Chairing a meeting here, he directed the Planning and Development and Home Departments to review their master plan and submit their recommendations for placing the project before the relevant forums for approval.

The chief minister reviewed the comprehensive proposal for the integrated security complex and directed the Home Department, Police Department, Planning & Development Department and Finance Department to expedite all procedural requirements so that Phase-I of the project could commence during the current financial year.

Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, Chairman P&D Najam Shah, Finance Secretary Asghar Memon, and senior police officers attended the meeting.

With an estimated cost of Rs9.5bn, the government will build a new SSU headquarters and training academy at Chaukhandi

The proposed project seeks to consolidate command, training, accommodation and support infrastructure of the SSU at a single purpose-built campus spread over approximately 29.43 acres at Chaukhandi, providing modern facilities for more than 3,000 male and 300 female personnel.

The CM was briefed that existing police training facilities in Sindh were designed for an earlier era and no longer adequately address modern security challenges, particularly specialised commando training, urban warfare preparedness, simulation-based exercises and advanced tactical operations.

The proposed academy will include a dedicated headquarters building, academic and administrative blocks, auditoriums, research and development facilities, libraries, computer laboratories, classrooms, indoor and outdoor firing ranges, tactical training complexes, simulation rooms, combat training zones, K-9 training facilities, a SWAT challenge obstacle course, sports and fitness infrastructure, accommodation blocks, officers’ residences and comprehensive welfare facilities.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Shah said that strengthening the capacity of Sindh Police remained one of the government’s foremost priorities.

The nature of security threats has evolved significantly over the years. Our security institutions must be equipped with modern infrastructure, advanced training systems and specialised capabilities to effectively respond to emerging challenges, he said.

The chief minister observed that the proposed facility would serve as a centre of excellence for specialised security training and would substantially enhance the operational readiness of the SSU.

This project is not merely about constructing buildings; it is an investment in the long-term security architecture of Sindh. It will strengthen institutional capacity, improve professional standards and ensure sustained preparedness against evolving threats, he said.

He emphasised that a dedicated training academy would enable SSU personnel to receive continuous professional development through modern simulation-based training and specialised tactical exercises aligned with international best practices.

The meeting was informed that the master plan also envisages accommodation facilities for thousands of personnel, dining halls capable of serving 1,000 persons at a time, an indoor sports and training complex with a swimming pool and gymnasium, a medical dispensary, conference facilities, armoury storage, driving simulators, parade grounds and secure parking areas.

Special security features including a CCTV command centre, controlled access systems, watch towers and bomb-proof perimeter walls have also been incorporated into the design.

Reviewing the financial framework, the chief minister was informed that the total estimated project cost stands at Rs9.497bn, while Phase-I, costing approximately Rs4.483bn, has been proposed for implementation over the next two financial years. The Home Department proposed an initial reappropriation of Rs500 million to commence priority works.

Mr Shah endorsed the phased implementation strategy, observing that it would allow the government to undertake critical development works while maintaining fiscal discipline and safeguarding funding for other priority projects.

The chief minister directed the Finance Department and Planning & Development Department to complete technical and financial scrutiny of the project on priority and report to him.

He granted in-principle approval to the project and directed the concerned departments to initiate the necessary procedures to commence Phase-I within the current financial year.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026

Deceased advocate Syed Farhat Ali Askari, 70, was abducted by some criminals in 2020. Later, his wife received a ransom call demanding Rs40 million, otherwise the kidnappers threatened to kill her husband and as she failed to fulfil their demands, the kidnappers killed him by strangling him.

On a lead provided by the accused, the body of the slain advocate was recovered from a suitcase that had been thrown into a nullah in Surjani Town near Taiser Town.

The police had arrested four accused — Awais Ali Hashmi, Muhammad Faizan, Muhammad Saeed and Iftikhar Ahmed Khatri — and they were tried by an ATC, where all four accused were convicted in 2023.

ATC exonerates three co-accused from charges of abducting septuagenarian advocate for Rs40m ransom in 2020

However, the verdict was challenged before the Sindh High Court, which remanded back the case to the trial court with directions to record the statements of the convicts afresh.

After recording the statements and examining the evidence, the ATC-1 Judge, found Awais guilty on two counts and sentenced him to hang till death and imposed a fine of total Rs500,000.

“I would like to observe that the act of the accused, whereby he kidnapped Syed Farhat Ali Askari, demanded ransom amount Rs 4 Crore from his wife for releasing her husband, and due to non-fulfillment of demand committed murder of Syed Farhat Ali Askari, who was practicing advocate, and threw his dead body in a dirty/polluted Nala (drain), in such a brutal manner, squarely falls within the definition of “terrorism” as defined under Section 6 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, as such act definitely created panic and fear in the minds of the general public as well as the locality and the legal fraternity. Therefore, the accused is convicted and sentenced under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997,” the judge observed.

However, the ATC acquitted remaining accused —Faizan, Iftikhar and Saeed — as prosecution failed to prove its case against them.

They were implicated in the case on the basis of confessional statement of Awais to the police; however, the court noted “the confessional statement of co-accused can only be used against other accused, if there is other evidence, direct or circumstantial connecting the accused with such crime. It is well-settled that if confession made by one accused can be taken into consideration against another accused, not as a substantive piece of evidence but as a corroboratory piece of evidence which requires independent corroboration”.

A case was registered at the Shahrah-i-Noor Jahan police station under Sections 302 (murder) 365-A (kidnapping) 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026

The meeting, which was held at the Sindh Assembly Building and was chaired by the provincial assembly’s Standing Commi­ttee on Home chairperson Faryal Talpur, was attended by Home and Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Adviser on IT Ali Rashid, MPAs Sohail Anwar Siyal and Qasim Siraj Soomro, Prosecutor General Sindh Barrister Syed Ghulam Shabir Shah, Additional Chief Secretary Home Muham­mad Iqbal Memon, Secretary Health, Additional IG Karachi, senior government officials and forensic and technical experts.

The meeting was informed that construction of the forensic laboratory building was nearing completion and the facility was expected to become fully functional by December 2026.

The participants held detailed discussions on the laboratory’s infrastructure, organisational and operational framework, scientific disciplines, equipment requirements, recruitment of qualified personnel, specialised training, quality assurance, and international accreditation.

Faryal Talpur says use of technology will ensure faster, transparent justice delivery

It was shared that the proposed facility, once functional, would provide a range of forensic services, including DNA and biological examination, fingerprint analysis, toxicology and drug testing, firearms and ballistics examination, crime-scene analysis, evidence recovery and preservation, and digital and computer forensics.

International experts briefed the meeting on global practices for establishing and operating multidisciplinary forensic laboratories and discussed international models relevant to law-enforcement agencies, prosecution services and judicial institutions.

A phased roadmap covering assessment and planning, organisational and workflow design, procurement and implementation, recruitment and training, validation of scientific methods, quality-management systems and international accreditation was also discussed.

The additional chief secretary-home informed the meeting that work on the laboratory building was in its final stages, and efforts were being made to make the facility fully operational by December.

Ms Talpur said the project should not be viewed merely as the construction of a laboratory building but as the development of a credible scientific institution capable of providing police, prosecutors and courts with timely, reliable and scientifically verifiable evidence.

She directed the home department, police, prosecution, health department and other relevant institutions to work in close coordination so that infrastructure, technology, human resources, training and operational protocols were developed simultaneously.

Digitisation and automation

The meeting also reviewed the digitisation and automation of the Sindh Criminal Prosecution Service.

The prosecutor general gave a detailed presentation on the proposed ‘Prosecution Case Manag­e­ment System’ (PCMS), including its objectives, data requirements, phased implementation, district-wise rollout, IT structure and future roadmap.

The meeting was informed that the system was being designed to provide digital tracking and institutional oversight throughout the prosecution lifecycle, from registration of an FIR and investigation to submission of challan, prosecutorial scrutiny, trial, judgement and subsequent appellate proceedings.

The proposed system would enable authorities to monitor the status of FIRs, pending challans, persons in custody, prosecutorial scrutiny, trial progress, hearing schedules, judgements and other key stages of criminal cases.

Officials said the system would help identify delays and bottlenecks and provide decision-makers with reliable data for improved case management, institutional accountability and coordination between investigators and prosecutors.

