Sharjeel Inam Memon, the Information Minister of Sindh and head of the transport ministry, has announced the launch of a new route for the Peoples Bus Service in Karachi.
The route, designated as No. 4, will commence from Power House Chorangi and conclude at Tower, passing through various areas such as Nagan Chorangi, Shafiq Mor, Sohrab Goth, Shahra e Pakistan, Aisha Manzil, Laloo Khait, Teen Hati, Guru Mandir, Numaish, Civil Hospital, City Court, Light House, Boltan Market and Tower.
Here are the new routes:
New Route R#4 Starting from 18th of April (TUESDAY) From *Power House Chorangi to Tower* Via Nagan chorangi, Shafiq Mor, Sohrab Goth, Shahra e Pakistan, Aisha Manzil, Laloo Khait, Teen Hati, Guru Mandir, Numaish, Civil Hospital, City court, Light House, Boltan Market and Tower pic.twitter.com/ypIHGszu0y
The People’s Bus Service was launched in June 2022 in Karachi and Larkana. Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari ingurated the bus service in both cities.
Actor Hamza Ali Abbas has joined the chorus of voices calling for zoos across Pakistan to be shut down. As the country watches veterinarians try to save the life of one of Karachi Zoo’s elephants, Noor Jehan, celebrities have lent support to the demand that the animals be shifted to sanctuaries.
Taking to Instagram, the ‘Maula Jatt’ actor shared a clip of a post by Express Tribune, slamming authorities for not caring about the welfare of the animals:
“We can’t take care of animals in zoo’s- it is better than to receive curses from animals that we should ban zoos and send the animals to a safer place.”
Abbasi’s criticism comes after countless celebrities, including Grammy award winner Arooj Aftab, raised their voices to support animals and shut down zoos. Aftab re-shared a clip from her interview with The Current where she had talked about the abysmal conditions of animals in Lahore’s zoo, calling for better facilities to be set up for animals.
Just as Noor Jehan improved, she fell into a concrete pond built inside her shelter, leading to worsening of her condition. Authorities had remained in contact with the animal welfare organization Four Paws to coordinate for her treatment.
Yesterday, The Nation reported that Minister of Climate Change and member of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sherry Rehman, had advised Sindh government to shut down Karachi Zoo, and for the animals to be moved to enclosures where they are provided with proper facilities.
Two suspected robbers were reportedly shot to death on Saturday in the Azizabad Block 8 area of Karachi after a citizen allegedly fired at them while they were attempting to rob him near Moore Park, as per eyewitnesses, Samaa has reported.
The police arrived at the scene and took possession of the bodies, which were then transferred to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The suspected robbers were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Authorities have stated that they are working to establish the identity of the alleged thieves. It remains unclear whether the citizen who fired the shots acted in self-defense or if there are other factors at play.
Karachi Zoo’s ailing elephant Noor Jehan suffered another setback on Thursday after she fell into a concrete pond inside her pen. According to Karachi Times, the elephant had to be pulled out with the help of cranes and was not moving much after that.
Speaking to Geo News, Safari Park Director Kanwar Ayub said that the unfortunate accident happened on Thursday night, leading to worsening of Noor Jehan’s pain. He further added that her treatment was still being supervised by foreign doctors.
17 year old elephant #NoorJehan , who recently went through a surgery by foreign doctors , reportedly fell into to a concrete pond which further worsened her condition. #Karachi#TOKAlertpic.twitter.com/jC80Z6V4ZU
Activists and celebrities slammed the Zoo’s management authorities for mishandling animals and the overall poor state of the facility.
Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari shared a video of Noor Jehan in distress on Twitter, demanding that the zoo should be shut down because of it’s inability to provide proper facilities to animals.
“#KarachiZoo should be shut down because it is clearly beyond the capacity of KMC.”
Actress Ayesha Omar too posted a video clip of Noor Jehan on her Instagram page, asking her followers about how could they help in ensuring the elephant receives proper treatment.
Actor Yashma Gill shared a video clip on her Instagram stories of Noor Jehan, and wrote that for the sake of Ramzan, the zoo needs to shut down.
“Please for the sake of this holy month join hands in this cause and help in BOYCOTTING this zoo culture!”
Nadia Jamil prayed that the elephant’s critical condition is ressolved as she shared a clip of Noor Jehan after her surgery
Veteran actress Simi Rahael shared a tweet that slammed Karachi Zoo’s administration for the poor condition of Noor Jehan, and in the caption she shared the hashtag #banzoo and #stopanimalcruelty
International animal relief organization Four Paws also posted updates from their Twitter account, stating that they had coordinated all night with the local team to try and save the elephant’s life.
