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President approves appointment of Anwaarul Haq Kakar as Caretaker PM

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 12 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday signed a summary to approve the appointment of Anwaar-ul-Haq as the caretaker Prime Minister under Article 224(1A) of the Constitution, at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Earlier, a summary containing the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was sent to the President House after the prime minister and opposition leader Raja Riaz, of the outgoing National Assembly, agreed on the nomination of Senator Kakar and jointly signed the summary.    

Special squad formed to prevent one-wheeling on ‘Independence Day’

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one wheeling

MULTAN, Aug 12 (APP):City Traffic Police (CTP) Saturday formed a special squad to prevent one-wheeling on ‘Independence Day’ with the vision to avoid any mishap.

Keeping in view the consequences of one-wheeling, the Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Muhammad Naeem Shahid formed the special squad which would continue the crackdown against the motorcyclists doing wheelie.

He said that protecting public lives was the mission of the department besides ensuring the implementation of traffic rules and interrupted traffic flow in the city.

He said, “A special traffic plan has been prepared for Independence Day as the officials would be deployed at parks, markets, inter-sections and important roads.”

He said that the traffic staff would use a lifter to remove illegal parking causing trouble in traffic flow.

The CTO urged citizens to keep a vigil on the activities of their children and not allow them to perform wheelies in order to protect their kids from disabilities and other mishaps.

He said, “Traffic police officials have been directed to ensure strict action against the motorcyclists involved in doing a wheelie.”

Man held with 3.5kg drugs

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drugs

SIALKOT, Aug 12 (APP):Police claimed to have arrested a drug peddler with a huge quantity of narcotics.

According to a police spokesperson, the Qila Kalarwala police arrested Amir Sohail alias Amro with 3.5kg hashish.
Police have sent the accused behind bars after registering a case.

SCCI president opens tree plantation

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SCCI

SIALKOT, Aug 12 (APP):Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Abdul Ghafoor Malik and Senior Vice President Wahub Jahangir participated in the Sialkot Tannery Zone (STZ) monsoon tree plantation at Khambranwala.

Abdul Ghafoor Malik inaugurated the drive by planting saplings in the Sialkot Tannery Zone (STZ).


CEO Sialkot Tannery Zone Ch. Ahmed Zulfikar Hayat, Project Director Sialkot Tannery Zone (STZ) Muhammad Atif and Chairman Committee on Parks and Beautification, Sialkot Tannery Zone (STZ) Mian Muhammad Fiaz were also present.


The SCCI president announced that the chamber would donate 3,000 plants to the drive. “It is the national responsibility of every citizen to plant as many trees as possible in the monsoon to create a healthy and energetic society,” he added.


Malik urged citizens to come forward and play their pivotal role in providing a pollution-free atmosphere to the people as it was a national obligation and noble cause. “Pakistan is our country and home. Therefore, we must keep it clean, tidy and green, which will have a positive impact on our environment and health,” he added.

US town Herndon proclaims Aug 14 as ‘Pakistan Independence Day’

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UNITED NATIONS, Aug 12 (APP): The Town Council of Herndon, a town in the US state of Virginia, has declared August 14 as ‘Pakistan Independence Day’.

Naila Alam, a Pakistani-American member of Herndon Town Council, communicated the 7-member body’s decision to Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Masood Khan, during a meeting at the Pakistani embassy here.

She also presented to the Pakistani envoy the proclamation signed by Mayor Sheila Olem of Herndon, Virginia.

Naila is the first Pakistani-American to have been elected twice for their own Council in Herdon, Virginia.

Ambassador Masood Khan felicitated Alam over the fruition of her efforts which clearly reflected her deep love for the country of her origin, saying that the move would help cement Pak-US ties, according to a Pakistani embassy press release.

Naila said, “It is a matter of great honour for her to get elected twice to serve the people of her town, which has a population of about 25,000.”

She said that she was committed to working for bringing the people of the two countries closer to each other.

The proclamation said, “The Town of Herndon takes great pride in being the home of many Pakistani-Americans and on this occasion, our community celebrates the hopes, dreams, and vital contributions of Americans of Pakistani origin across all aspects of our society.”

“Therefore, the Mayor of the Town of Herndon, Virginia, hereby proclaims the 14th day of August, as Pakistan Independence Day in the Town of Herndon, celebrates the 76th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence, and encourages our residents to learn more about the history and culture of Pakistan ~ honouring their contributions to the Herndon community.”

Ambassador Masood Khan wished Naila even greater success in her political career as well as her social and humanitarian endeavours.

USKT to celebrate Independence Day

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Muneeb Iqbal

SIALKOT, Aug 12 (APP):University of Sialkot will organize a grand function on Independence Day.

According to the university spokesperson, the 76th Independence Day of Pakistan under the management of Iqbal Chair, Rumi and Iqbal Study Center of the University of Sialkot (USKT) will be celebrated with great enthusiasm in which Muneeb Iqbal, the grandson of Allama Iqbal, will be the chief guest.

