Tag: Sindh

  • PTI alleges widespread rigging, boycotts Sindh Senate elections

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced that it will not take part in Senate polls in Sindh on April 2, citing alleged widespread rigging.

    “Senate elections are being won through rigging,” PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh said while addressing a press conference in Karachi on Sunday.

    He said that the people who won elections according to Form 45 are not members of the Sindh Assembly. Pointing out that six candidates supported by PTI were participating in the Senate elections in Sindh, he said they have decided to boycott the upcoming polls.

    “The incumbent government is going to be buried in a mass grave. We won elections on 180 seats in the general elections, but most of them were taken away,” he alleged.

    On Wednesday, 14 candidates decided to withdraw their nomination papers for the Senate elections in the province. Following this, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is expected to secure one of the two Senate seats reserved for women without facing any competition.

  • Ayesha Omar talks importance of positive mindset after accident

    Ayesha Omar talks importance of positive mindset after accident

    Ayesha Omer- best known for her role as Khubsoorat in the sitcom ‘Bulbulay’- is one of the most popular stars in the industry. The girl can model, act, sing and is perhaps the best-dressed actress on the screen.

    Ayesha appeared on Green Entertainment’s Ramadan transmission discussing her accident and sharing mental health tips.
    Talking about the accident, Ayesha recounted, “During the shoot of Bulbulay, I left for a one-day shoot for the brand Kapray. I was traveling with Azfar Rehman, and his driver was speeding on the highway. During the accident, I hit the back of the front seat, which resulted in a fractured collarbone. It happened because I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.”

    The actress then went on to talk about recovery and a healthy mindset. “Your thoughts are linked to everything. It’s a scientific fact: what you think becomes your emotion. For instance, when I was thinking about my accident and feeling anxious about getting treatment and being safely moved, I panicked and didn’t want anyone near me. These stressful thoughts affected me because your body releases cortisol, a hormone that responds to danger or stress. Unnecessary stress isn’t good for our health because it has a negative impact on our mental and physical well-being.”

  • Two public holidays around the corner in Sindh

    Two public holidays around the corner in Sindh

    The Sindh government has announced two public holidays in the coming month. One is on April 1 and the second is on April 4.

    The Sindh government has declared April 1st as a public holiday for members of the Christian community for the “Day After Easter” for all public and private offices, autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies, and corporations under the administrative control of the provincial government.

    Additionally, the Sindh government on Thursday announced a public holiday on April 4 on the occasion of the death anniversary of former prime minister and late Pakistan Peoples Party founder (PPP) founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

    In a notification, the provincial authorities said: “The Government of Sindh has been pleased to declare 4th April, 2024 (Thursday) as Public Holiday on the occasion of 45th Martyrdom anniversary of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Ex-Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan throughout the Province of Sindh.”

    This is applicable for all government offices, autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, corporations, and local councils under the administrative control of the provincial government except those engaged in essential services will remain closed.

  • Temperature to rise in Sindh; drop in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

    Temperature to rise in Sindh; drop in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

    The Department of Meteorology has indicated the possibility of an increase in hot temperatures in Sindh and Balochistan while hailstorms are expected in some parts of Punjab, reports Geo News.

    There is a possibility of a gradual increase in temperature during the day in the southern districts of Sindh and Balochistan, as per the Meteorological Department.

    However, in Karachi, there is a chance of clear weather in the upcoming weekend. The minimum temperature recorded was 24.4 degree celsius in the last 24 hours.

    The minimum temperature is expected to be 21 to 23 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature is expected to be 33 to 35 degrees during the next 24 hours. Humidity is 76 percent while winds are blowing at a speed of 15 km per hour.

    Simultaneously, heavy rain was reported in Muzaffarabad city and its surroundings and snowfall on the mountains made the weather beautiful.

    The Meteorological Department says that there is a possibility of rain in various cities of Punjab, including Khushab, Jhelum Murree, Guliyat, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Gujarat, Sialkot and Hafizabad. Meanwhile, there is a possibility of hailstorm in a few places.

