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Tag: Sindh

  • Electioneering in Sindh – I

    Electioneering in Sindh – I

    For a long time, anti-Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) political parties in Sindh have had a desire to keep it away from power. To achieve their target, they have formed alliances and engineered seat adjustments since 2013, but they have failed at every occasion. Keeping their tradition alive, they have again joined hands by expanding an already existing alliance – the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) – and by making seat adjustments with the remaining anti-PPP parties: the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), etc., and personalities.

    Administratively, Sindh is divided into six divisions and 30 districts. Voters in Sindh have to directly elect 61 MNAs and 130 MPAs to represent them in the National Assembly (NA) and provincial assembly (PA). PPP leadership is confident that this time it will increase its seat tally from Sindh, but the party’s biggest impediment is internal rivalry of its candidates in different areas.

    On most seats in Sindh, PPP candidates have a clear lead over their opponents, unless a miracle happens. Today we will discuss national and provincial assembly seats in Larkana (eight NA and 17 PA seats) and Sukkur (seven NA and 14 PA seats) divisions, where a close contest is expected or where important candidates are in the running.

    On NA 190 Jacobabad-I, a neck-to-neck fight is expected between traditional rivals, 2018 winner Mohammad Mian Soomro, who is running as an independent candidate, and PPP’s Ijaz Jakhrani. Similarly on PS 1, Jacobabad-I, PPP’s first-time runner Sher Mohammad Mugheri is facing independent candidate Abdul Razzaque Khan. On PS 3 Jacobabad-III, Mumtaz Jakhrani, PPP’ ex-provincial minister and relative of NA candidate Ijaz Jakhrani has rebelled against party decision and is in the race against PPP candidate Aurangzeb Panhwar. This constituency will see a close fight. All these independent candidates have the support of GDA and its allies. Past results suggest that PPP’s Sohrab Sarki is favourite on PS 2 Jacobabad-II. However, JUI-F’s Shafique Khoso is possibly giving him nightmares.

    PPP’s Shabbir Ali Bijarani and JUI-F’s Dr. Ibrahim Jatoi are in the race on NA 192 Kashmore cum Shikarpur. A close contest is expected here because both the candidates have not only party votes at their disposal but they have strong personal support bases too. On PS 5, Kashmore II, JUI-F’s Rab Nawaz Chachar, with the help of his community and the influential Tegho Khan Teghani, can surprise Ghulam Abid Sundrani of PPP. On PS 7 Shikarpur-I, Agha Taimoor Khan of JUI-F, whose peers were associated with the PPP and he himself has remained PPP MPA, is contesting the election against PPP where an interesting contest is expected. PPP’s Arif Mahar is up against JUI-F’s Abid Jatoi on PS 8 Shikarpur-II, where a fierce battle is expected.

    Although JUI-F’s Rashid Mehmood Soomro is up against PPP’s fresh inductee Shahryar Mahar, son of ex-federal minister Ghous Bux Mahar on NA 193 Shikarpur, his actual constituency is NA 194 Larkana where he is contesting elections against PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. His brother Nasir Mehmood Soomro is contesting NA 196 Kamber-I against Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. According to local sources, PPP candidates have an edge over their rivals on these seats. However, PPP will have challenging contests on PS 12 Larkana-III and PS-14 Kamber I.

    On NA 198, PPP’s Khalid Lund will be challenged by independent candidate Faqeer Abdul Haq alias Mian Mithoo, infamous for forced conversion cases. Similarly on PS 18 Ghotki-I, PPP candidate Shahryar Shar is facing sitting PPP Senator Jam Mehtab Dahar and on PS 19 Ghotki-II, PPP candidate Bari Khan Pitafi is facing independent candidate Nadir Akmal Leghari. Both these independent candidates enjoy the support of PPP rivals.