According to the Sindh prosecutor general the meeting marked “a new beginning” for Sindh in its efforts to modernise forensic science, criminal investigation and prosecution.

Ms Talpur said the use of technology should ultimately result in faster, transparent and more effective delivery of justice to citizens.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026

FPCCI patron in chief S.M. Tanvir (of the United Business Group) and President Atif Ikram were speaking at two receptions hosted on Monday and Tuesday by Iqbal Baig (a former patron and senior vice president of the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and Saleem Memon (the outgoing president of the Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry) in their honour.

Mr Tanvir urged the government to address issues of multiple taxes, institutional oversight and fuel crisis. He said that independent power producers (IPPs) had undermined Pakistan’s future. He said soon after winning FPCCI elections, his group analysed economic issues of the country and found out that electricity was costing the business community 17 cents when compared with seven cents in other countries of the region. “With this huge difference, we can’t be competitive in the market,” he said.

Similarly, he said, the policy rate stood at 22pc while taxation issues were known to everyone. He said that the FPCCI took up this issue forcefully to challenge the “mafia” with the result that electricity cost was reduced from 17 cents to 12 cents now. “But this five-cent reduction, can’t help industry; energy cost has to be brought down to seven cents,” he stressed.

Wants power tariffs brought down drastically to ensure economic growth

Mr Tanvir also expressed his concern over the ongoing wars. As long as these wars remained unending, inflation could not be controlled, he said.

“We have been telling government that it is our ‘partner’ because it takes away a major chunk of our economic returns. Has anyone seen that one partner subdues, intimidates and subjects the other partner to excesses? It never happens in the world, but we are surviving in this culture. Already, factories are not performing amidst expensive energy generation and multiple taxation, the FBR’s coercive measures are a source of major concern for us,” he noted.

He regretted that the FBR was intruding into factories and humiliating people; all this could not be overlooked. “We never question administrative actions against defaulting entities because we believe that a businessman is under obligation to pay taxes as it is essential for running the economy,” he said.

Mr Tanvir called for establishing more special economic zones on the pattern of those established in Dhabeji and Khairpur.

Atif Ikram Shaikh assured the business community of FPCCI’s full cooperation as far as the solution of their problems was concerned. He said he would consult the Federal Railways Minister to start cargo service in Hyderabad. It would benefit the business community of the city, he said. Masood Pervez, Patron of the Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry, hailed FPCCI initiatives.

Its outgoing president Saleem Umer Memon said that businessmen were contributing heavily to the national economy. He said that FBR needed to simplify their taxation system for small traders and businessmen. He said that Hyderabad city deserved better infrastructure and industrial facilities.

President-elect of the small traders’ chamber Nadeem Siddiqui said that Hyderabad SITE was contributing Rs120 to Rs200 billion through industrial production. It could generate more revenues but the SITE area had been hit by poor infrastructure, he said, and stressed that it should be upgraded.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026

They staged a sit-in outside the City OPD, where they raised slogans against lawlessness and a surge in crime in the district. They also held a demonstration and sit-in at the main gate of Jinnah Bagh.

The technician, Fida Hussain, 30, son of Mohammad Bakhsh Buledi, was shot dead by two assailants riding a motorcycle along Raza Shah Kabir Road, within the limits of the Civil Line police station while he was on his way to the hospital by his motorbike.

The victim was a resident of the Nishtar Road area.

Larkana SSP Azhar Khan said that the deceased had recently returned to work after seven days’ leave.

The SSP added that the postmortem examination, a review of CCTV footage and collection of witnesses’ statements were underway.

No case was registered nor was anyone arrested till late in the evening.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026

These schemes were floated by the mayor during an interactive meeting with DHA residents on Saturday, where he promised to build a water pipeline from Dummlottee to Masjid-i-Ayesha on the edge of DHA phases 6 and 7.

Speaking at an event in the city, Wahab said CBC would partner with the provincial government and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), so water could be delivered “directly to people’s homes” in DHA.

The mayor noted that CBC had been “very forthcoming” when approached about the project and extended gratitude to the board for its assistance.

Mentioning FWO chief Brigadier (retd) Adnan Akhtar Ali, Wahab said that although the project timeline was 18 months, authorities expected it to be finished within 12 months — by next September or October — so DHA residents could receive 10 million gallons of water daily.

In another piece of “good news” for Karachiites, the mayor announced that the FWO and Sindh government were collaborating on a series of road projects to alleviate the issue of traffic congestion.

“There is an intervention at the intersection of Khayaban-i-Ittehad and Khayaban-i-Hafiz in the form of an underpass or a flyover,” Wahab said.

“Those travelling to Khayaban-i-Ittehad, [DHA] Phase 8 and Phase 7 will receive great relief,” he asserted.

“The Sindh chief minister and Sindh cabinet have given their approval, and we are working on the finality, then we will initiate the project.”

Wahab added that the FWO and the provincial government were also working on another flyover at the intersection of Khayaban-i-Shahbaz and Khayaban-i-Hafiz.

“The government has given its permission and approval and funding has been allocated. Once things are finalised, we will execute the contract and work on the ground to remove the traffic bottleneck for DHA residents,” the mayor elaborated.

He further said that to address traffic congestion on Khaliquz Zaman Road — namely from the Lily Bridge signal to the Bacha Party intersection — the local government would build a flyover, with the design to be finalised next week.

“Once it is approved, procurement will begin immediately so that the entire stretch from [II] Chundrigar Road to Creek Club to Khayaban-i-Ittehad will be one thoroughfare, and you will be successful in avoiding signals,” he added.

The Karachi mayor also announced that a 10-million-gallon elevated water line for Lyari promised by the PPP would be completed by Oct 20, and that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari “will tell you more on that”.

Touching on Shahrah-i-Bhutto, Wahab noted that the road benefited citizens and cut down traffic congestion, but acknowledged that motorists at Qayyumabad could face heavy traffic in one direction towards DHA.

“I am grateful to the Sindh CM and the Sindh local government minister for approving another intervention, under which Shahrah-i-Bhutto will be extended towards Ayesha Manzil,” he announced.

“From where we are standing, there will be connectivity to the expressway and people can avoid the Qayyumabad and Baloch Colony Expressway — and the Defence police station shortcut — and come straight onto the expressway,” Wahab added.

The mayor said: “We have always reached out to people, so let’s sit together to solve these issues. Finally, a process of engagement is starting where every institution is conversing and coming together to provide the people of Karachi with long-term relief.”

Earlier this month, KWSC and FWO signed an agreement to complete the laying of a dedicated pipeline from Dumlottee within 12 months to ease the chronic water problem in the salubrious vicinities of the city.

Karachi’s residents have faced water shortages for years, with residents resorting to getting water from tankers.

Earlier this month, a power breakdown at the Dhabeji pumping station, the city’s primary water intake point, left part of the city without water, KWSC said.

Similarly, on July 27, the city faced a shortfall of 48m gallons of water following a breakdown at Dhabeji, affecting areas including parts of North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Gulberg Town, New Karachi, Landhi, Korangi and Scheme 33.

He made this announcement during a visit to the Ministry of Interior’s office located on Karachi’s I.I. Chundrigar Road, according to a statement issued by the ministry.

The statement quoted Naqvi as saying that the counters of all departments and organisations under his ministry would be set up centre, the statement said.

“The citizens will be able to access passport, CNIC, arms licence, various NOCs and other services under one roof,” he added.

The minister directed that the master plan for the facilitation centre must be prepared and submitted within 10 days.

‎“The master plan will be prepared while taking into account all necessary requirements,” he said, adding, “The facilitation centre will provide citizens with a range of services under one roof.”

‎The statement said that Naqvi also directed the authorities to ensure all necessary measures for the establishment of the facilitation centre.

21 new rescue, firefighting vehicles

Naqvi also with the Karachi Port, where ‎‎21 new vehicles for Islamabad Rescue 1122 and the fire brigade had arrived after 17 years, the interior ministry said in a separate statement.

During the visit, the statement said, Naqvi inspected the new vehicles that arrived from China.

‎“The new rescue vehicles will reach Islamabad from Karachi within five days,” the ministry said.

‎Speaking on the occasion, Naqvi said the arrival of the new vehicles for Islamabad rescue and fire brigade services was a welcome development, according to the statement.

“The addition of new vehicles to Islamabad rescue was the biggest expansion since 2009,” he was quoted as saying. “We are grateful to the government of China for expediting the supply of these new vehicles,” he added.