    In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Malakand, Abbottabad, Mansehra and Haripur will experience thunder and lightning along with the rain.

    Light snowfall is expected in the mountains.

  • ‘Ghar police bhaij doon ga’; Ali Amin Gandapur warns Maryam Nawaz, Zardari

    ‘Ghar police bhaij doon ga’; Ali Amin Gandapur warns Maryam Nawaz, Zardari

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has warned the Punjab government as well as the federal government to change their behaviours or he will “send police” to their homes, The News reported on Thursday.

    “Stop threatening me, or else we would send police to your homes,” Gandapur said while referring to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and President Asif Ali Zardari, after Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Malik Ijaz Asif issued non-bailable warrants against him in the alleged May 9 riots case on Tuesday.

    Non-bailable arrest warrants are also issued against multiple Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Shahbaz Gill, and retired Lieutenant Colonel Shabbir Awan.

    Warrants were also issued for former PTI leaders Shireen Mazari, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, and Saad Jamil Abbasi.

    Ali Amin Gandapur also said that the first information reports (FIRs) against him are “fake,” adding that it would be difficult for Punjab and the federal government to operate if they do not change their behaviours.

  • Bilawal Bhutto approves names of candidates from Sindh for senate polls

    Bilawal Bhutto approves names of candidates from Sindh for senate polls

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has greenlighted Senate election candidates from Sindh.

    As per details, Kazim Shah, Ashraf Jatoi, and Masroor Ahsan will be the party candidates for the general seats. Meanwhile, Nadeem Bhutto, Sarfraz Rajar, and Dost Ali will also be candidates for general seats.

    Anny Marri and Rubina Qaimkhani will be candidates for female seats.

    Barrister Zamir Ghumro and Sarmad Ali will be the candidates for the technocrat seats.

    However, the PPP and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) will help each other in senate polls. As per the report of SAMAA, PPP will support JUI-F in Balochistan,Bilawal Bhutto approves names of candidates from Sindh for senate polls

  • ECP issues schedule for senate polls set to take place on April 2

    ECP issues schedule for senate polls set to take place on April 2

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued a schedule of upcoming senate elections set to take place on April 2.

    As per schedule, the returning officers will issue a public notice for all prospective candidates to submit their nomination papers. The electoral body will then scrutinise nomination papers and handle appeals. 

    The development comes as the ECP, on Monday, announced holding the election for Senate seats that were vacated after the expiration of the six-year term of the incumbent senators on March 11. However, elections will only be held on 48 seats as four reserved seats for the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) have been abolished after the 25th Constitutional Amendment.

    Members of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Balochistan assemblies will vote to elect members for seven general seats, two women, and two seats for technocrats, including Ulema.

    However, Punjab and Sindh assembly members will cast their votes for one seat each for non-Muslims.

    As per the ECP’s schedule,

    March 15 to 16 — Submission of nomination papers.

    March 17 — Publication of nominated candidates.

    March 19 — Last date for scrutiny of nomination papers.

    March 21 — Last date for filing of appeals against acceptance, rejection of nominations.

    March 25 — Last date for disposal of appeals by the tribunal.

    March 26 — Publication of revised list of candidates.

    March 27 — Date for withdrawal of candidature.

    April 2 — Polling day.

  • Voting in progress on six senate seats

    Voting in progress on six senate seats

    Polling for six vacant senate seats from Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad is underway on Thursday, scheduled to continue till 4:00 pm.

    Lawmakers can’t hold dual membership, so these six seats became vacant under Article 223 of the Constitution.

    Sub-section 4 of article states: “Subject to clause (2), if a member of either House or of a Provincial Assembly becomes a candidate for a second seat, which, in accordance with clause (1), he may not hold concurrently with his first seat, then his first seat shall become vacant as soon as he is elected to the second seat.”

    However, in Sindh, two major opposition parties, including the Muttahid Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI), have boycotted senate elections in Sindh, Geo has confirmed.