    The PPP has smooth sailing in Sukkur, where former federal minister Khursheed Shah and others are in the run. GDA’s Deedar Jatoi will offer a bit of resistance against PPP’s Nauman Shaikh on NA 200 Sukkur-I and independent candidate Mubeen Jatoi against PPP’s Nasir Shah on PS 25 Sukkur-IV. Nafisa Shah, Qaim Ali Shah and Halar Wassan enjoy one-way traffic on NA 202 Khairpur-I, PS 26 Khairpur-I and PS 27 Khairpur-II respectively. There is a close contest on NA 203 Khairpur-II between Sadaruddin Shah of GDA and Fazal Shah of PPP. While in NA 204 Khairpur-III, PPP’s Javed Shah has a small lead over Moazzam Abbasi of GDA. On PS 27 Khairpur-III and PS 31 Khairpur-VI, PPP candidates Sajid Banbhan and Syed Bachal Shah are in difficult positions against their rivals Ismail Shah and Rashid Shah of GDA. PPP’s Shiraz Rajper and Naeem Kharal are slightly better off against their rivals Rafique Banbhan and Khalid Shaikh of GDA on PS 29 Khairpur-IV and PS 30 Khairpur-V respectively.

    In the next part of this series, we will discuss Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpur Khas divisions of Sindh.

  • ‘Submit report on all detention camps in the country’, Sindh High Court

    ‘Submit report on all detention camps in the country’, Sindh High Court

    In a significant development, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has granted a three-week deadline to the Federal Defence Ministry and the Sindh Home Department to submit a comprehensive report on all detention camps across the country.

    The directive came from a two-judge bench, with Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto presiding, during a hearing on Thursday concerning petitions related to the recovery of missing persons.

    The bench took cognizance of the case after one petitioner revealed that her husband, Tahir Rehan, had been missing since 2015, with no investigative action taken by the police.

    Expressing dissatisfaction with the public prosecutor’s claim of providing Rs500,000 in compensation, the petitioner asserted that she had not received any such compensation.

    The Sindh Home Department officially announced the suspension of compensation payments to families of missing persons, as revealed in a report submitted to the Sindh High Court.

    The court had directed the submission of a comprehensive report to federal authorities, including the Interior Secretary and Defense Secretary, concerning applications related to compensation for families of missing persons.

    In a proactive measure, the court ordered the publication of advertisements in both print and electronic media to aid in the search for Shahri Majid, missing since 2015.

    Additionally, the court directed the gathering of information on missing persons from jail authorities and various locations across the country.

  • Quetta becomes even colder; Drizzle expected in Karachi

    Quetta becomes even colder; Drizzle expected in Karachi

    Cold weather has increased in different cities of Balochistan after rain spells while a drizzle is expected in Karachi tonight (Saturday). The cold wave in other parts of the country is likely to become stronger, the Meteorological Department has said, reports Geo.


    The coldest temperature during the last 24 hours was hit in Skardu, where the mercury dropped to minus 9 degrees Celsius.


    The federal capital, Islamabad, is shrouded in dense fog which is affecting the flight schedule. Three international flights to Islamabad have been grounded in Karachi and Lahore. Due to low visibility, more than 500 flights have been delayed in the first 20 days of 2024.


    The Meteorological Department has predicted heavy fog in the plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Upper Sindh during the next few days. Karachi is likely to remain partially cloudy during the next 24 hours, while the possibility of drizzle has also been indicated at some places this evening. On Sunday and Monday, the city is expected to be partly cloudy and cool at night.


    The minimum temperature of the coastal city is expected to be between 13 and 15 degrees Celsius, while winds will continue to blow from the northeast and southwest in the city throughout the day.

  • Doped out! Eight billion rupees ki chars pakri gai

    Doped out! Eight billion rupees ki chars pakri gai

    In a significant operation conducted by the Pakistan Coast Guard, a staggering amount of narcotics, valued at over 8 billion rupees, was seized in the Pasni district of Balochistan.

    As per Geo news, the spokesperson for the Pakistan Coast Guards said that more than 1700 kilograms of narcotics were confiscated from the mountainous region of Kulanch, a sub-tehsil of Pasni, Gwadar District.

    The estimated international market value of the seized narcotics is approximately 29.28 million dollars, equivalent to over 8 billion rupees in Pakistani currency.