‎The ministry’s statement said that the modern rescue vehicles would remain available round-the-clock at six stations across Islamabad.

The new rescue vehicles were capable of conducting operations at heights of up to 256 feet, the statement said.

‎It further said that the new fleet included four aerial fire trucks, six fire towers and five fire tenders.

According to a statement issued by the Edhi Foundation, two of the fishermen were rescued safely on Monday evening, while three went missing after the boat capsized.

The foundation said the bodies of all three missing fishermen had been recovered on Tuesday, with the deceased identified as 55-year-old Abdul Salam, 30-year-old Muna, and 35-year-old Saeed alias Kalu.

The bodies were shifted to Jinnah Hospital through Edhi ambulances.

The Edhi marine rescue operation, which was underway since Monday night, concluded with the recovery of the third body. Earlier, the foundation said the bodies of two of the missing fishermen were recovered, and a search operation was underway for the third.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the incident occurred after the boat developed a fault at sea. He said the authorities had also sought assistance from the Pakistan Navy and Coast Guard for the rescue operation.

In May, 18 people were rescued after their boat capsized in the sea near Karachi’s Ibrahim Hyderi.

In January, seven people were rescued, and four remained missing after a merchant vessel collided with a fishing boat off Karachi’s Manora. The same month, a boat carrying eight Karachi residents capsized in the open sea near Keti Bandar.

Last year, a fisherman drowned when his boat capsized in the open sea near Port Qasim due to strong winds.

The investigating officer of the case brought Mr Abbasi before the additional district and sessions judge (South) and requested the judge to extend his physical remand.

Defence counsel Nasrullah Korai opposed the request and submitted that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had failed to show any progress in the investigation.

After hearing both sides, the court extended the remand for two more days.

The FIA’s Commercial Banking Circle (CBC) had arrested Mr Abbasi, a grade-19 officer of the Sindh government, after he secured bail from the Sindh High Court in the Rs8.5 billion Yellow Line graft case.

He has been booked in a case pertaining to his alleged involvement in shifting huge funds from the accounts of the provincial government to his own bank accounts abroad for which purpose he had frequently visited the UAE, Maldives, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and the US.

It added that the suspect also got 1,103 currency transactions of huge amounts from his father’s and wife’s accounts during the period from 2012 to 2026.

The FIA also alleged that he was also involved in “irregularities relating to cooperative society elections”.

At the last hearing, the court had granted interim bail to the suspect’s relatives — Muhammad Pannah Abbasi and Khansa Zameer —and directed them to join the investigation.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2026

At Bilawal House, the PPP chairman separately met senior party leaders and members of the provincial government, including PPP MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, MNA Syed Naveed Qamar, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon, Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and PPP Sukkur leader Syed Zairak Shah.

A brief statement issued by the Bilawal House on Monday said that Khursheed Shah discussed the prevailing political situation with the PPP chairman, while Naveed Qamar and Mr Bhutto-Zardari exchanged views on various matters relating to legislation in Parliament.

During his meeting with Sharjeel Memon, the PPP chairman was briefed on the progress of major public transport projects being undertaken by the Sindh government, the statement added.

The meeting with Nasir Shah focused on the performance and affairs of the local government department.

The political situation in Sukkur and Pano Aqil was discussed in a meeting between Mr Bhutto-Zardari and PPP leader Zairak Shah.

The latest round of meetings comes shortly after the PPP chairman resumed political engagements following his stay outside the country.

He returned last week and held separate meetings with PPP Punjab President and former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and PPP Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Chaudhry Yasin at Zardari House in Islamabad.

“In those meetings, the [PPP] chairman discussed the prevailing political situation with Raja Pervez Ashraf, while political affairs concerning Azad Jammu and Kashmir came under discussion with Chaudhry Yasin,” said a party leader.

“The back-to-back meetings indicate that the chairman is engaging with party leaders at different levels as well as members of the Sindh government on political, parliamentary and administrative matters.

“The meetings at Bilawal House also bring into focus the PPP leadership’s attention to both party affairs and the performance of its government in Sindh, particularly in areas involving public transport and local government services”, the leader added.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2026

According to the results announced by the Sukkur IBA (SIBA) Testing Services on Monday, the highest marks — 179 out of 180 — were secured by a female candidate from Shikarpur, followed by 178 secured by two candidates from Tharparkar and one each from Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot.

The remaining 15 spots were secured by candidates from Badin, Naushahro Feroze, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazir­abad, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Shikarpur, Tharparkar, Dadu, Larkana and Khairpur.

The first candidate from Karachi was at serial No 21 in the results posted on the SIBA website.

The MDCAT-2026 was held on Sept 20 across nine centres — two in Karachi and one each in Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Sukkur and Islamabad.

Speaking at a press conference in Sukkur on Monday, Sukkur IBA University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Ahmed Shaikh said female students had achieved remarkable success in the test, according to APP.

He said that out of 33,336 candidates who appeared in the test, 22,538 female students were declared successful.

According to Prof Shaikh, over 16,500 female and male candidates qualified for MBBS.

He said four candidates left their papers blank. “It is possible they did so on someone’s assurance. There are also 21 candidates who scored only 30 marks. The list of these candidates will be handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency to determine why the papers were left blank and what led to the low scores,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2026

He advised anyone bitten or scratched by a dog to wash the wound at once with soap and water for at least 15 minutes, then visit the nearest health facility for treatment and vaccination. “Rabies can be fatal once symptoms appear, making timely treatment essential,” he stated.

The chief secretary said 278 anti-rabies units had been upgraded across Sindh. Vaccine supplies, wound-washing facilities and trained medical staff have been made available at the units to support timely treatment.

He said public awareness, prompt medical care after a bite and vaccination of dogs were all necessary to prevent rabies.

A spokesperson for the chief secretary said Sindh’s capacity to treat dog-bite patients had increased by nearly 30 per cent compared with the first eight months of the previous year.

According to him, health facilities across the province have treated approximately 45,000 patients and administered around 138,000 doses of rabies vaccine. Nearly 5,000 doses of rabies immunoglobulin have also been given where needed.

The public can call 1122 or visit sindharv.com to find their nearest anti-rabies centre.

Govt using all resources to prevent rabies: Sharjeel

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that the Sindh government is utilising all available resources to prevent rabies.

In a statement issued here on Monday, he urged the public not to take dog bites or wounds lightly under any circumstances and to get vaccinated immediately.

He said that the provincial government had formulated a comprehensive strategy to control rabies across Sindh, and the availability of rabies vaccines had been ensured at government hospitals and rural health centres throughout the province.

He said that the Sindh government, in collaboration with medical experts and the public, is striving to make the province free from rabies.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2026

On the eve of World Heart Day, cardiologists, gynaecologists and local industry leaders gathered at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) to announce the launch of a nationwide ‘Her Heart Matters’ campaign.

The campaign was launched by PharmEvo in collaboration with the Pakistan Cardiac Society, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Pakistan, the Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine, and Go Red for Women to promote screening, awareness and education for early detection and timely treatment of cardiovascular risks.

The experts said that a 2026 study published in JACC: Asia compared Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan using Global Burden of Disease estimates.

On the eve of World Heart Day, experts call for greater screening and follow-up as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity raise cardiovascular risks among women

The study found that Pakistan had the highest age-standardised death rate from ischaemic heart disease among women in the five countries in 2021. Pakistan was also the only country studied where the ratio of deaths to estimated cases was higher among women than men, at 4.4 per cent compared with 3.1pc.

High blood pressure and diets low in vegetables and fibre were identified as leading contributors to heart disease deaths among Pakistani women.

The experts, speaking at a press conference at KPC, said heart disease among women was often ignored due to misconceptions that it mainly affected men, inadequate screening and poor follow-up during pregnancy, after childbirth and after menopause.

Prof Dr Tazeen Abbas, secretary general of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Pakistan, said women’s heart health needed attention before and during pregnancy, after childbirth and after menopause.

She said many women stopped prescribed medicines during pregnancy or discontinued blood-pressure treatment after delivery, and should instead consult their doctors.

High blood pressure during pregnancy was often forgotten after childbirth, she said, and pregnancy-associated cardiomyopathy, in which the heart muscle weakens around pregnancy, could be serious if not treated in time.