Preparations underway to celebrate ‘Independence Day’

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RAWALPINDI, Aug 12 (APP): Preparations are underway across Rawalpindi district like other parts of the country to mark ‘Independence Day’ in a befitting manner on August 14.

Jashan-e-Azadi preparations are at their peak as only one day left and the citizens are getting ready to celebrate ‘Independence Day’ with great enthusiasm and national zeal.

The most enthusiastic are children who are busy collecting stickers, badges and also beautifying their bicycles with special stickers inscribed with messages of Independence Day.

The buildings are also being illuminated and a number of colourful activities have also been planned to mark this occasion with great enthusiasm.

Nowadays, printers and makers of buntings, flags, banners and badges are fully engaged in their business.

The makers of buntings, flags, banners and badges are working round the clock to meet demand as well as supplying to other adjoining areas of the city.

A number of stalls carrying bunting, flags, badges, Azadi dresses, toys and other accessories were set up in all commercial areas of the city to attract youth and children.

Many food outlets have offered Azadi deals with special discounts to attract food lovers while different boutiques and shops also offered a huge variety of Azadi dresses.

“We have planned to wear Azadi dresses of green and white colour, bangles and badges and visit some recreational place if the weather remains pleasant,” said Shameem.

She further said, “Like every year, this year too, we will mark our Independence Day with patriotic zeal.”

Arrangements are also underway for holding seminars, sports competitions and literary and social activities to commemorate Independence Day in a befitting manner. The district administration has chalked out a plan in that regard.

A number of stalls with buntings, flags, badges and other items have been established in main city markets including Tench Bhatta, Saddar Bazaar, Raja Bazaar, Urdu Bazaar, Benazir Bhutto Road, Banni Market and other areas of the city.

The day is celebrated across the country with flag-raising ceremonies, tributes to the national heroes and fireworks taking place.

Nowadays, national songs are in the air which gives the message that whole the nation is united.

The national flags are being hoisted at the important buildings to celebrate the day.

The educational institutions will also organize special programmes to mark the Independence Day.

Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on the directives of Chief Secretary Punjab, Zahid Akhtar Zaman is finalizing all the arrangements to celebrate 76th Independence Day in befitting manner.

Director General (DG) RDA Saif Anwar Jappa had directed the authorities concerned to finalize all the arrangements.

He instructed the authorities concerned that the markets, plazas, shops and roads particularly Murree Road from Chandni Chowk to Faizabad and Airport Road should be decorated with national flags, buntings, paintings and colourful lights.

He directed all RDA and WASA officers to finalize the best possible arrangements for the day.

City Traffic Police (CTP) issued a traffic plan to facilitate commuters and the general public on ‘Pakistan Independence Day’ to be celebrated on Monday.

According to Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rawalpindi Tamoor Khan, 34 special pickets would be erected in the city and on entry points of Murree to thwart one-wheeling on the eve of August 14 and strict action would be taken against one-wheelers.

He said the extra force of traffic wardens would be deployed on all the roads and in Murree to handle the traffic load on August 14.

Over 800 traffic officials would be on special duty while on Sunday night maximum office staff of CTP Headquarters would also be deployed on field duties to regulate traffic on city roads, he added.

He said, six special squads comprising wardens were constituted to curb one-wheeling and car stunts by the youngsters.
The CTO also urged the parents to keep an eye over children and not to allow underage drivers to show stunts on motorcycles and cars on August 14.

Rawalpindi district Police had finalized an extensive security plan ahead of Independence Day celebrations in the district.

As per the plan, measures to curb dangerous activities like wheelie and car skating had been taken.

According to a police spokesperson, “Special arrangements will also be in place for those heading to Murree to celebrate the occasion, ensuring their safety.”

“A significant police presence will be observed on major highways, including Murree Road,” he said.

“Stringent actions will be taken against unruly motorcyclists by setting up barriers along Murree Road,” he said.

“Over 4,000 police personnel have been assigned security duties, and both fireworks and aerial firing will be strictly prohibited.”

“Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) will also arrange artisans’ exhibitions, folk dance performances, photographic exhibitions and other activities to mark Independence Day,” the spokesman informed.

No truth in news of threats to Peshawar BRT

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BRT Peshawar
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PESHAWAR, Aug 12 (APP):There is no truth in the news of threats to Peshawar BRT, a spokesman of the Trans Peshawar said here Saturday.

Trans Peshawar has not received any threatening letter, the spokesman of the Trans Peshawar confirmed while talking to media men here.

He said people and media are requested to avoid spreading fear and panic.

He said the safety of the passengers is the top priority of the Trans Peshawar’s management and BRT operations continue safely without any threat.

