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Tag: Karachi

  • Child missing since 15 hours found stuck in sewer

    Child missing since 15 hours found stuck in sewer

    A two-year-old missing child from Karachi’s Shah Latif Town was discovered in a sewer 15 hours later on Wednesday.

    The boy, Zohan, was found in a semi-conscious state, exposed to severe mosquito bites while he was stuck in the sewer.

    According to Zohan’s father, Sadaqat Khan, the boy went missing on Saturday.

    He had been searching for Zohan with the help of his relatives, neighbors and local residents around the premises including Zafar Town and Gaddafi Town.

    They even made announcements in mosques but Zohan was nowhere to be found.

    They went through the CCTV footage from the location where Zohan disappeared which revealed that Zohan was with a nine-year-old child named Abdullah at the time of his disappearance.

    According to the father, Abdullah was visiting someone in the neighbourhood as a guest from Gulshan-e-Maymar.

    Abdullah’s maternal uncle interrogated him till he revealed that Abdullah had pushed Zohan into a sewer.

    Everyone hurried to the sewer where Zohan was found in a semi-conscious state.

    Khan described that the sewer had no water but a lot of filth was present inside.

  • Two women record statements against Gulshan-e-Hadeed School Principal

    Two women record statements against Gulshan-e-Hadeed School Principal

    Two women have recorded statements against the school principal accused of rape and blackmail in Gulshan-e-Hadeed area of Karachi.

    The case of alleged rape and blackmail of women by Gulshan-e-Hadeed School principal was heard in the court of the Judicial Magistrate of Malir. After physical remand was completed, police produced the school principal in the court.

    The two women also appeared in court, with the investigating officer requesting the court to record their statements.

    The investigating officer produced the Universal Serial Bus (USB) containing the videos in the court.

    The statements of both the women were recorded. One of them said that Irfan gave her a job and blackmailed her by making a video.

    The court extended the physical remand of the school principal for four days.

    Previously, the principal was taken into custody after allegations of raping and blackmailing women after videos of the rapes appeared on social media.

    The principal has reportedly admitted to raping women after promising them job opportunities, then recording their videos to blackmail them.

    Additionally, it was made known that the school was not registered with the relevant authority, functioning without any legal status. Consequently, it has been sealed.

  • Sindh’s caretaker Interior Minister clarifies statement on mobile snatching

    Sindh’s caretaker Interior Minister clarifies statement on mobile snatching

    Earlier this month, while talking to the media, Sindh’s caretaker Interior Minister Brigadier (R) Haris Nawaz said that people should keep their mobile phone in a place where it cannot be stolen, or keep the mobile phone in an inner pocket.

    His comment led to trolling across social media as people deemed his statement absurd.

    The interior minister has now clarified his statement in a short video comment published by Times of Karachi.

    He stated that he meant a mobile phone can easily be snatched if it is in one’s hand instead of the pocket.

    Nonetheless, he added that no one should resist when someone tries to snatch the phone at gunpoint, and ensure the safety of one’s own family.

  • Drugs recovered from principal’s house charged with raping, blackmailing women

    Drugs recovered from principal’s house charged with raping, blackmailing women

    Drugs recovered from principal’s house charged with raping, blackmailing women

    A case has been filed against the principal at the Steeltown police station on the complaint of the sub-inspector.

    Previously, the principal was taken into custody after allegations of raping and blackmailing women after videos of the rapes appeared on social media.

    The principal has reportedly admitted to raping women after promising them job opportunities, then recording their videos to blackmail them.

    Additionally, it was made known that the school was not registered with the relevant authority, functioning without any legal status. Consequently, it has been sealed.

  • 12 women raped daily on average: report

    12 women raped daily on average: report

    According to The News, War Against Rape (WAR), an advocacy organisation, published a report based on data taken from Punjab Home Department and Ministry of Human Rights which reveals that 21,900 women were raped in the province between 2017 and 2021. This indicates that an average of 12 women were raped daily or one woman assaulted every two hours.