Prof Dr Halima Yasmeen, chairperson and head of department at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), said heart disease had been detected in around four per cent of pregnant women screened at her clinic.

Prof Dr Shabnam Naveed, head of medicine at JPMC and Jinnah Sindh Medical University, said more than 90pc of women attending JPMC’s diabetes clinic had one or more cardiovascular risk factors. Though a high-risk hospital group, the figure showed the close link between diabetes, hypertension, obesity and heart disease, she added, and lack of screening remained a barrier.

Prof Dr Fawad Farooq, general secretary of the Pakistan Cardiac Society, said stress was another important contributor to cardiovascular disease. Women could add walking and other physical activities to their routines even with limited space or time, he added.

He said specialised cardiac hospitals were receiving large numbers of patients with heart attacks and chest pain because “Pakistan lacked an effective primary and secondary cardiovascular care network”.

“At the NICVD, spaces meant for one patient sometimes have to accommodate several patients, while multiple heart-attack patients can arrive at the same time,” Prof Farooq said, adding that tertiary hospitals alone could not manage Pakistan’s growing cardiovascular burden.

He said some patients stopped taking prescribed medicines within weeks of undergoing angioplasty, exposing themselves to further complications. Stronger primary care, proper follow-up and continued use of medicines were necessary to prevent repeat heart attacks and reduce pressure on specialised hospitals.

Dr Mansoor Ahmed, Professor of Cardiology at the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, said the longstanding belief that women did not develop heart disease had been proved wrong.

He said heart disease affected women as well as men, but Pakistani women often placed their own health behind household responsibilities. Families also failed to give adequate attention to women’s medical needs, while limited physical activity was increasing their risk.

He added that diabetes had become a major public health problem in Pakistan and frequently occurred alongside cardiovascular disease.

“Women living with diabetes, high blood pressure or obesity require regular screening to identify heart disease before serious complications develop,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2026

According to the order sheet available with Dawn, the commission was informed that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had approved the summary seeking the extension and forwarded it to the provincial cabinet for a decision.

The cabinet is expected to meet on Oct 1, the order sheet said, adding that “it was therefore appropriate to adjourn Monday’s proceedings until Oct 2 at 10am”.

The order sheet said that if the cabinet decided not to extend the commission’s tenure, no further witnesses would be called and the report would shortly thereafter be submitted on the basis of the statements recorded so far.

However, if the cabinet approved the extension, fresh notices would be issued to the witnesses. A questionnaire for three senior police officers would also be sent on Oct 2, it added.

On Saturday, the commission had dismissed an application filed by the deceased’s family seeking the personal appearance of the Karachi police chief and the head of the investigation team before the commission.

Last week, the judicial commission declined a request by Dr Osama Shaikh, the medico-legal officer who conducted Ali’s first autopsy, to record a further statement.

In its order, the commission said it had enough information to determine the facts and circumstances of the case and attribute any negligence. It also cautioned investor Ahmed Bhardey against attempting to derail the proceedings through media statements.

The commission had earlier questioned discrepancies in Dr Shaikh’s post-mortem reports. Ali’s body was later exhumed and a second autopsy was conducted, which concluded that he had been shot in the back and ruled out suicide.

The case so far

Ali’s body was found a day after he went missing on July 28. Since then, the case has been mired in controversy, with the deceased’s family accusing the police of trying to bury the facts while the investigators initially attempted to build the case around the possibility of a suicide.

Days after the recovery of Ali’s body on July 29, Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed had told Geo News that the post-mortem findings in the case had raised several questions, as some observations in the report did not appear to match the available photographs.

On August 6, a Karachi court took up an application by Ali’s father, allowed the exhumation of his body, ordered the formation of a medico-legal board for the purpose and directed that a second autopsy of Ali’s body be conducted.

The Sindh health department then constituted an eight-member board, with police surgeon Dr Syed as the convener. However, in the early hours of August 7, the board was reconstituted through an order issued by the director general of the Sindh health department.

While Dr Syed remained the convener of the new five-member board, its members were changed.

But Ali’s family rejected the new board, which also resulted in the deferment of the planned exhumation on Friday. Meanwhile, the counsel for Ali’s family, Nasir, accused the authorities of trying to bury the facts.

The Sindh government then restored the original medical board, following which Ali’s body was exhumed on August 8.

A day later, the Sindh inspector general of police’s (IG) office notified the reconstitution of the investigating team probing Ali’s death, while Karachi Additional IG Azad Khan transferred the investigation into Ali’s murder to Zaman Town police station from Ferozabad Police Station, where the case was registered under charges of kidnapping.

The order for the probe team’s reconstitution also showed that a murder charge had been added to the first information report.

The same day, the Sindh government decided to seek a judicial commission for the case’s investigation, only to defer the plan a day later after Ali’s family said they had made no such demand and had faith in the new investigation team.

On Aug 19, Ali’s parents, Mir Hussain and Mariam Hussain, wrote to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, seeking his “direct supervision of the murder investigation”. They also urged the chief minister to order an investigation and departmental inquiry into the previous investigation team and immediately suspend the officers involved.

The provincial government acknowledged the letter and announced the decision on Aug 23 to form a judicial commission to determine whether the investigation in the case was being conducted impartially and to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ali’s death.

However, the counsel for Ali’s family approached the SHC, objecting to the provincial government’s decision to form a judicial commission and seeking the formation of an independent and multi-agency JIT “comprising officers who have had no previous involvement in the case”.

On Sept 2, the SHC dismissed that petition filed by Ali’s family, observing that constituting such a body was the “prerogative of the government”.

Meanwhile, the final report of Ali’s second post-mortem for the Mir Raza Ali murder case confirmed that his death was caused by a gunshot wound to the back.

“Death occurred due to cardiac rupture consequent to perforating firearm injury of the chest,” the report stated, adding that the entry wound was on the posterior thorax (back) and the exit wound on the anterior thorax (front of the chest).

“The findings are inconsistent with suicide as the manner of death,” it confirmed.

According to a spokesperson for the NCCIA, the two premises raided were being operated by one organisation.

The agency registered two cases and nominated as many as 79 individuals — 48 in one case and 31 in the second one — for “committing offences” under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

“The call centres were operated in residential areas, making it difficult to identify that operations were being conducted from the premises,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Agency lodges two FIRs; alleges owners and call agents targeted US citizens with fraudulent credit card offers

It said a significant breakthrough during the operation was the seizure of a live, operational and specially designed Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system being used by the organisation.

“The CRM was actively used to maintain, manage and record detailed information relating to US-based customers allegedly targeted through the fraudulent schemes,” the statement said.

“The system and associated digital infrastructure are expected to provide important digital evidence relating to the network, customer database, operational hierarchy and alleged modus operandi of the organisation,” the statement said.

It added that the seized computers, CRM, data and other digital evidence had been secured and were being subjected to forensic examination.

According to the FIRs, “...interrogation reveals that the agents obtained Social Security Numbers, mobile phone numbers, dates of births, and bank and credit card credentials by falsely representing themselves as authorised representatives of regulated financial institutions of the United States of America. These details were then shared to the owners of the call centre, through the local server-based CRM, who further shared the same with merchants managed by their partners for the purpose of effecting unauthorised charges.”

The NCCIA spokesperson said that the forensic examination of the seized CRM and other digital devices was expected to assist investigators in identifying the broader network, customer targeting mechanism, financial channels, operational structure and other individuals who may be connected with the alleged cyber-enabled fraud.

The suspects have been booked in FIRs registered under Sections 3 (unauthorised access to information system or data), 4 (unauthorised copying or transmission of data), 6 (unauthorised access to critical infrastructure information system or data), 13 (electronic forgery), 14 (electronic fraud), 16 (unauthorised use of identity information) and 26 (spoofing) of Peca and 109 (abetment) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC at the Cyber Crime Reporting Centre police station on the complaint of Inspector Muhammad Ali of the NCCIA.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2026

They added that residents were protesting against up to “18 hours of loadshedding” in Mowach Goth and surrounding areas.

Saeedabad SHO Pervez Solangi told Dawn that a large number of residents of Mowach Goth came out on the main road to protest against prolonged loadshedding. They blocked the Hub River Road by setting old tyres on fire.