Murad highlights five years performance in post-PA dissolution press conference

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CM Murad Ali Shah
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KARACHI, Aug 12 (APP): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah while addressing a press conference at Chief Minister House here on Saturday upon the conclusion of his tenure, highlighted the five years performance of his government and spoke at length about police performance, national disasters like COVID-19, floods and development endeavors.

He challenged the media to compare the stability and development works of his government with other provincial governments.

The press conference was attended by his cabinet members, Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah, Mukesh Chawla and Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab.

The precarious law and order situation especially in Karachi in the form of street crimes has remained a major challenge for our government. Though organized crimes have been reduced to a great extent, but petty street crimes are yet to be dealt with effectively, he added.

He said the Sindh government has introduced multiple reforms in Sindh Police in governance, infrastructure and IT sector, adding that these reforms played a pivotal role in combating terrorism and other heinous crimes in the province.

The overall situation of crime in Sindh improved with a significant decrease in the murder rate, which decreased from 854 in 2018 to 733 in 2022 in interior Sindh despite tribal culture/feuds. Terrorism incidents have also decreased significantly from 51 in 2013 to 01 in 2023, he expressed.

Major incidents like the attack on KPO, the Suicide bombing of Chinese at Karachi University and the killing of a Chinese doctor as well as VBIEDs blasts in Saddar and Kharadar were traced.

Attacks on the Chinese Consulate and Stock Exchange were foiled. 898 terrorists were arrested by CTD Sindh, and 27 terrorists were killed between 2018-2023.

The floods of 2022 brought unimaginable devastation, causing loss of lives, homes, and livelihoods. The floods that struck Sindh caused massive devastation, impacting 70 percent of the province. Over 2 million houses were damaged or destroyed, leaving 12 million people homeless and vulnerable.

The Sindh government stood shoulder-to-shoulder with its people. We also provided support to farmers with free seeds, raised floor prices, and took measures to ensure water availability during the sowing season.

Within a record time of three months, the Government of Sindh worked with development partners, especially the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, in conceiving projects of about US$ 2 billion for post-flood recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.

The Sindh government launched the Sindh Peoples Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF) with the support from World Bank. This visionary initiative aims to construct 2.1 million multi-hazard resilient houses, employing a beneficiary-driven approach. As of this moment, remarkable progress has been achieved, with 1.3 million validations already concluded. The diligent efforts continue, with the objective of finalizing all 2.1 million validations by the conclusion of August.

Under ‘Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project’ has so far plugged 208 breaches and rehabilitated 11 small dams, other important drainage works will be carried out in the current financial year.

‘We are also expanding Sindh Emergency Rescue Service 1122 in 9 additional districts. 10 districts were already covered under the Sindh Resilience Project. Moreover, 15 satellite stations on highways and motorways will also be established to address the causalities caused by road accidents.

From Covid’19 pandemic to the deadly floods, Shah forthrightly briefs the public on the performance of his government.

PPP-led Sindh government’s focus remained on the construction of new roads and the rehabilitation of dilapidated roads.

Sindh Road Network Master Plan (SRNMP) has been developed which prioritizes the construction and maintenance of roads in the province. During the last five years, more than 5636 km of roads have been constructed or rehabilitated with funding of more than Rs.174.524 billion. Besides this, the provincial govt with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADP-funded) Provincial Roads Improvement Project nine roads of 410 km have been constructed for Rs.22.7 billion.

Emergency Food Assistance Project (EFAP) of Rs46.3 billion has been started with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Under this project, 1662 km of roads more badly affected by the floods of 2022 would be constructed.

The Sindh government prioritized the health sector and doubled the budget to make sure improvement is seen in all three levels of health services: primary, secondary, and tertiary.

The Sindh government vaccinated 38 million individuals against COVID-19 achieving a fully vaccinated coverage of 102 perecent for the age of 12 plus years population.

280 million OPDs at primary, secondary, and tertiary health care centers were set up across the province. “We have ensured maternal services round-the-clock by launching 52 round-the-clock labour rooms”, Shah said.

More than 1.45 million transfers, through effective healthcare referral systems, have been conducted to date with 96 percent of life-threatening cases.

The government of Sindh has achieved 68 percent fully immunized coverage of children aged 12-23 months. Our Oral Poliovirus Vaccine coverage stands at 91 percent with zero cases reported in the last two years.

During the floods of 2022, more than 30,000 IDP camps were organized to provide relief to 10 million people affected by the recent floods.

“We have also established the first multidisciplinary civilian Centre of Autism (CARTs) for children and adults in Karachi and Hyderabad offering free clinical services, transport, and stipends to children and adults with autism”, he said and added that It is the biggest center in Southeast Asia.

In the past year, a fleet of 230 ambulances was added to the health system through Sindh Emergency Service Rescue 1122 with a Central Command and Control Headquarters in Karachi.

Under Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s term, mobile health services for remote areas of 11 districts have been introduced.