    Polling to fill two general seats in the upper house in Sindh is underway, where Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Jam Saifullah Khan Dharejo and Muhammad Aslam Abro are contesting against Nazeerullah and Shazia Sohail of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

    Meanwhile, a total of seven candidates have been in the running for three general seats of the Senate from Balochistan on which the by-polls are underway.

    These candidates are Syed Mahmood Shah (Independent), Abdul Shakoor Khan (Independent), Abdul Qudoos (PPP), Kauda Babar (Balochistan Awami Party), Muhammad Mobeen Khilji (Balochistan Awami Party), Mir Hair Bayar Khan Domki (Independent) and Mir Dostain Khan Domki (PML-N).

    On the other hand, the National Assembly (NA) will elect only one senator, and former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani is a joint candidate of the ruling coalition of six parties on the seat, with SIC’s Ilyas Mehrban contesting against him.

  • Only one woman could make it to Sindh Cabinet

    Only one woman could make it to Sindh Cabinet

    In a simple ceremony held at the Governor House on Monday, nine members of the newly formed 13-member provincial cabinet of Sindh took the oath of office.

    Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori presided over the ceremony, which saw the participation of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and senior bureaucrats. Notably, only one woman was included in the provincial cabinet this time.

    Among those sworn in were familiar faces from Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s previous tenure, including Sharjeel Inam Memon, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani, Jam Khan Shoro, Ziaul Hussain Lanjar, Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Mahar, and Ali Hassan Zardari. Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah was unable to attend the ceremony as he was reported to be in Islamabad.

    Additionally, Chief Minister Shah appointed three advisers—Allah Dino Khan Bhayo, Ehsan ur Rehman Mazari, and Syed Najmi Alam—to assist in governance.

    Sharjeel Memon was given the transport, mass transit department, excise, taxation and narcotics control department.

    Dr Azra Pechuho, younger sister of President Asif Zardari, was again given the portfolio of the health department and population welfare department like in the previous tenure of the PPP-led provincial government.

    Nasir Shah was given the energy department, which was previously held by Imtiaz Shaikh, and the planning & development department.

    Sardar Shah also retained his previous portfolio of school education and literacy department and college education department. He was given an additional portfolio of mines and minerals development.

    Saeed Ghani, who held different portfolios in previous tenures including information, was once again allotted the department of local government, in addition to the public health engineering and rural development department.

    Jam Khan Shoro, who was the irrigation minister in the previous tenure, this time retained the department. Furthermore, he was allotted food ministry as well.

    Zia Lanjar, a career lawyer and former provincial law minister, was given portfolios of home, law, parliamentary affairs, and criminal prosecution departments.

    Muhammad Bux Mahar was allotted agriculture, supply & prices department, sports & youth affairs department, and inquiries and anti-corruption establishment.

    Earlier in 2018, he was appointed as adviser to the CM on industries and commerce and later he was given the additional ministerial portfolio of sports and youth affairs.

    Ali Hassan Zardari, who was inducted into the provincial cabinet for the first time, was given the prisons department, while Zulfiqar Shah was given the culture, tourism, antiquities & archives department.

    Adviser Allah Dino Bhayo was given the forest and wildlife department, Ehsan Mazari inter-provincial coordination department and cooperative department.

    Najmi Alam, who is also the parliamentary leader of the PPP in the City Council, was appointed adviser on human settlement, spatial development, social housing development, and livestock & fisheries department.

  • ‘Don’t want a charity seat’, JI leaves their only provincial seat in the Sindh Assembly

    ‘Don’t want a charity seat’, JI leaves their only provincial seat in the Sindh Assembly

    Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, who run the single JI seat in the Sindh Assembly, announced on Monday that he was leaving the seat. ‘We don’t want a charity seat,’ he said, speaking about his PS-129 Karachi constituency. Analysts, after finding out about Rehman’s decision, termed it as ‘not a good idea’, saying that Rehman was enough for the Sindh Assembly and he was the choice of the voter and he should not have left after being elected. The Pakistan Peoples Party is leading in the Sindh Assembly with 84 seats, MQM at 28 and Independents at 11. One seat is yet to be announced.