He said the situation turned tense when a private security guard at a petrol pump resorted to firing shots into the air as a mob was moving towards it. It enraged the protesters, who then allegedly attacked the petrol pump and ransacked it. The SHO said police contingents were called from other police stations to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, while Rangers personnel also arrived in large numbers.

The policemen resorted to tear gas shelling and dispersed the mob. He added that the road was cleared for traffic at night.

He said some protesters were also arrested and further legal action was underway against them.

Meanwhile, a traffic police spokesperson, in a statement, said that both carriageways of Hub River Road towards Northern Bypass were blocked due to a protest by residents of Mowach Goth against the lack of power and water.

During the protest, traffic was diverted to alternative routes, the officials added.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2026

He said this while talking to the media after inaugurating the Mosamiyat flyover, an important component of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project, here.

Earlier in August, Mr Memon had promised that the government would make University Road “100 per cent motorable” by Sept 15.

On Sunday, he said the work would take another month or so to complete on the 2.7-kilometre stretch of University Road, where the K-IV augmentation lines were being laid.

Sharjeel says work on 2.7-km-long stretch to be completed soon; inaugurates Mosamiyat flyover

Accompanied by Labour Minister Saeed Ghani and Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, he said a mixed lane had been constructed on University Road and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) also faced several challenges during the work.

In response to a question, Mr Memon said that the delay in completion of Red Line was no one’s negligence as there were certain problems and matters due to which delays occurred. He apologised to the public for the delay in the BRT project.

He said that the Mosamiyat flyover would be opened for the public from Tuesday (tomorrow).

He said construction contracts were awarded two years ago, but during this period, the country was hit by high inflation. First, the dollar appreciated, then cement rates increased, followed by a rise in petrol prices. Despite inflation and rising costs, work on the project continued, he added.

“Our entire team worked hard for the completion of the project, and I am proud of them for the speed at which the work was completed,” he said.

He said work on the BRT Red Line, including construction of stations, was going on rapidly.

He said providing the public with the best travelling facilities was the top priority of the PPP government.

He said Karachi’s two major problems are water and traffic, and work is under way to resolve both. The public should also play its part in easing traffic congestion, he said.

He said the government’s job is to work and not engage in blame games. Political parties also have a responsibility; their job is not only to stage sit-ins but also to save the public from inconvenience.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2026

Officials said that Constable Aliyan Tariq, 24, was riding a motorbike when he hit a water tanker parked on Shahrah-i-Bhutto. He sustained critical injuries and died on the spot.

They said that he was posted at Rapid Response Force.

In another accident, a teenaged biker was killed on New M.A. Jinnah Road.

The officials said that three teenagers, aged between 14 and 17 years, were riding a motorcycle. When they reached Peoples Chowrangi, their bike hit the footpath of the under-construction Red Line road, resulting in injuries to two of them.

The wounded were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where Bilal Irfan, 14, died during treatment.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2026

His funeral prayer was offered at a ground near the Attock petrol pump in Manghopir and was attended by a large number of people, including the deceased’s family members, relatives, area residents and social activists.

On Sept 8, six robbers, two of them reportedly dressed in police uniforms, barged into the house of Rohedad Hussain (Rosham’s father) in Manghopir. Rosham was shot when he came out of his room after being alerted to the presence of the intruders. He succumbed to his injuries.

Following the incident, Rosham’s family had refused to bury him until police arrested those responsible for his killing, leaving the teenager’s body unburied for 19 days.

The victim’s family and residents staged a protest outside the Manghopir police station, demanding the arrest of Rosham’s killers. They said they would continue the sit-in until those responsible for the teenager’s death were brought to justice.

On Saturday, police arrested two suspects, identified as Dilawar alias Tariq and Mohammed Rizwan alias Asif, for their alleged involvement in the house robbery.

Members of Rosham’s family later identified the suspects, after which the family called off its prolonged sit-in.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2026

The Hangor-class submarine arrived at Karachi Port in June, underscoring the deepening strategic defence cooperation between Pakistan and China.

Terming it a “major demonstration of operational readiness”, ISPR said the newly inducted PNS/M HANGOR accurately engaged a “designated long-range target with an anti-ship cruise missile” during the weapon firing exercise.

​Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf witnessed the firing, praising the submarine’s combat power and emphasising the “strategic importance of enhancing subsurface capabilities for credible maritime deterrence”.

“The milestone underscores the Pakistan Navy’s commitment to maintaining a modern, combat-ready force to safeguard national maritime frontiers and regional peace,” ISPR highlighted.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the Pakistan Navy and its leadership on the first live weapons firing by the newly inducted submarine, according to a statement issued by his office.

“The submarine successfully struck a long-range target with an anti-ship cruise missile, demonstrating the operational readiness, professional expertise and combat capability of Pakistan Navy’s submarine force,” the premier was quoted as saying.

PM Shehbaz reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring the armed forces’ readiness to tackle national security challenges, the statement added. He also commended the Naval chief and the personnel involved in the induction and operationalisation of the submarine.

President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the navy on the successful firing, lauding the “operational readiness and enhancement” of naval defence capabilities, his office said in a post on X.

“Equipped with modern combat capabilities, the Pakistan Navy is playing a vital role in safeguarding national maritime boundaries and ensuring regional peace and security,” President Zardari was quoted as saying.

The statement added that President Zardari was a chief guest at the handover ceremony of the Hangor-class submarine on April 30.

The navy is set to induct a total of eight Hangor-class submarines.

The Hangor-class submarine is equipped with advanced combat systems, modern sensors, Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology and enhanced stealth features, which will significantly enhance the navy’s combat capability.

The name Hangor holds a significant place in Pakistan’s naval history, referring to the 1971 Pakistan-India war, during which then-PNS Hangor became the first submarine since World War II to sink a warship when it sank the Indian frigate INS Khukri.

The first of the new submarines was launched in China in April 2024, while the second, third and fourth were launched on March 15, Aug 15 and Dec 17 in 2025, respectively.

On April 21, the Pakistan Navy conducted a successful test of an indigenously developed Anti-Ship Weapon System — Taimoor, the military’s media wing said.

In the same month, the Pakistan Navy fired a locally developed anti-ship ballistic missile to engage targets at an extended range.

“In a resolute display of preparedness and precision-strike capability, Pakistan Navy successfully conducted a live weapon firing of an indigenously developed ship-launched anti-ship missile, accurately engaging its target with high speed at extended range,” the ISPR had said at the time.

The then SHOs of Shah Latif Town and Sachal police, Amanullah Marwat and Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib alias Shooter; assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Gada Hussain; head constables Sadaqat Ali and Mohsin Abbasi; and constables Raja Shamim and Rana Riaz Ahmed were facing trial for allegedly killing Naseemullah, better known as Naqeebullah Mehsud, Mohammad Sabir, Nazar Jan and Mohammad Ishaq in an alleged staged encounter in January 2018.

After examining the witnesses and hearing concluding arguments from both sides, the judge of ATC-VI exonerated the accused persons for lack of evidence.

Prosecutor Anila Malik argued that the prosecution examined over 40 witnesses, including star witnesses and they linked the accused persons with the commission of offences and documentary evidence also corroborated their testimonies.

Former SSP Rao Anwar was acquitted in the same case in 2023

She also contended that the prosecution established its case against all the accused persons beyond a shadow of reasonable doubt and pleaded for conviction.

However, defence lawyer Farzana Mateen submitted that all accused persons facing trial were framed with mala fide intention and that out of 40, not a single witness directly implicated any of the accused in the case.

She also maintained that there were glaring contradictions in the evidence of prosecution witnesses while two star witnesses about the abduction of Hazrat Ali and Muhammad Qasim did not associate the present accused persons in their statements recorded under Section 164 CrPC by a judicial magistrate and had also not identified these accused persons as the culprits during their evidence before the trial court.

The defence lawyer further argued that there was no allegation of abduction of the deceased against the accused persons and the prosecution has also failed to prove their participation in the alleged encounter.

She maintained that many accused persons, including a former senior superintendent of police, had already been exonerated by the trial court in the first round of litigation for want of evidence and she pleaded for acquittal of the present accused persons as well.

Initially, the then SSP Malir Rao Anwar, along with his around two dozen subordinates, had been booked for allegedly murdering Naqeebullah and others in an alleged staged encounter in a Malir locality and dubbing them as militants.