Shah told the media, “26 Mobile Hospitals are providing free medical treatment services like OPDs, Operation Theatre, ICU, and Neonatal ICU, OPDs have X-Ray, ECG, Ultrasound, Lab & Other Tests on a regular basis as well as in times of calamities and emergencies.”

Male & Female OPDs are established separately on a 10-wheeler truck to provide complete Diagnostic and Treatment facilities.

Since 2018, mobile hospitals have treated 2,314,160 patients and 266,030 people have been vaccinated.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in their tenure in Sindh provided Rs. 3.4 billion under the Hepatitis Prevention and Control Program and during the last 4 years, 4.6 million people have been vaccinated, including 750,000 schoolchildren.

Under the Grant-in-Aid, various Health Institutions like PPHI, SlUT, NICVD/SICVD, Gambat Institutes, SASIMS, Indus Hospital, SICHN & Proscribed Organisations witnessed a doubled budget from Rs. 32.745 billion to Rs. 66.151 billion.

During the last five years, 71 schemes with an expenditure of Rs. 32.389 billion have been completed in the health sector.

Some major schemes include the establishment of the Provision of Linear Accelerator with Integrated High Field MRI System at DUHS, Karachi, and Benazir Institute of Urology & Transplantation (BIUT) at Shaheed Benazirabad.

The schemes also support the strengthening of the Institute of Medical Sciences at Gambat and have also funded six new Medical Colleges which will be established at Karachi, Lyari, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, and LUMHS at Khairpur.

In addition, Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit in SIUT Karachi has been established and seven THQs are being upgraded to the level of DHQ Hospital (DHQ) along with the existing facilities.

