Sindh | Pakistan

The Sindh government on Thursday announced a public holiday for March 13 (Friday). A notification issued by the government, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said: “The government of Sindh has been pleased to declare March 13, 2026 (Friday) as a public holiday throughout the province of Sindh for all government offices, autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations, corporations and local councils under the administrative control of the government of Sindh, except essential services.” The notification did not state the reason for which the public holiday was being announced. However, a day earlier, Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah had said that the public holiday would be observed on Friday for Jummatul Wida.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has forwarded a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari seeking approval for the appointment of Nehal Hashmi, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, as the governor of Sindh.

Partab Shivani, a Hindu in Pakistan, has fasted on and off during Ramazan for years, but this time is different as he practices abstinence for the entire holy month. Every year, he and his friends in Mithi arrange Iftar to foster peace and solidarity between the two religions. “I believe we need to promote interfaith harmony. First, we are humans — religions came later,” Shivani, a 48-year-old social activist, told AFP, adding that he also reads the teachings of the Buddha. “His message is about peace and ending war. Peace can spread through solidarity and by standing with one another. Distance only widens the gap between people,” he added. This photograph taken on February 26, 2026 shows Mohan Lal Malhi (2L), a Hindu caretaker of a Sufi shrine, breaking his fast during Ramazan at Mithi in the Tharparkar district of Sindh. — AFP Most of the country’s Hindu population, which comprises two per cent population, lives in rural areas of Sindh. In Mithi itself, most of the 60,000 inhabitants are Hindu. Many of the ...

ISLAMABAD - The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) Monday dismissed the Sindh province appeal regarding the appointment on deceased son/spouse quota.

The government of Sindh has approved the early disbursement of March salaries, allowances, and pensions for Muslim employees and retirees in preparation for Eid al-Fitr.

The Sindh government on Monday announced that public and private educational institutions across the province will remain closed on Wednesday (March 12) on account of Youm-i-Ali. The directive was issued in a notification by the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department, a copy of which is available with Dawn. The notification said, “… all public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of the School Education and Literacy Department, government of Sindh, shall remain closed on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, as a holiday on account of Youm-i-Ali.” Last week, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah sought the cooperation of prominent Shia scholars in ensuring “best possible” security arrangements for Youm-i-Ali, Youm Al Quds and Jumatul Wida against the backdrop of the prevailing regional situation. During the meeting, detailed discussions were held regarding administrative and security arrangements and the participants exchanged views on guiding the public in light of the situat...

Pakistan on Thursday reported its first case of wild poliovirus in 2026 after a four-year-old child from Bello Union Council in Sujawal District of Sindh tested positive for the virus.

Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication (NEOC) confirmed the first wild polio case of 2026 in a four-year-old child from Bello Union Council in Sindh’s Sujawal District on Thursday. Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine for every child under five during each campaign, along with the timely completion of all essential immunisations. In a press release, NEOC said the case was reported through the polio surveillance network and confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad. “The Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is already analysing the best response to tackle and prevent further transmission,” it said. Despite challenges, eradicating the global public threat of polio in Pakistan and worldwide is within reach, and the PEI continued to “intensify its efforts to leave no child behi...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed the federal government’s unwavering support for the swift completion of development schemes across Sindh during a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

Karachi - The Provincial Assembly of Sindh on Saturday passed a resolution against a conspiracy aimed at division of the Sindh province.

The Sindh government reinstated Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Pir Muhammad Shah as the chief of the Karachi Traffic Police, it emerged on Saturday. According to a notification issued by the provincial government on Friday, Shah’s posting relieves Sindh’s Central Police Office Headquarters DIG Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh of his additional charge “with immediate effect”. “Syed Pir Muhammad Shah … is posted as Deputy Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Karachi, relieving Mr. Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh, an officer of PSP (BS-20) Deputy Inspector General of Police, Headquarters, Central Police Office, Sindh from the additional charge of the post,” the notification stated. A copy of the notification is available with Dawn. A notification issued by the Sindh government on Feb 20 reinstating Syed Pir Muhammad Shah as the chief of Karachi Traffic Police. — via Imtiaz Ali Shaikh was transferred and posted as the new traffic police chief after the government removed Shah as the chief of Karachi traffic police at the end of Jan...

The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, has approved the development of a dedicated job portal and grievance redressal system to enhance employment opportunities and institutional support for persons with disabilities (PWDs) across the province.

A collision between a car and a trailer on Monday claimed six lives on the National Highway in Sindh’s Naushahro Feroze District, officials said. Naushahro Feroze Senior Superintendent of Police Mir Rohal Khoso told Dawn that all six people who died were travelling in the car, while the trailer’s driver was injured. He said the accident took place between 5am and 6am, adding that “ostensibly, speeding and brake failure were probable reasons,” but the matter was being probed further. SSP Khoso elaborated that one side of the National Highway in the district was under construction, which was a “contributory factor behind increasing accidents”. He stated that, in collaboration with the motorway police, it has been decided to set up five points for checking the speed and fitness of vehicles to control the rise in accidents. Sindh Inspector General (IG) Javed Alam Odho, in a statement, ordered the Naushahro Feroze SSP to probe the accident and register a case. Expressing his grief over the loss of lives, IG Odho o...

Tremors were felt across several districts of Sindh and Balochistan on Friday after a moderate earthquake struck the region, causing panic among residents but no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The Sindh government has suspended Professor Azhar Shah, in-charge of the University of Sindh’s Dadu campus, after videos allegedly showing him in inappropriate circumstances surfaced on social media, sparking widespread concern and formal complaints.

The Government of Sindh on Wednesday informed the Constitutional Bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) that it has withdrawn detention orders issued under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday disposed of over 100 identical petitions filed against the detention of PTI workers under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance, following the provincial government’s decision to withdraw MPO orders. A day earlier, it emerged that the provincial government had decided to release nearly 300 PTI workers. Government sources told Dawn that the “documentary process” had already begun. “So it may take some time, and by Tuesday evening, we may see the workers being released from prison,” said a source. Following the withdrawal of MPO orders by the provincial government, the additional advocate general of Sindh appeared before the court and informed that the MPO notification had been withdrawn. The notification was presented in court, following which the court disposed of over 100 petitions filed challenging the detention of PTI workers. Earlier today, the SHC directed the Sindh government to withdraw the MPO orders, warning that “if the orders are not withdraw...

The Government of Sindh on Tuesday withdrew detention orders issued under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance and directed the SSPs of concerned districts to release detained citizens.

At least ten wagons of a freight train derailed near Mehrabpur in Sindh’s Naushahro Feroze district on Monday, disrupting railway operations on a key route.

LARKANA: The management of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) has urged the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to review the admission criteria for admissions to MBBS and BDS for the session 2025-26 to help fill the vacant seats in private medical and dental educational institutions of Sindh. It was learnt on Thursday that the SMBBMU registrar had last month approached the PMDC and drew his attention to the seats in the private institutions going vacant as candidates failed in meeting the criteria of the admission. In a letter, he stated that approximately 350 MBBS seats remained vacant due to the failure of aspirants in meeting the existing PMDC criteria. It said the SMBBMU, Larkana, has received multiple requests from private medical and dental colleges, expressing serious concern over the inability to fill those seats despite repeated admission rounds. SMBBMU seeks 10pc reduction for MBBS and BDS programmes The registrar said that during the previous academic year, the passing cri...