passengers below 12 years of age are exempted from mandatory vaccination. Passengers between 12-18 years of age are allowed to travel without mandatory vaccination till March 31, 2022.

    The Sindh government on Tuesday revised Covid-19 restrictions. Ban on indoor dining and weddings have also been lifted.

    Under the new relaxed rules, the following will apply:

    Gatherings

    • Indoor gatherings of all types, including weddings, with a cap of 500 fully-vaccinated guests will be allowed
    • Outdoor gatherings allowed with strict enforcement of safety protocols

    Dining

    • Ban on indoor dining has been lifted. And, outdoor dining for fully-vaccinated citizens and takeaway service will be allowed

    Business timings

    • Businesses will continue without time restrictions

    Office routine

    • Offices will be allowed to operate at 100% capacity of fully vaccinated workers with normal working hours

    Education sector

    • Institutes for children under 12 years of age will open with stringent Covid-19 protocols.
    • Institutes for children above 12 years of age will open with stringent Covid-19 protocols (fully vaccinated)

    Public transport

    • Public buses will be allowed to operate with 80% of their seating capacity. Wearing masks will be mandatory throughout the journey. However, a complete ban on serving meals/snacks during the journey will remain imposed till February 28

    Gyms

    • All gyms will be allowed to remain open for fully-vaccinated individuals only

    Shrines

    • Open for fully-vaccinated individuals only

    Cinemas

    • All cinemas will be allowed to remain open for fully-vaccinated individuals only

    Amusement Parks

    • Open for fully-vaccinated individuals only

    Sports

    • All types of sports are allowed for vaccinated individuals

    Domestic air/land travel meals

    • A complete ban on serving meals/snacks during the in-flight or land journeys for domestic travel will remain imposed till February 28

    Railways

    • Railways will operate with a 100% occupancy level for vaccinated individuals only
    • A complete ban on serving meals/snacks during the journey will remain imposed till February 28

    Mask wearing

    • Compliance with compulsory mask-wearing while incorporating innovative measures for enforcement
    • Strict adherence to SOPs in mosques and other places of worship be ensured by the respective district administration

    Extended lockdowns

    • Smart lockdown with stringent enforcement protocols based on disease clusters.

    Pakistan’s daily Covid-19 death toll witnessed an increase after several days.

  • Nawaz Sharif more popular than PM Khan in provinces: survey

    Nawaz Sharif more popular than PM Khan in provinces: survey

    Former Prime Minister (PM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is ahead of all other party leaders in terms of popularity, reveals Gallup Pakistan’s latest survey, which was conducted from December 22, 2021, to January 31, 2022, and includes 5,000 participants from across the country.

    According to the survey, there is a noticeable drop in PM Imran Khan’s popularity in all the provinces.

    In Punjab, PM Khan’s popularity rate has dropped from 51 per cent in December 2018 to 33 per cent in January 2022 while Nawaz Sharif’s popularity has jumped from 35 per cent in December 2018 to 58 per cent in January 2022.

    The survey has also included the popularity statistics of PML-N President and former Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. CM Sharif’s popularity rose from 46 per cent in December 2018 to 58 per cent in January 2022 in Punjab. Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto’s popularity increased in Punjab from 18 per cent back in December 2018 to 24 per cent in January 2022.

    In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), there is a significant increase in the level of satisfaction with PM Khan, which was only five per cent in December 2018 but is now 44 per cent, while Bhutto’s popularity mildly increased from 23 per cent in December 2018 to 24 per cent in January 2022. Nawaz Sharif managed to gain in KP from his 14 per cent approval rating in December 2018 to 46 per cent in January 2022.

    Coming to Sindh, both Sharifs are ahead of the PPP. Nawaz Sharif’s popularity in Sindh increased from 12 per cent in December 2018 to 51 per cent in January 2022. Shehbaz Sharif’s approval rating also went up in Sindh from 12 per cent in December 2018 to 41 per cent in January 2022. Meanwhile, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto’s popularity significantly dropped in Sindh, where the PPP is in power, from 54 per cent in December 2018 to 37 percent in January 2022. PM Khan remained at 33 per cent both in December 2018 and January 2022 but remains the least popular of all four leaders in Sindh.