The FOUR PAWS team worked until late at night together with the local team via video calls to find possible solutions to save her. And today our efforts continue, we won't give up on her!
Earlier, Four Paws had flown its veterinarians to Karachi to operate on Noor Jehan after her condition had gotten worse. In a press release, they had written that in 2021, the organisation had strongly recommended that both elephants should be shifted from Karachi Zoo as the facilities there do not comply with international standards. However, no such measures were taken by the authorities.
On April 5, Dr Amir Khalil, the head of Four Paws, revealed that the surgery on Noor Jehan had been successful, hoping that authorities would comply with the organization by relocating both elephants, Noor Jehan and Madhubala, to a proper facility equipped to handle the animals.
On April 7, Times of Karachi announced that the Director of Karachi Zoo, Khalid Hashmi, had been suspended due to negligence and mismanagement which had led to Noor Jehan’s illness.
Director #KarachiZoo Khalid Hashmi has been suspended from Safari Park and recreation posts, over exhibiting negligence in the medical treatment of sick elephant ‘Noor Jehan’. The municipal commission of the KMC handed over the responsibilities of Hashmi to the local got’s… pic.twitter.com/61ay7Fa4Kg
Minister of State for Petroleum, Musadik Malik, stated on Wednesday that the general public cannot receive gas 24/7 due to a decline in the commodity’s reserves, which is a significant reason. Pakistan relies heavily on natural gas for energy, and with increasing demand and insufficient supply, load shedding has become a daily occurrence in many areas of the country. This situation worsens during Ramadan when Pakistanis consume more gas for cooking and other purposes, particularly during sehri and iftar timings.
During a conversation with journalists in Karachi, the minister mentioned that gas load shedding would end during sehar and iftar but did not specify when. “We cannot provide gas for 24 hours as our reserves have decreased,” he stated. Recently, the issue of gas scarcity in Karachi has caught the attention of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has directed relevant officials to ensure an uninterrupted supply of the commodity. He has instructed that the supply of gas must be monitored, and no negligence should be tolerated.
Due to the widening gap between gas supply and demand, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has announced its decision to suspend supplies to captive power plants and industries. The gas utility has stated that this decision has been made due to low gas supply, and the volume of gas in pipelines has decreased. In response, the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has called for immediate government action to address the shortage of gas supply to Karachi’s industries, stating that the industries cannot operate without gas and would be forced to halt production.
KCCI President Muhammad Tariq Yousuf said, “It is highly unfair to have such an attitude towards Karachi’s business community, which, despite facing so many challenges, contributes around 54 per cent in terms of exports and more than 68 per cent in terms of revenue.”
While talking to journalists, Malik said that his visit to Karachi was aimed at resolving the gas supply issues faced by the people and urged them to pay their utility bills. “The gas bill of the rich and poor has been separated; rich people will have to pay more now,” he said, adding that the separation of gas bills for the rich and the poor was now in effect.
International animal welfare group Four Paws has reached Karachi on April 4 to examine and begin treatment of ailing elephant, Noor Jehan. In a press release posted on their website, Four Paws revealed that since 2021, they have been strongly recommending that both elephants Noor Jehan and Madhubala are shifted from Karachi Zoo, as the facility does not comply with international standards of providing habitable living conditions for animals.
“However, no such measures to relocate them have been taken,” the post read.
The team was led by the head of the organization, Dr Amir Khalil, along with Dr Frank Göritz and Prof Dr Thomas Hildebrandt from the Leibnitz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), and Dr Marina Ivanova from FOUR PAWS. Khalil spoke to journalists about Noor Jehan’s condition yesterday, as reported by Dawn and Express Tribune.
He said that Jehan needs a detailed medical examination which includes endoscopy, ultrasound and X-rays, in order to provide proper insight into her condition.
“We don’t know what went wrong with her. But, her condition has deteriorated very fast within a few weeks. She has got swelling on her hind legs as well as genital parts and she could barely walk. Right now, she has a 50-50 chance for survival,” he said.
Khalil went on to reveal that their team was setting up a crane, wench and a fire brigade to help the animal remain stable and upright during surgery:
“Our greatest concern is not to let the animal fall down. We fear that if Noor Jehan falls down, she it will not get up again. We will find out tomorrow whether it’s a fracture, trauma or an infection.”