Furthermore, 39 Taluka Headquarters (THQ) are being upgraded and 41 Emergency cum Trauma Centres in THQ will be constructed.
Sindh Institute of Urology (Sukkur Chapter) has been established for Rs552 million to provide affordable OPD, Diagnostic, Dialysis, and other specialized services at Sukkur.
The years 2020 & 2021 posed a daunting challenge for the government in combating one of the most fatal diseases of recent times which had engulfed the entire world.
The efforts taken on a day-to-day basis to counter pandemic Covid’19 were also presented in Shah’s address to the media. During 2020-21, the government spent Rs. 4.30 billion instantly on COVID-related activities, which include PCR Kits & PPE’s, Cold Chain, Operation Expenses etc.
On 8th December 2019 first case of the fatal disease appeared in Wuhan, China, and on 26th February 2020 first case of COVID-19 having a history of travel from Iran, was reported in Pakistan. The following day a Provincial Task Force for COVID-19 under Sindh CM was operationalized immediately.
The Sindh government had announced the closure of all educational institutes in Sindh and set up a 10,000-bed field hospital at Karachi’s Expo Centre to isolate and treat confirmed patients in less than a month and later imposed a lockdown.
Corona Virus Emergency Fund (CEF) was established. The federal govt on the pattern of the Provincial Task Force, Sindh established NCOC on 27 March 2020.
178 bedded ‘Sindh Infectious Diseases Control Hospital & Research Centre at NIPA, Karachi’ and ‘50 Bedded Hospital at Gulistan-e-Johar Karachi’ were established and made functional by 30th June 2020 at the cost of Rs. 1,990 million.
More than 400 ICU beds with ventilators in 32 health facilities and 1,146 HDU beds in 35 HFs across the province were developed.
For the Sindh government, SIUT is another success story that has now progressed to over 1200-bedded comprehensive healthcare systems with 72 departments and has become one of the largest institutions for kidney-related diseases.
It is the largest centre of dialysis with more than 400 dialysis machines providing treatment to over 1300 patients daily in 9 centres.
With the help of the government of Sindh, SIUT Larkana has started a dialysis facility along with lab and radiology support. Around 11,000 dialysis sessions were performed in 2022.
Other state-of-the-art facilities include PET CT, Cyclotron, and radiotherapy for cancer patients. With the help of the government and community, SIUT is in the process of installing two more PET CTs in Karachi and Sukkur along with the first radiotherapy machine with MR technology.
The Sindh govt established a 200 bedded children’s hospital with facilities for pediatric surgery, pediatric medicine Burns Unit, Paeds ICU, Neonatal ICU, dental department, and Paeds dialysis
Similar to SIUT, NICVD, Karachi has been upgraded to a world-class Cardiovascular Diseases hospital. In July 2017, NICVD launched its initiative of 100 percent free-of-cost services at Karachi, and all its Satellite Centres and Chest Pain Units.
Around 132,497 angioplasties have been performed in last five years. Satellite Centres have now been created throughout the province including; Sukkur, Larkano, Tando Muhammad Khan, Hyderabad, Mithi, Nawabshah, Sehwan, Khairpur and Lyari.3,366 cardiac surgeries and 44, 109 primary angioplasties have been performed at these satellites centers.
Besides this 17 Chest Pain Units (CPUs) have been established in Karachi and 9 in other cities including; Ghotki, Tando Bago (Badin), Jacobabad, Umerkot, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas, Shikarpur, Thatta, and Kashmore.
In the last five years the provincial government has transformed JPMC from 1100 to 2208 bedded hospitals by constructing new buildings. 550 bedded Surgical Complex, 230-bedded Neurology and Psychiatry units have been a great addition. During the last five years, 138,878 surgeries have been conducted at JPMC. During the last 5 years, another 6.722 million patients have been served in OPD.
In addition, 2.262 million patients were provided ER services. More than 341,304 patients were admitted and treated at JPMC.
“We have enhanced the budget of JPMC from Rs3.1 billion in 2017 to Rs. 11.0 billion in the current year”, Shah stated.
He added: “We have converted JPMC Radiology into the best healthcare center of the country where patients come from all over the country to get free PET-CT scans because this expensive test is not available in any other province, for free of charge.”
When it comes to the treatment of cancer with radiation, JPMC stands amongst the world’s top 10 centers having two Cyberknifes and many other machines. The third Cyberknife at the cost of $4.1 million is being added that will treat cancer in less than 20 minutes. Across the world, 50,000 to 100,000 US dollars are charged from a single patient.
To provide better facilities to the people of Sindh, Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), a “state art” medical facility was created which provides free-of-cost services to the vast population of central Sindh and of lower Punjab & Baluchistan.
The institute has conducted the highest number of Living Donor Liver Transplants and living donor liver transplants for HIV-positive patients in Pakistan in a year and has also conducted ABO-incompatible liver transplants, Swap Liver, Auxiliary Liver, and Paediatric Liver Transplants.
The National Institute of Child Health is also one of the leading hospitals providing health facilities to the children of the entire province. More than 1.8 million patients have been served through this institute during the last five years and at the same time, PPHI Sindh successfully provided free primary health coverage in 1,340 Health Facilities.
During 2018-2023 PPHI provided free medical coverage in the primary sector to 140 Million Patients of Sindh with an average of 28 million patients per year
61 BHUs were converted into 24/7 service-providing facilities making 299 to 360 total HFs as 24/7.
To address Stunting and Malnutrition in Sindh, PPHI Sindh screened 15.40 million under-5 children for acute malnutrition 0.74 million Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) identified children were cured.
The Sindh government has provided Rs 3.1 billion to Indus Hospital for the DHQ Badin over the last 5 years. The facility serves 1.9 million patients which includes 12,256 surgeries and 27,361 dialysis. Lab and diagnostic services have also been provided to 2.7 million patients.
Regional Blood Centre Jamshoro, managed by Indus Hospital, has received around Rs. 1.3 billion over last five years. Through their support, a total of 456,000 units were issued which includes 255,715 units collected from donors. At RBC Jamshoro, a total of 2000 beds have been served. As a result of the support from the Sindh government, RBC Jamshoro is now ISO 15189 accredited.
During the same period, Rs. 9.2 billion were provided to Indus Hospital Karachi campuses. Indus Hospital Karachi has catered to 35,284 patients.
While laying priority on infrastructure and health, the government also contributed vastly to the education department in their tenure.
About 3.5 million children were out of school due to the shortage of teachers in primary as well as secondary schools and around 5500 schools were closed.
This was coupled with shelter-less schools and poor condition of school buildings including acute shortage of furniture. The devastating floods of 2022 further exacerbated the situation by damaging more than 50 percent of schools.
To uplift the education department and to provide education to all, 60,000 teachers have been appointed and 700 schools have been upgraded to secondary and higher secondary level. 5300 schools and 700 shelter-less schools have been constructed, 4100 high schools have been rehabilitated, and 3075 schools have opened.
