LARKANA, Dec 31: The fate of establishing a polytechnic institute for women in Larkana district hangs in balance due to apathy of the government departments concerned.

District Nazim Khursheed Junejo told this correspondent the federal ministry of education had informed the Sindh government that a soft loan of $10 million was expected from the Islamic Development Bank to finance the establishment of five polytechnic institutes for women, one in each province and Northern Areas. He added that Larkana was chosen for the purpose in Sindh.

He said that a PC-1 of the project, approved by the district development working party, was submitted with the Sindh planning and development department. He added that a piece of land measuring three acres and located on Airport Road was allotted for the purpose by the district government.

However, he deplored that the proposal had been thrown into cold storage. He elaborated that the planning and development department on Aug 29, 2002, sought certain corrections in the PC-1 to be made by the provincial development working party.

He feared that the continued delay in updating the PC-1 by the department concerned could endanger the approval of the project. The planning department, following repeated letters, informed the district government that one year had been lapsed but the federal education department had not yet filed comments, Mr Junejo said.

The Nazim, in a fresh communication to the Sindh education secretary on Tuesday, called for expediting the matter.

CHILD KIDNAPPING: The gangs of child kidnappers are active in Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Ghotki, Khairpur Rahim Yar Khan (Punjab) and Usta Mohammed (Balochistan)

This was said by Anwar Khokhar, the head of the Khidmat-i- Masoom Trust, an NGO engaged in recovering missing children, while talking to this correspondent here on Wednesday. He said that the kidnappers preferred to kidnap children between the age of three to 12 years and had links with the people involved in human trafficking in the country.

He appealed philanthropists to help him complete the construction of a boarding house for old people and orphan children at Airport Road.

KILLED: A local People's Party Parliamentarians leader was killed at his car showroom near the fish market on Tuesday night.

Three masked men came to the car showroom and opened fire on Najamuddain Abro, resulting into his spontaneous death. His nephew, Imran, was seriously injured. The assailants escaped after committing the crime.

Both the victims were shifted to the Chandka Medical College Hospital. The dead body after autopsy was handed over to relatives. Najam Abro, 35, was the brother of Naib Nazim Taluka council Larkana.

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