Today, the Karachi Metropolitan Center (KMC) spoke to DAWN and revealed that they were ready to facilitate the team in every way to help the elephants, and were making preparations to send them to Safari Park:
“We are with Four Paws. All departments are ready to arrange any logistics needed for medical procedures. We are also making preparations to shift both zoo elephants to Safari Park within a month as per experts’ recommendation,” said Dr. Saif-ur-Rehman, Karachi Administrator.
Rehman went on to add that Noor Jehan had been suffering from a neurological deficiency for the past two or three months which had impacted her hind legs. The government did not have the facilities for the treatment Noor Jehan needed in Pakistan which is why the international group was approached to help diagnose her illness and provide a solution.
“The kind of treatment Noor Jehan requires isn’t available in Pakistan. So, we approached the international group to help us diagnose her illness and suggest and offer treatment, if possible,” Dr Rehman said.
A teenage girl who had been reported missing from Karachi has allegedly married her kidnapper in Lahore, according to police, Dawn has reported.
The girl’s family had filed a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 365-B of PPC while the police had conducted raids in Peshawar and Lahore to find her.
The police have claimed that the girl married the kidnapper with her consent. The family had named Abdullah in the FIR, and according to Korangi-SSP Sajid Amir Sadozai, the girl’s marriage documents are being verified.
The girl had gone missing on February 13. The case is currently under investigation, and further details are yet to be revealed.
Due the ongoing inflation crisis in Pakistan, food and petrol prices have risen astronomically, leading to many families finding it difficult to afford basic necessities like rice or flour. Writing for The Guardian, Zofeen T Ebrahim has covered the story of the street kitchen ‘Khana Ghar’ set up in Karachi’s poorest district by Parveen Saeed, who has been serving food to families for the past 22 years.
Opening up to The Guardian, Saeed said that the kitchen has become even more busy since Ramzan began, as more families have arrived to receive one-month food rations:
“But we can only give one bag to one family, and we need their ID cards to check that,” she said. “There are more and more mouths to feed than we can cope with.”
Saeed, who had received the Pride of Performance award in 2021, sells salan and roti to families for only Rs 3. Before the Covid-19 lockdown, the kitchen provided meals for 6,000 people, but afterwards it rose to 7000, and now currently stands at 8,200.
Saeed revealed that people stand in line for long hours in order to eat, because the ongoing political and economic instability has made it difficult for people to make a living:
“These people are not beggars, they have become destitute..where are the jobs?”
“Food prices have hit the sky. It is heartbreaking as they have waited for a couple of hours, only to leave empty-handed.”
The newspaper also spoke to some of the regulars who visit Khana Ghar. Former construction worker Mohammad Shakeel, a father of six, suffered a head injury and broken wrists after which finding work became incredibly hard. He said the food was a ‘Godsend’ because “with a kilo of flour costing 150 rupees, we would not be able to survive the jump in food prices.”
A widow who has been relying on Khana Ghar to feed her polio ridden daughter and toddler grandson said, “Had it not been for Parveen, we would have died from hunger.”
A court in the Lodhran has sentenced a man to 25 years in prison and subjected to Rs 1,00,000 fine for torturing and raping his 15 year old daughter, as reported by Express Tribune.
The rape case was filed by the survivor’s paternal aunt, Yasan, who revealed that she was suspicious when the father, Irshad, brought the girl to her house unconscious.
The complainant told the police that after the girl woke up, she confessed to her aunt that her father had drugged and tortured her. When she and other witnesses approached Irshad, he confessed to the crime.
The aunt urged the police to take strict action against the rapist.
A stampede at a private charity food ration distribution site in Karachi’s SITE industrial area on Friday left at least 11 people dead, including three children.
Eyewitnesses and rescue workers reported that several people fell into a nullah at the location during the stampede. Reports suggest that some of the victims were electrocuted as an electricity power-line had fallen into the nullah.
Several people, including women and children, also fell unconscious during the incident.
The Abbasi Shaheed Hospital received nine bodies and six injured victims, while the Civil Hospital received two dead bodies, bringing the death toll to 11.
The incident is one of several recent deadly stampedes at free food and flour distribution sites across the country as the population struggles with rising inflation.
The government launched the flour distribution programme to reach millions of families in need during the holy month of Ramzan that began last week.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has ordered an inquiry into the incident and expressed sorrow over the loss of lives.
Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khurram Sher Zaman demanded a transparent inquiry and action against those responsible for the incident, blaming the government for the people’s carelessness.
