Altaf welcomes restoration of LG system

The MQM chief in his statement issued from London that he offered congratulations to the Pakistan People’s Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for conducting successful dialogs and restoring the local government system in Karachi and Hyderabad.

He offered gratitude to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari for their efforts to establish peace in Karachi.

He said that decision taken about Sindh would prove a mile stone for the promotion of democracy in the country.

Earlier, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad issued the ordinance to restore local government system and cancel the commissionerate system in Karachi and Hyderabad on the night between Saturday and Sunday.

The decision came at a meeting between PPP leader Babar Awan, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad at the Sindh Governor’s House.

Half working day for Sindh, complete off for rest

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday announced Wednesday (March 30) as a half working day due to the Pakistan-India World Cup semi-final.

All the offices will close at 12:00 noon on Wednesday so that the people could watch Pakistan-India cricket match, said a press release issued here from the Prime Minister House.

All the things will come to a standstill at 2:30 pm in both the countries when the semi-final between the two archrivals will start at Mohali. Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah has announced a public holiday in the province on March 30.

However, the session of the Sindh Assembly would be held as per schedule on Wednesday from 9:am, says an official statement here on Tuesday.

Earlier, MQM chief Altaf Hussain had appealed to concerned authorities to announce public holiday on March 30, keeping in view the aspirations of the people about watching the semi-final.

KRC protests against killing, extortion in Lyrai

KARACHI: Hundreds of people under the banner of Kacchi Rabita Committee (KRC) blocked Mauripur road protesting against the killing of a man and extortion in the area Saturday.

The protests and sit-in has created traffic jam in various areas of the city. Women, children and aged people blocked the road since morning.

Imran was killed while seven others wounded last night in Moosa Line area of Lyari and area people and KRC blame Lyari’s gangsters are behind the crime.

Sindh ministers stopped outside Quaid’s mausoleum

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Saturday ordered an inquiry into alleged highhandedness of security personnel with some members of his cabinet at the gate of Quaide-e-Azam mausoleum.

According to media reports, some provincial ministers had to face an embarrassing situation after they were not allowed by security guards to enter the mausoleum for about 15 minutes over security reasons.

Although the ministers produced their identity cards, however, adamant security staff refused to give any concession.

Taking notice of the incident, Chief Minister Shah asked Karachi police chief to submit a report. TrendPK

Quaid-e-Azams 135th birthday being celebrated today

The 135th birthday of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is being marked today throughout the country with zeal and fervor.

A change of guard ceremony was held at the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation. Cadets of the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul mounted the guard at the Mazar-e-Quaid. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah along with the provincial cabinet and representatives of all three forces laid floral wreaths and offered Fateha at the Mazar-e-Quaid. People from various walks of life will visit the Mazar-e-Quaid to pay homage to the Father of the Nation. A number of organisations have chalked out programmes to mark the birth anniversary of the Founder of the Nation.

Sindh govt. has no funds for flood victims

By Arbab Chandio

KARACHI: Sindh government on Saturday said that flood victims would not be given Rs 80,000 through the Watan Cards schemes due to shortage of funds.

During the press conference, Sindh Chief Minister’s Advisor on Information, Sharmila Farooqui, disclosed that the provincial government had informed the federal government through a letter about the financial dearth. Sindh government has demanded the centre to release funds to Sindh government immediately.

Farooqui said that more than 4, 35000 flood victims have been given the Watan Cards. She said that total Rs 10 billion have been given to victim families.

“More than one million families were affected by the recent floods in Sindh,” she added. Trend Pk

KP, Sindh support RGST

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh have supported Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) while the Chief Minister of Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani has not decided yet.

While talking to the media after attending Pakistan Development Forum meeting on Sunday in Islamabad, KP Chief Minister Amir Haider Hoti said that his province had no objection over the RGST. He said that issue would be resolved with the federal government.

On the other hand, Qaisar Bengali, Sindh Chief Minister’s Advisor, said that Sindh had not objected the RGST, adding that RGST and Flood Tax bills would be presented in Sindh Assembly next week.

Sindh CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that peasants of flood-hit areas had been given 50,000 acre cultivated land by the provincial government. Trend Pk

SPLA takes out protest rally against delay in new appointments

Staff Report

KARACHI: Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) has taken out a protest rally against the constant delay in new appointments for vacant seats.

On the call of SPLA, teachers in large numbers took out a peaceful rally at SM Law College on Wednesday afternoon to protest against the continuous obstacles in new appointments of teachers on long awaiting vacant seats.

Heavy contingents of police reached the venue to block the rally and arrested several teachers to disperse the others.

The teachers started an immediate sit-in and protest for the release of the arrested teachers. They threatened to continue their sit-in until their fellow teachers were not released.

Later on, Sindh Chief Minister’s advisor Sharmila Farooqi rushed to the scene to control the situation and started negotiations with the teachers. Trend Pk

Gilani visits shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi

Staff Report

KARACHI: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani visited the Shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Clifton here on Tuesday afternoon.

He was accompanied by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

The Prime Minister laid a floral wreath at the shrine and offered ‘Fateha’.

It is pertinent to mention here that eight people were killed and dozen others wounded in twin suicide attacks on Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine earlier this month. SAMAA

Karachi: Rehman vows to end targeted killing

Expressing serious concern over the recurrence of targeted killing every 4-5 months in Karachi, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik deplored that the criminals arrested in this regard have never been taken to t ask for lack of evidence.
During a media briefing alongwith Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Monday, the minister said that all the miscreants nabbed during the crackdown named one party or the other to show their affiliation, but when we contact the parties, they out rightly deny links with them.
The DG Rangers and IG Sindh have been directed to take strict action against all those copped criminals disregarding their party affiliations. The minister vowed to eliminate the desperadoes who wanted destabilize the country.
Rehman warned that all the illegal arms holders would be sentenced to 10-year term.
Earlier, a high-level meeting, chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, was held in Karachi to review the law and order situation.
The meeting was being attended by Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, DG Rangers, IG Sindh and other significant officials. The meeting mulled over ways to curb the ongoing targeted killing and firing incidents besides overall security situation of the province.
In the meantime, around 39 people have been killed in three days of unabated targeted killing.
A hand-cuffed body of one Basit Baloch has been found from Malir graveyard, while Asifs body has been found from the limits of Malir Police Station. Another dead body of a 30-year-old Anees was found near Met Department at Gulshan Sikandrabad.
In Lanhdi, three men Asmat Ullah, Shah Muhammad and Niaz got killed in firing by some unidentified motorcyclists; in PECHC two people got injured in firing incident. Some miscreants torched a bus in New Karachi Ayub Goth and in Saddar, some gun-toting men got the shops shut.
Unknown men opened fire at three brothers Qamar, Imran and Rameez who got hurt and died on the way to the hospital.
Security has been stepped up in the city while 61 suspects have been held.

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