According to the prosecution, Naqeebullah was picked up with his two friends allegedly by eight to nine subordinates of Rao Anwar in civvies. Later, the other two detainees were set free while the whereabouts of Mehsud remained unknown and his mobile phone was also found powered off, as the former SSP allegedly kept him in wrongful detention.

It further stated that on Jan 17, the captive’s relatives came to know through the media that Rao Anwar and his associates allegedly killed Mehsud and three others in a staged encounter in a Shah Latif Town area on Jan 13 and dubbed them as Taliban militants.

The provincial police officer had constituted a three-member inquiry committee that found Rao Anwar and his associates involved in the case, it added.

However, in January 2023, the trial court acquitted the former SSP and 17 members of his team by extending the benefit of doubt. As the state had opted not to impugn the acquittal order, a brother of Naqeeb had filed an appeal before the Sindh High Court against their acquittal.

The present accused persons were absconders during the first trial, and after the exoneration of SSP and others, they had surrendered before the court to face the trial, and all of them were set free on bail in April this year.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2026

The incident triggered a strong protest by the deceased Rosham Husain’s family, relatives and residents, who staged a sit-in that continued on Saturday outside the Manghopir police station.

West SSP Tariq Illahi Mastoi said that the police arrested two “important suspects involved in house robberies in Manghopir”.

The suspects were identified as Dilawar alias Tariq and Muhammad Rizwan alias Asif and fake police uniforms used during the crimes were recovered from them, the SSP said.

He added that one of the victims of the house robbery had identified the suspects.

According to a police statement, on Sept 8, the teenager Rosham was shot dead during a house robbery in Mehran City of Manghopir. “The suspects were being interrogated about the Rosham Husain killing case.”

For further investigation into the Rosham murder case, the arrested suspects were handed over to the Special Investigation Unit of the Sindh police.

“Rosham’s father, Roidad Husain, has been formally informed about the arrest of the suspects and the ongoing investigation in the murder case,” said the SSP.

Talking to Dawn, the deceased’s uncle said, “The police have informed us about the arrest of the suspects. But we have not decided to call off our sit-in.”

He added that it was their family’s stance to start and end the sit-in. “Once the decision to call off the sit-in is made, we will announce it publicly. Until then, our sit-in will continue.”

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2026

Defence Society Residents Association (DSRA) president Sharfuddin Memon hosted the session at his residence, which was also attended by PPP MNA Mirza Ikhtiar Baig and Chief Minister’s Adviser Najmi Alam.

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Wahab said that when he first became the Karachi mayor, he was looking for options to get more water to the city. “I noticed a waterline that was above the ground to learn that it was a dedicated water line for SITE. We started working on the same lines for Lyari. And now we have decided to do the same for DHA,” he said.

About residents’ concerns that the Dumlottee wells were going dry, the mayor clarified that Dumlottee is only the juncture where there is around 300MGD water available.

Tells residents he also lives in DHA and is also dependent on water tankers for his own family’s needs

“From there we will build a dedicated waterline right up to Masjid-i-Ayesha on the edge of phases 6 and 7,” he said. “It will be an over-ground line of about 38km and it will supply 10MGD, which is additional to the four to five MGD DHA gets right now,” he said.

“This is not a hollow commitment. We have been approved Rs14 billion for it by the government. The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation [KWSC] and Frontier Works Organisation have already signed a contract, and we are going to have the groundbreaking this coming Tuesday [Sept 29],” he said.

“Secondly, I also have a selfish cause for this project to come through. I live in DHA and am also dependent on water tankers for my own family’s needs,” he said.

“Besides, if this pipeline is not completed in 18 months, the construction costs will go up. Therefore, I am pushing for a 12-month time frame for completion instead of 18,” he added.

About the desalination plant, Barrister Wahab said that water from it would have cost Rs4 per gallon, but water supplied through the pipeline would be more cost-effective. It will cost 70 to 80 paisa per gallon.

Speaking about some other projects for DHA, he also mentioned traffic congestion, for which he had planned several flyovers at choke points such as Khayaban-i-Ittehad and Khayaban-i-Muhafiz, Khayaban-i-Shahbaz and Khayaban-i-Hafiz and the Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman Road and Saylani intersection.

MNA Baig said that he has been pushing for the dedicated waterline for DHA since 2024, though it was delayed somewhat after he saw the Hub Canal getting damaged.

“Since we can’t afford to let the water to the city get contaminated, we went for new tenders to make sure that water coming to the city is clean,” he said.

About the waterline works underway now, he said that it is an affordable and sustainable project. “I would also like to see a committee being formed of DHA residents who can monitor the project and submit their reports to keep it on track,” he added.

an affordable and sustainable project. “I would also like to see a committee being formed of DHA residents who can monitor the project and submit their reports to keep it on track,” he added.

Advisor to the CM Najmi Alam, meanwhile, pointed to some other things that are also a cause for concern in DHA, such as the law and order situation, youth getting involved in drugs and beggary.

“The tea addas that remain open long after midnight are a nuisance, especially for those who live in apartments right above them,” he said. “The rich folk should also keep an eye on their children after handing them so much money,” he added. “Beggars living under bridges and flyovers are also a big problem,” he added further.

When asked why Clifton Block 8 and 9 get water while DHA does not, Mr Alam said the area gets water from a different system. “There is just so much water in that system to be directed to Clifton Block 8 and 9 although Zamzama gets some of its water from there, too,” he explained.

To another question about water distribution to the rest of DHA after the supply reaches Masjid-i-Ayesha, Barris­t­er Wahab said that it will be KWSC’s responsibility to distribute it to the rest of DHA, with domestic consumers as the priority.

When one resident said that too many parks were being used for commercial activity, Mr Wahab replied that his view is to sustain parks through recreational activities. “Public spaces must have activity to beckon people, and they should generate revenue to sustain themselves,” he pointed out.

Earlier, the session began with the DSRA president briefing the government officials about the various hardships faced by DHA residents on a daily basis, with water supply being a major issue.

“DHA usually receives four to five million gallons per day (MGD), though the actual need is around 10MGD or more. We have held many meetings with government officials but to no result,” he said, while also bringing up the defunct DHA Cogen desalination plant, which is said to have only worked for two or three months.

“Now we are hearing the good news about DHA getting a dedicated waterline from Dumlottee that is said to be completed and functional in 18 months. But what happens with such government projects is that they get extended by six months to a year and then another six months until people give up on them,” he said.

“Also, many people here are concerned that only three or four of the 12 historic Dumlottee wells are working now while the rest have dried up. So how will we continue to get water from there,” he asked.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2026

The trader, Naresh Kumar, was in his late 30s. He had left his home, located in the Hussainabad area, on Friday afternoon and proceeded to the nearby SITE area for some work. His mobile phone went off at around 5pm, his family members said, adding that they kept trying to reach him by phone for hours but in vain.

They said they got panicked and mounted a search for him along with their relatives and friends.

Finally, his car was located through its tracker, they said.

Naresh Kumar was said to have suffered multiple bullet wounds. The body was shifted to the Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad, for a postmortem examination, which was conducted by Dr Zainullah Memon.

According to Hyderabad SSP Shahzeb Chahcar, the victim had received four bullet injuries on his back. The trader used to deal in brokerage of grains, mainly rice and pulses, the police officer said, adding that he was actually a resident of Thana Ahmed Khan.

The Tando Yousuf police registered a murder case vide FIR (No.124/26) under sections 302 and 34 of the PPC on the complaint of the deceased’s father. He mentioned that he and his relatives traced the car (registration No. CBG 940) of his son with the help of the tracker. His body was found lying in the car near a Christian cemetery in Gujrati Para, he said.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2026

Speaking at a ceremony held here on Saturday, he made it clear that the scooters were for women only and that action would be taken against any man seen using a pink scooter.

He said Sindh was the only province in the country that is providing free e-scooters to women.

“After providing training to women, e-scooters are being provided to those who pass the test,” he said, adding: “Our women are playing their full role in every field of life, and the Pakistan Peo­ples Party will continue such measures for the empowerment of women.”

He said that pink taxis for women will also be launched soon.

Mr Memon, who also holds the portfolios of information, transport and mass transit, said: “I do not know who the women coming here today are as the government is distributing pink scooters without discrimination and without distinction.”

“The number of driving licences for women was previously very low; however, it is now increasing rapidly. I want to make it clear that this process of providing pink scooters to women is not going to stop. We want 50,000 women who obtain driving licences to be provided with EV scooters,” he said.