    The government’s intensified nationwide anti-drug campaign continues to reap results, with the authorities seizing over 3,929 kilograms of narcotics and apprehending 26 suspects in just a week (December 31 to January 7).

    According to official data, most of the seized drugs, 3,369kg, were confiscated from Balochistan, a province long considered a key drug trafficking hub.

    Another 303kg were recovered from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), followed by 17kg from Gilgit-Baltistan, 18kg from Punjab, and 220kg from Sindh.

    The breakdown of individual drug types reveals a significant quantity of heroin (412kg) and 2,956kg of hashish seized from Balochistan, while from KP, 295kg of hashish and 8kg of heroin were seized.

    Additionally, 12kg of methamphetamine was confiscated in Punjab, 220kg of hashish in Sindh, and 12kg from Gilgit.

    These successes build upon the progress achieved since the national anti-narcotics operation began on September 1, 2023. To date, a staggering 819,388kg of drugs have been recovered from across Pakistan, and 716 criminals have been apprehended.

  • Price Monitoring Committee responds to alarming spike in food prices

    Price Monitoring Committee responds to alarming spike in food prices

    In response to the surge in food prices, the Food and Industries Departments of Punjab, Sindh, and KP have jointly implemented robust monitoring measures, including heavy fines, surprise raids, and the sealing of establishments engaging in price gouging.

    The Caretaker Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Muhammad Sami Saeed, led a crucial meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) on Tuesday.

    The committee convened to assess the prices of essential commodities amid the current economic challenges.

    As of the week ending on January 11, 2024, the Chief Statistician, PBS, presented a comprehensive overview of the country’s price situation.

    The report revealed a 1.4 per cent increase in the SPI over the previous week (WoW) and a significant 44.2 per cent surge over the corresponding week of the previous year.

    The spike in SPI was primarily attributed to the increased prices of perishable items such as tomatoes and onions, as well as poultry products like chicken and eggs.

    Out of the 21 monitored items, prices for 21 increased, 8 decreased, and 22 remained stable. Noteworthy declines were observed in the prices of potatoes, vegetable ghee, and sugar.

    During the meeting, the minister inquired about the measures taken by provincial governments and ICT to bridge the gap between wholesale and retail prices.

    Representatives from the provincial Food and Industries Departments of Punjab, Sindh, and KP assured strict monitoring through the imposition of heavy fines, surprise raids, and the sealing of shops involved in overcharging.

    Despite challenges in the supply of perishable items due to extreme weather conditions, the meeting underscored the importance of addressing climate change.

    The administration of Punjab is actively working on controlling prices by sensitising Deputy Commissioners across the province.

  • Karachi police faces severe shortage of security personnel ahead of General Elections

    Karachi police faces severe shortage of security personnel ahead of General Elections

    As the nation braces for the upcoming general elections, Karachi police is facing a substantial shortage of 14,300 security personnel, including female officers.

    As per The News, Khadim Hussain Rind, the additional inspector general (AIG) of Karachi, revealed that the city’s police force had initiated robust security arrangements for the elections scheduled for February 8.

    However, he underscored the significant shortfall in required personnel.

    “Over 46,076 police personnel are needed for the election security plan, while Karachi Police have only 31,776. The required number of female police personnel is also not available,” said the AIG.

    He elaborated on the specific needs for female personnel, highlighting, “At least 3,200 female personnel are required for security arrangements at women’s polling stations while we have 1,200 female personnel. The KPO faces a shortage of 2,000 lady cops.”

    As per the security plan, eight police personnel are required for the most sensitive, six for sensitive and four for normal polling stations each. In Karachi, there are 2,033 most sensitive stations, 3,008 sensitive stations, and 308 polling stations are declared normal, while 16,264, 18,048, and 1,232 personnel respectively are required for them.

    Rind disclosed that 35,544 personnel would be assigned to duty at 5,349 polling stations in the megacity.

    Additionally, a quick response force is set to be deployed at polling stations, with 3,892 personnel assigned to 2,774 buildings. Furthermore, 4,210 police officers will be placed on reserve duty under the supervision of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), accompanied by nine Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs), 16 Superintendents of Police (SPs), 57 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), and 107 Station House Officers (SHOs).