    However, as per the organisation, this number is only representative of a small portion as many cases are not reported due to stigma, fear, victim-blaming, and systemic biases in the justice system.

    18 per cent of women are subjected to early and forced marriages. There are about 19 million child brides at the moment. Sindh has legalised marriage for boys and girls at 18 while other provinces have set the age for girls at 16.

    Karachi
    As per the police surgeon’s office in Karachi, there were 3,649 cases of domestic violence reported in 2022.

    WAR team investigated 66 cases of different forms of sexual violence from July 2022 to June 2023.

    The News highlighted statistics from the report: 44 survivors were children under 18 years with the most vulnerable age group being 4-11 years; the average age of survivors was only 13 years, with the youngest survivor being mere four years old; and of these cases, 85 per cent involved women and female children.
    A total of 35 of the 66 cases were of rape, 11 were gang rape cases, another 11 were attempted rapes, and nine involved incest.

    Additionally, in 10 cases, boys were also victims while 12 children were murdered after being subjected to sexual violence, including nine girls and three boys.

    Korangi has been deemed a red alert zone as it has the highest sexual violence cases with 31 per cent, followed closely by Surjani Town with 30 per cent of reported cases.

    The Saeedabad area reported 11 per cent of the cases, Iqbal Market nine per cent, Orangi Town seven per cent, Mehmoodabad six per cent and Gulshan-e-Iqbal reported five per cent of the cases of sexual violence.

    Cases underreported
    The official data from three major public hospitals of Karachi revealed the conduction of 1,256 medico-legal examinations (MLEs) in sexual assault cases from January 2021 to December 2022 whereas only 499 first information reports (FIRs) were filed in this same duration.

    WAR report stated: “This underscores the urgent need for improved mechanisms to encourage survivors to report incidents. In the first six months of 2023, Pakistan witnessed a harrowing increase in child sexual abuse cases, with an average of 12 children sexually abused daily, totalling 2,227 cases. The comparison with 2021-22 data shows a disturbing upward trend in child sexual abuse cases.”

    Workplace harassment
    The News highlights that the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) reveals that more than 2,000 complaints were filed between 2018 and 2022 in the government sector and around 1,400 cases in the private sector, involving both men and women.

    “Due to harassment, a large number of complainants end up leaving their jobs or normalising the harassment and hostile work environment. This discourages women from entering the workforce and restricts them from reaching financial independence”

  • Manholes remain uncovered in Karachi as another child falls to death

    Manholes remain uncovered in Karachi as another child falls to death

    Another child has died after falling into an uncovered manhole in Karachi.

    Ramzan was playing outside when he accidentally fell into the gutter in the Orangi Town area.

    According to local residents, Rizwan was with other children of the neighborhood at the time he fell into the open sewer.

    Just last month, two incidents of children falling into a manhole and dying were reported in Karachi.

    One incident took place in the area of Jamot Mohalla where the sewer was left open while the second was in Ghazi Khan Wara, outside the residence of a girl named Umra Baloch who also fell and drowned in the uncovered gutter while playing outside.

  • Principal rape scandal: is it part of a bigger conspiracy?

    Principal rape scandal: is it part of a bigger conspiracy?

    As stated by the investigating authorities, the police has not been been able to find any victim in the rape scandal of the principal of a private school located in Gulshan-e-Hadeed area of Karachi.

    Jang reports that according to the investigating authorities, the mobile phone of the victim who approached the court yesterday is switched off since yesterday.

    It has been decided by the police to take help from the FIA Cyber Crime Wing for technical support. The DVR of the school and the mobile phone of the principal have been sent to Lahore for forensics.

    Investigating authorities have disclosed that the owner of the CCTV installation company in the school has been detained.

    Moreover, no evidence has been found supporting the culprit’s claim that he was blackmailed by the technician who installed the CCTV.

    Court hearing

    The principal has been remanded to police custody for seven days by the Judicial Magistrate Malir after he was produced before the court on Tuesday.