He said empowering women was a reflection of the vision of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who launched Lady Health Workers, First Women Bank and other important projects for the empowerment of women. “Earlier, women in Sindh were not as independent as they are today. After the martyrdom of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, President Asif Ali Zardari launched the Benazir Income Support Programme for deserving women, under which identity cards were made for many women, and consequently the number of voters also increased,” he said.

“Today our women leaders, including Faryal Tal­pur, Dr Azra Fazal Pech­uho, Nafeesa Shah, Shazia Marri and others, are present in the assemblies on general seats. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Presi­dent Zardari have issued special instructions for the empowerment of women,” he said.

He said that Hari Cards were being issued for farmers and Labour Cards for workers. “Sindh is at the forefront in the fields of health and education, including Thar coal.”

Provincial Minister for Culture Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Imdad Pitafi, Qasim Siraj Soomro, among others, were also present at the ceremony.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2026

KARACHI: Expressing annoyance over “continued and unexplained failure” of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to file a charge sheet before the trial court in a case pertaining to alleged corruption of Rs8.5 billion in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Yellow Line construction, the Sindh High Court has hinted at sending the graft case to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for further investigations.

A two-judge constitutional bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Saleem Jessar also issued a show-cause notice to the ACE chairman and noted that the delay in presenting the charge sheet reflected serious negligence.

The bench noted that it raised a legitimate question as to whether the investigation was being deliberately delayed so as to extend undue benefit to accused persons or otherwise prejudice the case of prosecution.

It also asked the ACE and other respondents to explain as to why in view of such unexplained delay and apparent lack of progress, the matter should not be referred to NAB for a further probe since the issue was related to a major public sector infrastructure project of Karachi.

Prime suspect Zameer Abbasi, the then project director of Karachi Mobility Project, had filed a petition seeking quashment of the FIR against him.

At the outset of the hearing, a provincial law officer filed comments on behalf of ACE Chairman Zulfiqar Ali Shah.

The bench noted that the FIR was lodged after completing an enquiry. However, it observed that despite the lapse of considerable time, no report under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code had yet been filed before the competent court despite the fact that the statutory scheme of law required investigation to be completed within 14 days.

“In the present case, the position assumes greater significance as a formal enquiry had already been conducted before registration of FIR during which ACE had sufficient time to examine the relevant record and material,” it added.

The provincial law officer asked the court to dismiss the petition being premature and devoid of merit while permitting the respondents to complete the investigation.

However, he could not furnish any plausible explanation for continued non-conclusion of the investigation and non-submission of investigation report.

The bench noted: “In such circumstances, the continued and unexplained failure of the investigating agency to submit report under section 173 CrPC prima facie reflected serious negligence and raises a legitimate question as to whether the investigation is being deliberately delayed so as to extend undue benefit to the accused persons or otherwise prejudice the prosecution case.

“Let the concerned respondents, therefore, explain why, in view of such unexplained delay and apparent lack of progress, the matter should not be referred to National Accountability Bureau for examination and further probe, strictly subject to its statutory jurisdiction and in accordance with law since the subject matter concerns a major-public sector infrastructure project in Karachi namely Karachi Mobility Project (KMP) for the Yellow Line Bus Rapid Transit system, being undertaken with the involvement of the World Bank including, inter alia, the construction contracts relating to the new Jam Sadiq Bridge, Depot-I to Dawood Chowrangi and Depot-II near Indus Hospital Karachi,” it added.

The bench adjourned the hearing till Oct 7 and directed its office to communicate the order to the trial court, the establishment secretary in Islamabad and the Sindh chief secretary for necessary action and compliance.

The ACE had booked and arrested Mr Abbasi, a grade-19 officer of the Sindh government, and others on the basis of an inquiry conducted by the Chief Minister’s Inspection, Enquiries and Implementation Team Department (CMIE&ITD) into alleged financial mismanagement in the KMP for the Yellow Line.

Recently, the SHC had granted post-arrest bail to Mr Abbasi in the case on ground that the quantum of amount shown to have been involved in the case was very high, but the investigating agency had not done its work properly and left several lacunas in the case.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2026

Officials said on Friday that a decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, who reviewed the sharp increase in dog-bite incidents across the city and the provision of treatment facilities.

The meeting was attended by all deputy commissioners through video link.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of a worsening stray-dog crisis that has become a major public health challenge for the metropolis.

Commissioner reviews rising dog-bite cases in city, availability of treatment

Talking to Dawn, the commissioner said that it was decided that the new strategy to control the stray dog population would be devised in line with international principles and World Health Organisation guidelines, moving away from conventional culling methods and focusing on Animal Birth Control (ABC).

Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khosa briefed the meeting that coordination had been completed with three NGOs working on animal welfare and work on the neutralisation of stray dogs had already been started in district South.

He informed the meeting that three major Dog Bite Centres established at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Lyari General Hospital and Civil Hospital Karachi were fully functional, with all required facilities, trained staff and anti-rabies vaccines available round-the-clock.

He told Dawn that in addition to the three major dog bite centres, 12 dispensaries and health facilities in district South also had anti-rabies vaccines available for immediate first-aid and treatment, so that citizens did not have to travel far in case of an emergency.

Similarly, the sources said that in other districts, including East, West, Central, Korangi and Malir, anti-stray dog campaigns were being carried out in close coordination with town municipal administrations along with the neutering process, and dedicated animal birth control centres were being established.

They added that the required funds for this operation would be provided by the TMCs on a priority basis.

They said that the commissioner took serious notice of the large number of victims visiting these centres daily from Korangi, Baldia, Landhi, Gadap and other areas, and directed that all Dog Bite Centres must remain fully operational and uninterrupted supply of vaccines and medical facilities must be ensured.

It was finally decided that all deputy commissioners, in coordination with municipal authorities, the health department and NGOs, would present detailed reports regarding preventive measures and efforts undertaken in their respective districts at the next weekly meeting for continuous monitoring.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2026

The SHC also ordered the competent authority of the Sindh government to examine the whole matter, including NHA’s claim about statutory control over the RoW, assertions about the concession agreement inked between NHA and a private firm, the impugned amendment and cancellation of mutation as well as the stance of private individuals and other authorities concerned.

A two-judge constitutional bench headed by Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon further said that apparently, the deliberations held between authorities concerned also indicated that the matter can appropriately be taken up by the competent authority upon a formal reference by the NHA.

The NHA had petitioned the SHC in 2017 against cancellation of mutation by the Sindh government as well as to reduce the limit of RoW and nullify mutation entries on the ground that they were done in violation of approval of competent authority and no payment was made by NHA.

Thereafter, SCORE, a private firm, which took over the motorway project in 2015 on a build-operate-and-transfer basis, had also approached the SHC and impugned a letter issued by the secretary land utilisation department Sindh in June 2017 about cancellation of permission/mutation of RoW as well as some provisions of laws on the highways.

The counsel for the petitioners submitted that the impugned West Pakistan Highways (Sindh Amendment) Act 2018 and the impugned letter were without lawful authority and beyond provincial competence since under the concession agreement exclusive rights were granted to the private petitioner to develop, operate and commercially exploit the M-9 concession area, including its RoW for 25 years.

They also contended that M-9, being a national highway under the NHA Act, 1991 including its RoW, came within the federal domain and the province could neither legislate nor act contrary to federal law or subsisting concession.

However, an additional advocate general (AAG) Sindh argued that the subject land was provincial property and NHA, being a statutory authority and not the federation, could not acquire or claim title without lawful acquisition or transfer under Articles 152 and 173 (3) of the Constitution.

The AAG also maintained that NHA neither acquired the land nor paid any consideration and the mutation relied upon by it did not create or establish title and therefore, its cancellation by the province of Sindh was lawful.

At the outset of the hearing, the AAG filed a report in compliance with a previous order regarding meetings held with NHA’s officers concerned about RoW and mutation of the M-9 motorway’s land in favour of NHA.

It stated that NHA had agreed in the meeting held on Aug 6 to formally refer the matter to the government of Sindh for allotment and mutation of designated RoW land along with relevant documents, keeping in view historical approval and payment made under the chief minister’s directives issued in 2012.

The AAG sought a directive for NHA to move a reference as agreed in the meeting, but the lawyers for petitioners refuted the stance and said that their stance has not been taken in the subject meeting and therefore, they have made the suggestions to be incorporated in the order so that their stance may be considered by the competent authority.