    The AIG outlined plans to allocate 2,430 personnel for various election commission offices, welfare duties, hospitals, and miscellaneous tasks.

    However, he emphasized the glaring shortage of 14,300 police personnel and revealed that multiple options were under consideration to address this gap. Possibilities include deploying lady health workers, and polio staff, or hiring private security guards, anti-encroachment, excise police, anti-corruption, or forest department personnel to bolster the existing security measures.

    As the elections draw near, efforts are underway to mitigate the shortfall and ensure the safety and integrity of the electoral process in Karachi.

  • Four employees die in Kandhkot election commission office after gas leak

    Four employees die in Kandhkot election commission office after gas leak

    Four people have died after gas leaked in the rooms of Election Commission office in Tehsil Kundhkot, Geo has reported on Wednesday.

    The election commission office says that the four were employees of the Commission. They were sleeping in the room when they suffocated from the leaking gas.

    According to the election commission, three of employees who died belong to Larkana, while one belongs to Kandhkot.

    The deceased employees include election officer Mushtaq Magsi, data entry operator Farid Ahmed, data entry operator Majid Ali and Abdul Rauf.

  • Missing persons commission taking salaries in lacs, haven’t solved 2,297 cases from 2011-2023: missing persons report

    Missing persons commission taking salaries in lacs, haven’t solved 2,297 cases from 2011-2023: missing persons report

    A report submitted on orders of the Supreme Court by the Missing Persons Commission has said that most of the cases of missing persons have been reported by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed by Balochistan.

    A total of 2297 cases of missing persons are pending while members of the commission as well as the heads are all being paid hefty salaries. The report was presented in front of the two-member commission for missing persons constituted by the Interior Ministry on the Supreme Court’s directions. It is headed by Justice (R) Javed Iqbal while the second member is the former inspector general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Sharif Virk.


    According to the information extracted by Samaa’s Sohail Rashid via Auditor General Pakistan, the highest number of 3,485 cases of missing persons were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, followed by the enforced disappearance of 2,752 citizens from Balochistan.


    The report states that the reason behind the said disappearances in KP was extremism, war, and deaths in drone attacks. Moreover, moving to another country without informing one’s family owing to a war-like situation was also a reason behind the said disappearances, as per the commission.


    Furthermore, 744 production orders were issued to produce the missing persons, while only 52 were executed. The 692 production orders issued by the commission were not even implemented by the relevant authorities, the commission reported.


    The police and sensitive institutions filed 182 requests for revision of the production orders, the report says, adding that out of the unimplemented production orders, 503 were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.


    From March 2011 to December 2023, 4,413 missing persons returned home, while 994 were incarcerated in various detention centres and 644 imprisoned in different jails of the country.


    From March 2011 to December 2023, bodies of 261 missing persons were found, according to the commission, which also dismissed 1,477 cases it categorized as non-enforced disappearances.


    The commission further says that the disposed of cases involved kidnapping for ransom, personal grudges or willful disappearances.


    Moreover, 260 cases from Punjab, 163 from Sindh, and 1,336 from KP are still pending in the commission as well as 468 cases from Balochistan, 55 from Islamabad and 15 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir.


    According to the report, the monthly salaries of the 35 officers and employees of the Missing Persons Commission are more than Rs1.5 million. Commission chief, Justice (r) Javed Iqbal receives a monthly salary of Rs674,000, while that of Zia Parvez, a member of the commission, is Rs829,000, as per the report.


    Commission member Justice (r) Amanullah’s salary is over Rs1.1 million, while that of Sharif Virk is Rs263,000.
    The Supreme Court has sought a response from the federal government within 20 days of receiving the report of the missing persons commission.

  • PPP is all set to conquer Punjab and Sindh

    PPP is all set to conquer Punjab and Sindh

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari formally initiated his election campaign from NA-127 Lahore on Thursday.

    The party aims to leverage the perceived political vacuum created by the establishment in Pakistan.

    With the main rival, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), still deliberating on ticket allocations for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), PPP leaders have been actively canvassing for votes in their respective constituencies.