More than 22000 Primary School Teachers who were working in BPS 09, have been upgraded to BPS 14. Teachers have been appointed on a contract basis from 2008 to 2019 through third-party regularised.
On the policy side, teachers licensing policy, Continuous Professional Development policy and clustering policy for grass-root level devolution of administrative and financial authority to teachers have been developed.
6562 Early Childhood Education Classrooms have been established in all districts for which 635 teachers have been appointed.
106 Secondary Schools with the Assistance of USAID and 74 Girls’ Elementary schools with the assistance of JICA have been constructed.
Moreover, 100 Elementary Schools with the assistance of the European Union (EU) and 160 Secondary Schools with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are being constructed.
In addition, 15 Comprehensive High Schools and 25 English Medium Schools have also been constructed under ADP schemes.
Furthermore, Sindh College Talent Hunt Program and Digital Libraries are flagship programs of the College Education Department. The establishment of 4 public sector Universities; (Shaikh Ayaz University Shikarpur, Begum Nusrat Bhutto University, 3. Government College University Hyderabad, and Shaheed Allahbux University Art Design and Heritage Jamshoro) reflects Sindh government’s commitment to expanding higher education opportunities.
The government has also approved the construction of one medical college in Thatta and Mehran University in Ghotki.
Rs. 10 billion have been remitted by the government to all Education Boards during the last 5 years on account of waiver in lieu of registration, enrolment, and examination fees for students of secondary and intermediate public sector institutions.
Sindh Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority (STEVTA) has enrolled more than 51,000 students in different programs for diplomas in engineering, commerce, and other vocational professions.
73 Institutes have been provided with 517 Smart Classrooms and 12 Labs under the CPEC Chinese Aid. A Centre of Excellence was established at Kotri. Under Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Human Resource Research and Development Board, more than 150,000 youth (male and female) have been trained in several employable sectors in the last five years.
During the last five years, 339 schemes with an expenditure of Rs. 52.87 billion have been completed in the Education sector. Some major schemes included.
To address the issues of ‘Access’, especially in the last 05 years and despite the outbreak of the pandemic and damages caused by the floods, the Foundation has been able to achieve the following targets under Sindh government:
More than 940 schools have been set up in the most difficult and deserving areas of Sindh.
From 450,000 in 2019, the enrolment at the Foundation Assisted Schools has increased to more than 840,000.
Under Shah’s provincial government, Digital Learning Program has been conducive in establishing 125 Micro Schools are being established using an accelerated learning model and leveraging technology for alternate learning pathways to achieve the target of mainstreaming children in formal schools.
The Foundation has operationalized 32 government buildings under the People’ Schools Program. These schools have reached optimum enrolment of around 13000 in just a few months.
Provided with financial and other support, around 5000 scholars under SEF’s Scholarship Program for the students through partnership with credible government and private sector institutions including Cadet Colleges in Sindh.
The premier of the Sindh government has boosted the energy department of his province. During the last 5 years, 19 schemes with an expenditure of Rs.7.293 billion have been completed.
A project, Sino Sindh Resource Limited (SSRL) – Block-I: M/S SSRL has developed a mine of 7.8 mtpa at a cost of US$ 1.1 billion since 2019. Mine Development Operation has started since March 2020.
Mining Operation is in production since October 2022 and has produced 3.75 million tons of coal till now.
Furthermore, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company-Block-II: M/s SECMC has developed a mine of 7.5 mtpa (Phase-I & II) for $ 800 million M/s SECMC has produced 18 million tons to date and now working on mine expansion up to 16 mtpa (Phase-III cost US$ 95 million)
For power generation, Thar Coal Block-I Power Generation Company (TCB-1): M/s TCB-1 has installed a 1320 MW power plant at Thar coalfield Block-I for $ 2 billion.
IPPs at Thar Coal Block-II: Engro Power Thar Limited is generating 660 MW since July 2019. Thar Energy Ltd generating 330 MW since September 2022, Thal Nova Power Thar Limited generating 330MW since February 2023, and Lucky Electric Power at Port Qasim generating 660 MW since March 2022. The total power generation based on Thar coal is 3240 MW.
Along with this, 12 Wind Power Projects with a capacity of 610 MW are installed and injected in the National grid. Three Solar Projects of 50 MW each at Saleh Pat, District Sukkur have been installed.
Letter of intent has been issued to the 500 MW Floating Solar Power Project, 1200 MW Wind Solar Hybrid Green Hydrogen Project, and 400 MW B2B Wind Solar Hybrid Project at Thatta. This wind Solar Hybrid Project is the first of its kind in Pakistan.
Local govt uplift initiative: The Local Government, 627 schemes have been completed through the Local Government Department in the past 5 years (2018 to 2023) for Rs. 90.404 billion. These schemes are spread throughout the entire province.
For Karachi, The allocation has increased from Rs.53 billion in 2018-19 to Rs.78.762 billion in 2022-23 under Provincial ADP. The utilization was only Rs.14.6 billion in 2018-19 which increased to Rs.40.770 billion in 2022-23.
Hence a total of Rs.253.663 billion has been allocated out of which Rs. 113.420 billion were spent on the development of Karachi in the last five years under ADP only. Rs.19.419 billion was allocated for district ADP Karachi.
Over the last five years 461 schemes worth Rs. 60.446 billion have been completed to specifically cater to the ever-growing development needs of the city.
Moreover, Karachi Mega Project was launched in 2017 to execute mega projects in the city. Through this project over Rs. 30 billion have been spent on the city’s infrastructure development in the last five years.
More than 170 km of roads, eight underpasses and flyovers, and various storm-water drains. Several major civil works were undertaken to ease the life of the metropolitan dwellers.
WB-assisted projects
KNIP was the first intervention from World Bank in Karachi after almost a decade. Followed by these multiple interventions were negotiated and are currently under execution.
Furthermore, a Commitment of Cooperation was signed with the World Bank to invest $1.6 billion and initiate Karachi Water & Sewerage Services Improvement Project (KWSSIP) in four phases. A state-of-the-art digital Hydrant Management System is also set to be launched.
Competitive & Liveable City of Karachi (CLICK), a World Bank-funded project is under execution to improve the city’s liveability.
Under the Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Project we are improving solid waste management services in Karachi and developing three Landfill sites and seven garbage stations in Karachi with the cost of Rs 16 billion.
In addition, schemes out of Karachi include a total of 412 development schemes that have been completed outside of Karachi during the last 5 years at a cost of Rs. 61.46 billion.
The government of Sindh to provide safe drinking water had to construct R.O. plants.
During the last five years, 633 schemes for Rs. 89.841 billion have been completed. 1.23 million persons were provided with a water supply. Drainage facilities were extended to 1.066 million persons during the last five years. Schemes of Rs. 3.6 billion have been completed in the last year in Karachi.