An individual had also approached the SHC as intervener and submitted that he owned a commercial plot directly affected by Superhighway (M-9). However, the lawyers for petitioners rebutted it and contended that the assertion of the intervener about dimensions and construction on the Superhighway corridor and service road was not correct.

The bench in its order noted that without expressing any opinion on the merits and respective claims and contentions raised by the parties, it was of the view that the controversy concerning the ownership, allotment and mutation of the land constituting RoW along the M-9 required consideration by the competent authority of the Sindh government in accordance with law.

While disposing of the petitions, it remitted the matter to the competent authority of the provincial government with direction to consider the entire controversy afresh, afford reasonable opportunity of hearing to all stakeholders and pass a reasoned and speaking order dealing with each material contention and suggestion raised before it within 45 days.

The bench also said that until such decision was taken, the existing interim arrangement/status quo directed by the SHC shall remain intact.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2026

Additional District and Sessions Judge (South) Abdul Zahoor Chandio also imposed a Rs200,000 fine on convict Asad Anwar, directing him to pay it to the rape survivor as compensation.

According to state prosecutor Irfana Qadri, the accused was working for a marketing company and used to train new appointees. She added that the victim was a new appointee at the company and the accused was assigned to train her along with others.

However, the prosecutors said after four to five days of training, the survivor informed the accused that she wanted to quit. However, the accused asked her to meet him at a guest house and when she went there, he sexually assaulted her.

The prosecutor also said that CCTV footage from the guest house and the room booking details confirmed the presence of the accused at the relevant time and place.

On the other hand, the defence counsel denied the allegations and submitted that the victim had lodged the complaint after a delay.

The court noted that it was now a settled law that “delay in a sexual offence is not automatically fatal because the victim or her family may take time to report the occurrence”.

It also noted that the DNA examination report corroborated the survivor’s statement.

A case was registered at the Boat Basin police station under Section 376 (rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2026

The one-man commission headed by Justice Omar Sial of the Sindh High Court also noted that health secretary Tahir Hussain Sangi and Shehryar Memon (then special secretary health who has been appointed as the Director General Health last Monday) had played a significant role in altering the medical board despite the fact that law did not authorise them to do that.

The DG health also confirmed before the commission — formed to investigate the circumstances and possible negligence in the Mir Raza Ali death case — that the current investigation team has requested setting up of a ‘super medical board’ and such proposal was being evaluated.

The commission also expressed its displeasure over first investigation team’s head SSP Samiullah Soomro’s acts of violating relevant rules, committing lapses in the investigation and mishandling the evidence.

Justice Sial asks SSP why attempt was made to portray Mir Raza’s death as suicide

The commission recorded testimonies of both officials of health department as well as the police officer during Thursday’s proceedings and adjourned the hearing till Sept 28.

The health secretary deposed that he had joined the Pakistan Administrative Service in 2005, posted in Sindh since 2009 at numerous posts including deputy commissioner in various districts.

He also testified that MLO Dr Osama Sheikh, who conducted the first autopsy, comes under the administrative control of health department while postmortems are conducted under the Sindh Medico Legal Act, 2023.

The commission observed that the MLO was scandalising the commission, witnesses and health department and asked the secretary to look into this matter.

Justice Sial asked him about a sudden change in the medical board, constituted by the police surgeon on court order, a night before the exhumation despite the fact that the law only allows the divisional police surgeon to form such a board.

He replied that he was aware about the law enacted in 2023, but there were past precedents as well as various court orders about formation of such boards by the DG health.

However, he could not point out or identify any such court order when the commission confronted him and warned him not to lay blame on courts.

He also attempted to take shelter behind the order of a magistrate and asserted that besides the police surgeon, the magistrate had addressed the secretary health as well.

The commission noted that there was nothing in magistrate’s order which could worry him since the secretary had no role in the formation of any medical board.

Mr Sangi further contended that he and the then special secretary health Shehryar Memon had discussed the issue of medical board on Aug 6 since a judicial magistrate had ordered inclusion of senior pathologists and forensic experts while Mr Memon told him that the board constituted by the police surgeon had five members within the department.

Therefore, the secretary maintained, independent experts were included in the medical board in order to maintain transparency after consultation with the then special secretary health whereas he had also spoken to Karachi police chief Azad Khan on the subject matter.

The commission asked him that he had evaded his duty and trying to mislead it whereas the entire reasonability was rested with him being secretary health.

Mr Sangi also deposed that the police surgeon was allowed to co-opt the members of previous medical board after the issue was highlighted in the media.

He denied that anybody had pressured him to issue instructions to change the board late night and further attempted to justify that besides the night in question, he also generally used to look after some urgent office work at night.

Initially, the secretary health said, he was unaware about Section 16 of SMLA which empowered divisional police surgeon to form medial board, but at the end of his testimony he informed the commission that he had knowledge about such provision.

Mr Memon, appointed as the DG health on Sept 21 the day when the then DG Pervez Shaikh had deposed before the commission and named him (Mr Memon) for directing him to change the medical board, deposed that he had joined the APS in 2011 and posted in Sindh since 2017.

He conceded that he has no authority to form a medical board, but an internal discussion was held on the subject matter with the secretary health and therefore, he was directed to contact the then DG health and convey the message to change the board.

He also admitted that he had made three to four phone calls to the DG Pervez Shaikh between 5pm and 7pm on Aug 6 to convey instructions about changes in the medical board.

When the commission asked him as to why he had asked the then DG health to do something illegal as he was not authorised under the law to do so and also misguided his seniors about reconstitution of the board.

Mr Memon asserted that despite having the knowledge of relevant law, he did it in good faith as well as for the sake of transparency.

Responding to another question that why he has been immediately appointed as DG health after such controversy about changes in the medical board, he replied that it was the discretion of government and that it may remove him from such post.

The commission also told him that whether he knew ASP Lahore Shahzab Memon, who had called ASP Nida Juanid to get information from his younger brother, Ali Shaaz Memon, in this case.

The incumbent DG health initially, denied having any link with both brothers, but admitted later during cross-questioning that he had taught ASP Shahzab.

The commission came down hard on Mr Memon several times during his statement for attempting to mislead it and concealing facts about the case.

He denied having played any role in an order to co-opt members of the previous medical board.

When Jibran Nasir, the counsel for the aggrieved family, pointed out that since Mr Memon has taken over as the DG health, the commission may ask him about confirmation regarding constitution of a super medical board in the case.

Thereafter, the newly-appointed DG health informed the commission that DIG Amir Farooqui, who is heading the current investigation team, has sent a request for formation of a super medical board in this case. However, he stated that no decision was taken on such request as the matter was being evaluated.

SSP Soomro in his statement said that he was appointed as the head of the first investigation team on Aug 2, whereas SSP (East) Zubair Nazir, SSP (investigation) Usman Sadozai and Kashif Iftikhar from CPLC were its members and also admitted that SSP Sadozai could not extend any help in the investigation since he had been out of the province between Aug 1 and Aug 9.

Justice Sial asked him as to why he had attempted to create a narrative on the media that the victim was distressed because of financial issues and might have died by suicide.

He replied that some close friends of the victim had informed him about financial difficulties of deceased and findings of MLO’s report were pointing towards a possible case of suicide, adding that he had headed the team only for six days as the investigation was transferred.

He could not offer any reasonable reply when the commission asked him as to why statements of various important people, who came under investigation, were not recorded, seizure memos of key evidence not prepared, CCTV footages were not obtained.

The SSP asserted that it was the responsibility of investigating officer and senior investigating officer Ferozabad and he had also asked them to do so, but they failed.

Justice Sial expressed serious resentment over the police officer for violating rules, taking no action against his subordinates for defying his orders, mishandling evidence and serious lapses in the investigation.

The SSP informed the commission that ASP Nida Junaid was included in the investigation to interview fiancé of the victim. He also said that a request for geo-fencing had been made to the authorities concerned on July 31, but he was not aware of its report /findings of such exercise.

He further asserted that he had grilled workers of a guest house, located near the crime scene, and did not found them suspicious. About some vehicles and a motorcycle seen near the crime scene at the time of the incident, the SSP said that they had grilled four people travelling in a car, but could not find anything suspicious.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2026