    Express Tribune reported that the court asked the investigating officer (IO), “Who is Irfan, and has a statement been extracted from the accused?” To which the IO stressed on a thorough inquiry of the suspect and procuring more evidence.

    It has also been revealed that more than 45 women have been identified in connection with the case. Irfan allegedly blackmailed the women in order to commit these crimes.

    The public prosecutor contended that the case is indicative of a planned scheme.

    The IO has requested a forensic analysis of the mobile phone recovered from the accused while the court approved a seven-day physical remand of the principal while also requiring a report from the IO at the next hearing.

    School sealed

    IGM Education System School has been sealed on the order of Additional Director of Registration for Private Institutions in Sindh Professor Rafia Javed. This step was prompted by Provincial Education Minister Madam Rana Hussain. The school was reportedly unregistered.

    The focus at the moment is to ensure the fulfilment of educational interests of the children from this school. Private educational institutions close by have been directed to accommodate the students.

    The process of the admission will be assisted by a five-member committee, established by Professor Rafia, which will work with the parents of the students.

    According to the Express Tribune, the committee is chaired by Abdul Sattar Memon, Director of Private Schools and the Secretary is Gulab Rai, Deputy Director of Private Schools. The committee will be available on September 6, 2023 at 9am at Abdalien School in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Phase II.

    Parents have been urged to reach out to the committee to get their children admission in other schools and ensure that their education is not deferred.

  • Sindh’s caretaker Interior Minister has unique solution for mobile snatching

    Sindh’s caretaker Interior Minister has unique solution for mobile snatching

    With an increase in street crimes, the caretaker Interior Minister Sindh, Brigadier (R) Haris Nawaz, has suggestions for locals as to how they should protect their valuables.

    Thefts and robberies are a major problem for the people of Karachi. The most common of the street crimes is mobile snatching.

    While talking to the media, Haris Nawaz said that people should keep the mobile phone in a place where it cannot be stolen, or keep the mobile phone in an inner pocket.

    He stated that citizens should look out for themselves by staying safe as well as help the government and the police.

    His statement led to social media asking what would the government do, if citizens are supposed to do its job.

    People react

    https://twitter.com/HishamKhan1998/status/1698970013867049247?s=20
  • Action taken against those who attacked Ahmaddiya place of worship

    Action taken against those who attacked Ahmaddiya place of worship

    Journalist Arshad Yousafzai took to X (formerly twitter) on Monday to share a video where a charged mob can be seen vandalizing The Ahmadiyya Hall, a place of worship for the Ahmaddiya community in Karachi. The mob was breaking the minarets of the building in Saddar, just a few streets away from Preedy Police Station. Around two hours after the post, Mayor Karachi, Murtaza Wahab announced that action has been taken and three people have been arrested.

    The constitution of Pakistan and Pakistan Penal Code ensures that all citizens have the right to practice their religion in peace. Interim Prime minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar also offered assurances after the Jaranwala incident that all minorities, including Ahmedis, will be protected by the state.

    X user Samrina Hashmi reminded everyone how targeting anyone’s place of worship goes against constitution and religion.

    Fahad Desmukh wrote how the same building was attacked a few months ago.

    ShaRzyeea talked about her childhood memories linked to this place, “So many of my childhood memories are in this place that is connection and safety.”

    https://twitter.com/TeiNTeesDus/status/1698673568547246209?s=20
  • IBA, AAA Associates collaborate to financially aid students

    IBA, AAA Associates collaborate to financially aid students

    The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi and a real estate organisation, AAA Associates, have collaborated to introduce a scholarship endowment fund: AAA Associates Scholarship Endowment.

    A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Executive Director, IBA, Dr S Akbar Zaidi and Managing Director, AAA Associates, Shahzad Ali Kiani, at the main campus. According to the press release, the motive of this initiative is to push forward the university’s financial assistance programme for meritorious students with the aid of the AAA.

    Dawn News has reported that IBA supports approximately 30% of its student body every year through its financial assistance program.