The Government of Sindh has also played a significant role in promoting and harnessing Information, Science, and Technology to improve communication, transparency, and public engagement.
The govt has established a State-of-the-Art ICT lab, Wi-fi, and other facilities in Cadet Colleges Larkana, Petaro, Pakistan Steel Cadet College Karachi, and has provided Wi-Fi facilities in eight Public Sector Universities.
In order to protect minorities worship places, CCTV has been installed at more than 220 sites out of 253 sites.
The government has proactively pursued initiatives to protect and safeguard the rights of minorities. “The Sindh Hindus Marriage (Amendment) Act, 2018, The Sindh Hindus Marriage Rules, 2019, The Sindh Evacuee Trust Properties (Management and Disposal) Act, 2019 for disposal of Evacuee Trust Properties.
The Sindh govt has taken various steps to bridge the gap in the welfare of women. Training in various income generation has been provided to girls and females which has benefitted more than 2000 families. Four Dar-ul-Amans were operationalized and 27 Safe Houses in various districts of Sindh were established.
Furthermore, the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has established various projects and institutions as well as bills to protect the rights of people with different abilities.
Empowerment of Persons with Disability Act 2018 was passed, and Rules were framed. Now 66
Special Education: Special Education and Rehabilitation Centres are providing service to 4200 children.
The govt has taken the lead by establishing an internationally acknowledged Centre for Autism Rehabilitation (C-ARTS) for Autism Rehabilitation.
It is providing free of cost Rehabilitation, Educational, and skill training etc. It comprises of 3 Centres with an enrolment of 2300.
C-ARTS Satellite Centre at Hyderabad started functioning in 2021, providing Autism related services to 84 Autism Spectrum Children. T C-ARTS Adults and Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Centre is established at Korangi in 2022, which is catering to the need of more than 50 adults with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.
In addition, Audio Visual Library for students with Disabilities at Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi has been established in 2022.
Irrigation Department: Receipts of Irrigation water were reduced to about 75 percent of allocation according to the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991. The status of maintenance of the canal system, specifically at the lower tier level i.e. distributions and minors deteriorated due to deferred maintenance.
Sindh Water Policy has been approved by Sindh Cabinet. Efforts were taken to obtain the due share of Irrigation Water at the level of IRSA and CCI.
Previously, the canal system of Sindh had been earthen which has undergone seepage, percolation, and hindered flows due to weed growth. During the last five years, a major chunk of ADP funds had been used in lining canals.
During the last five years, 270 schemes with an expenditure of Rs. 120.318 billion have been completed. 174 schemes costing of Rs. 79.017 billion are completed for the lining of 2297 miles, whereas 70 schemes costing Rs. 44.904 billion for the lining of 844.564 Mile are ongoing and 06 New Schemes are included in ADP 2023-24 with a cost of Rs. 7.795 billion.
We have so far constructed 166 Small Dams, Recharge Dams & Delay Action Dams and 31 Nos. Small Dams are under construction. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Sweet Water Project for Thar (Umerkot to Keetari) is providing Water from Thar Wah of Umerkot to Keetari Taluka Chachro Via Dhalo Jo Tar, Kaplore, Viklore Tar, Budha Sandha, Vechlo Par, Ratan Jo Tar
Sports and Youth Affairs Department: The youth bulge of more than 60% is our strength. Their health and healthy activities are of paramount importance to us. Various sports facilities have been completed which include cricket grounds, football grounds, hockey turfs, volleyball & tennis courts, hockey stadiums, ladies training facilities, and sports hostels.
Overall, 54 schemes were completed during the last five years, including 15 schemes in schools & colleges.
A total of 1800 youth directly and more than 15000 youth indirectly benefited from flagship programs like the Youth Entrepreneur program, career counseling, Youth Health Awareness and Youth Emerging Stars.
Sindh Finance Mobilization
The performance of the Finance Department and Sindh Revenue Board in last five years is worth mentioning.
The Sindh Tax Revenue Mobilization Target was increased from Rs. 233 billion in 2018-19 to Rs. 347 billion in 2022-23. The Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) achieved a target of Rs. 180. billion in 2022-23. The budget outlay of Sindh increased by 50 percent from Rs. 1,144.450 billion to Rs. 1,713.580 billion during 2018-23. The resource envelope for development increased from Rs. 343.9 billion in 2018-19 to Rs. 459 billion in 2022-23.
Citizens of Sindh were provided with Universal Accidental Health Insurance worth Rs. 105,000.
The Current Revenue Expenditure (CRE) increased from Rs. 773.237 billion in 2018-19 to Rs. 1,199.000 billion in 2022-23. The education budget increased by 23 percent from Rs. 208.230 billion in 2018-19 to Rs. 326.687 billion in 2022-23 The health budget increased by 104 percent from Rs. 96.380 billion to Rs. 196.453 billion.
BRT Orange Line runs from TMA Orangi Town to Jinnah University for Women, Karachi. The project comprises on BRT corridor 3.88 Kilometers including four Stations.
The Yellow line BRT starts from Dawood Chowrangi (Landhi) and ends at Khudadad Colony (where it will integrate with the Red BRT Line) via Korangi 8000 road, Korangi Road, Shahrah-e-Faisal and Shahrah-e-Quaideen is being undertaken with for Rs 61.435 million with World Bank assistance.
BRT Red Line Project is being implemented with the assistance of ADB which starts from Model Colony and ends at Mazar of Quaid-e-Azam. The project costs Rs 78.384 billion.
Under Peoples Bus Service 230 buses have been procured for Rs 9 billion. Peoples Pink Bus Service has been introduced exclusively for women. We have also introduced Electric Bus Service in Karachi.
Public-Private Partnerships: To bridge the financing gap due to limited local resource constraints, the Sindh government has undertaken Public-Private Partnerships to bolster the government’s development efforts.
Sindh PPP Unit was ranked as 6th best performing PPP Unit in Asia by the Economist Magazine in the year 2018. Our flagship PPP projects have been lauded by international news agencies as best-performing projects including Malir Expressway Project and Nabisar to Vajihar Water Supply Project
The following PPP projects have either been completed or are under implementation: The projects completed include Karachi Thatta Dual Carriageway, Sir Aga Khan Jhirk Mulla-Katiyar Bridge Project with link road of 15.3 KM)
Three projects under execution are Malir Expressway, M9-N5 Link Road Project, and Ghotki-Kandhkot Bridge Project.
Education and health Sectors a large number of projects are in progress.
Health Sector: Regional Blood Centers (RBC) Karachi, Jamshoro, Shaheed Beanzirabad and Sukkur and successfully provided safe blood to 28 Govt Hospitals
Industrial Zones: Dhabeji Industrial Zone’s master plan and detailed design have been completed construction has been started. Marble City Project shall promote untapped sector of stones and granite in the Province.
The project is being launched with a subsidiary of Kuwait Investment Authority.
Food & Agriculture Sector
The government is undertaking ‘Food Silos Project’ with the World Food Program (WFP) which shall fund the transaction advisory fee to the IFC being the transaction advisors for the project.
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park Project will aid in the overall objective of utilizing the park for recreational purposes and providing entertainment facilities to the residents of Karachi.