    According to the party’s central Punjab chief, a majority of aspiring candidates have already received confirmation regarding ticket allocations, making the official announcement a mere formality.

    PPP has unveiled its 10-point agenda as part of its manifesto, with the official manifesto set to be revealed in the coming days, as announced by the party’s information secretary.

    In contrast, PML-N, despite forming a manifesto committee over a month ago, has not made any public announcements regarding its plans.

    The recent introduction of an online portal by PML-N to gather public input on its manifesto suggests that the process is not in its advanced stages.

    Bilawal, who will contest elections from three constituencies, including NA-127 Lahore and the party stronghold Larkana, visited his election office at Green Town in Lahore to formally launch the campaign.

    During his election campaign trail, he would address rallies in Faisalabad (Jan 11), Layah (Jan 12), Bahawalpur (Jan 13), Balochistan’s Naseerabad (Jan 14), Sindh’s Larkana (Jan 15), Qambar Shahdadkot (Jan 16) Badin and Sanghar (Jan 17), Nowshero Feroz and Dadu (Jan 18), Rahim Yar Khan (Jan 19) Kot Daud (Jan 20), Lahore (Jan 21), Chiniot (Jan 23), Sarghoda (Jan 24), Lala Musa (Jan 25) Multan (Jan 26), Peshawar (Jan 27) , Rawalpindi (Jan 28), Kurram (Jan 29), DI Khan (Jan 30), Malakand (Jan 31), Khuzdar (Feb 1), Kashmor and Shikarpur (Feb 2) Mirpurkhas (Feb 3), Hyderabad (Jan 4) and his second last rally as per schedule would be in Karachi (Jan 5).

    The decision to contest from Lahore is seen as a strategic move, countering PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to contest from Karachi NA-242.

    The PPP aims to secure NA-127 Lahore, building on the momentum gained from the December 2021 by-election results, where the party’s candidate secured significant votes. The move is also seen as an effort to mitigate the risk of a complete loss for the party in Punjab.

    The party sees the absence of PTI from the political arena as a golden opportunity to capitalize on anti-PML-N votes. The PML-N is expected to issue the NA-127 ticket to its Deputy General Secretary Ata Tarar.

    Meanwhile, Mayor Murtaza Wahab asserted that the people of Karachi demonstrated their support for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the local government elections held on January 15, 2023, citing the party’s perceived capability to address the city’s issues.

    The mayor expressed these sentiments during the ‘Meeting the Editors’ program organized by the Council of Newspaper Editors (CPNE) on Thursday.

    “We worked for the resolution of the issues of the people of Karachi with sincerity. The development work will continue. People think that the next government will be of the PPP as they see Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as a viable leader,” the mayor said.

    Wahab attributed the success of the Jamaat-e-Islami in the local government elections to the boycott by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

  • Why has load-shedding suddenly increased in Pakistan?

    Why has load-shedding suddenly increased in Pakistan?

    The electricity crisis has become more severe across the country with the start of the new year.

    Transmission systems were reportedly affected due to a technical fault at Guddu power plant and reduction in hydro power generation. Unannounced power outages in all power distribution companies (DISCOs), including LESCO, has made life difficult for people.

    The transmission system was affected by reduced power generation and heavy fog in the plains.

    Unannounced load shedding continues every hour in various areas of the LESCO region. Due to an increase in shortfall, the duration of load shedding in the city exceeded 12 hours.

    According to an INP from Kushmore, the breaker could not be repaired despite the passage of several hours after fire broke out in the switchyard of Guddu Thermal Power Plant following a technical fault. Sources claim that it may take 15 days to buy a new breaker.

    On the other hand, Powerhouse officials have said the alternate high transmission line also tripped due to heavy fog.

    Electricity supply to different areas of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan remained suspended for more than five hours due to tripping of the alternative high transmission line. According to Guddu Thermal Power House officials, it is difficult to restore power from the alternate high transmission line until the sun comes out.

    Lack of electric supply for more than six hours has put a halt on businesses as well as shopkeepers, factory workers.