    According to the survey, this is the first time that the popularity of the former PM has risen after December 2018. Shehbaz Sharif also managed to get similar ratings.

  • Sindh revives student unions after three decades

    Sindh revives student unions after three decades

    The Sindh Assembly on Friday unanimously passed the Sindh Students Union Bill 2019 to revive student unions. According to the bill, a student union will be formed in every private and government educational institute.

    Students will be able to vote for or participate in the student union, according to the bill. The bill defines the student union as “a body or association of students of any educational institution by whatever name called for promoting the general interests of its members as students for academic, disciplinary, extra-curricular or other matters related to the affairs of the students in the educational institutions”.

    As per the bill, students would be able to form a union with seven to 11 student members through elections every year. The union will have representation in the institute’s syndicate, senate, and anti-harassment committee.

    The bill states that no student will be allowed to use or keep firearms on campus. The bill states that educational institutes will decide the rules and regulations related to the union two months after the bill is passed.

    During General Ziaul Haq’s military government, student unions were banned throughout the country in 1984.

  • ’Go out for dinner’, Nurse allegedly harassed by hospital’s administration

    ’Go out for dinner’, Nurse allegedly harassed by hospital’s administration

    Parveen Rind, a practising nurse at Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women (PUMHS), Nawabshah alleged that she had been harassed by the university administration since her first year at the university, reports BBC Urdu.

    Rind alleged that “we were told to be friends with them, go out to dinner or else they would fail, cancel the admission and would beat us or harass us if we did not comply with their demands.”

    She added that on the morning of February 9th, three masked women barged into her hostel room, attempted to kill her and threatened her that if she tells anyone about the harassment, she would be dead. After the incident, the victim immediately told her family.

    In a video that is circling around social media, Rind can be seen saying that no girl is safe at the university’s hostel. She said that no student had committed suicide at the hostel, apparently referring to the mysterious deaths of Dr Nimrita and Dr Nosheen Shah in their hostel rooms in Chandka Medical College, Larkana, Naila Rind’s death in her hostel room in Sindh University, and Dr Asmat Rajput’s ‘suicide’ in her home in Sita Road town. “All had been killed”, she claimed.

    After protesting against the university administration and repeated complaints, the Sindh health minister Dr Azra Pechuho formed a three-member inquiry committee, reports Dawn.

    The chairman of the committee informed the PUMHS Vice-Chancellor (VC) that he would conduct an inquiry into the incident on February 11 (today) at 10am. As per the media, they have started the investigation without waiting for the report.

    However, the university’s registrar rejected Rind’s statement in a press release and said that no such incident had taken place.

  • Two girls allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped in Mirpurkhas, Sindh

    Two girls allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped in Mirpurkhas, Sindh

    Two females including a minor were allegedly kidnapped, gang-raped, and paraded naked in the Naukot area of Mirpurkhas district in Sindh on Monday. There was a dispute between the Tangri and Rajput communities over a free-will marriage.

    The incident took place because a woman from the Tangri community fled from home to marry a man belonging to the Rajput family.

    Geo reported that over 20 men of the Tangri community raided the house of Muhammad Hanif Rajpoot and abducted two girls from his family.

    The victims were rescued after 20 hours when the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MPA of Mir Tariq Talpur took notice of the incident.

    Dr Zebunisa Kolachi who conducted an initial examination confirmed that both girls were raped.

    Both victims revealed more details about the horrific incident which they faced.

    They said, “Both of us were stripped off our clothes, forced to parade naked, and then raped by many men for hours during detention at an unknown location.”

    The First Investigation Report (FIR) has been filed on the complainant, Ali Raza Rajput who is the husband of one of the abducted victims.

    The relatives of the victims protested regarding the heinous act in the town and also alleged that the police of the Naukot area is reluctant to arrest the assailants.

    The parents of the victims said, “Nobody feels safe from people of these gangs of Tangri community but the police of Naukot town have never bothered to take any action against them.”

    Parents also revealed that the Tangri gang also took away valuable goods, gold, and cash at a gunpoint from the house.

    Police have arrested 12 suspects who were nominated in the FIR.