Anwaarul Haq Kakar nominated as Caretaker PM

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 12 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz in the dissolved National Assembly on Saturday agreed to nominate Anwaarul Haq Kakar as the Caretaker Prime Minister.

The decision was taken during a consultation meeting held in the PM House. The consultation process for the appointment of the caretaker prime minister was amicably completed, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

Anwaarul Haq Kakar nominated as Caretaker PM

The prime minister and the leader of opposition jointly signed the advice for the appointment of the caretaker PM and sent it to the President of Pakistan, it was added.

On the occasion, the prime minister thanked the leader of opposition for the role in the parliament during the last 16 months  and the cooperation extended in the consultation process.  

Anwaarul Haq Kakar nominated as Caretaker PM
Anwaarul Haq Kakar nominated as Caretaker PM

Anwaarul Haq Kakar was elected as an independent senator from Balochistan province for a tenure of March 2018 to March 2024 on general seat.

He was also working as chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, and as member of the Business Advisory Committee, Finance and Revenue, Foreign Affairs and Science and Technology.

Kakar had co-launched a political party Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and also served as spokesman for the government of Balochistan.

The consultation process for the nomination of the caretaker prime minister commenced after the president approved dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, on the advice of the prime minister.

The prime minister’s advice had sought dissolution of the assembly under the Article 58(1) of the Constitution.

On 11 August, the president also wrote a letter to the prime minister and the opposition leader of the outgoing Assembly to propose name of a suitable person for appointment of caretaker PM under  Article 224 (1A) of the Constitution.

The outcome of today’s meeting, thus paves the way for transition of government to a caretaker set up. The proposed caretaker prime minister is expected to take oath of his office soon after which he would announce his caretaker cabinet in a run up to the next general elections.