Sindh | Pakistan

KARACHI: Over 1.6 million children, between five and 17 years of age, in Sindh have been found to be trapped in child labour, revealed the Sindh Child Labour Survey 2022–2024. Conducted by the provincial labour department with technical support from Unicef and the Bureau of Statistics Sindh, the survey also revealed that over half (50.4pc) of child labour victims aged 10-17 worked in hazardous conditions, exposing them to excessive hours, extreme weather and unsafe tools. Labour Director General Muhammad Ali Shah, who is also the project director of the survey, told Dawn that the survey had been submitted to the provincial government. He said that the incidence of child labour has seen a significant decline, reduced by nearly 50pc compared to the 1996 baseline. According to Pakistan’s first and only National Child Labour Survey, conducted in 1996, the prevalence of child labour in Sindh was recorded at 20.6pc of the total child population at that time. The latest survey also revealed that school attendance am...

KARACHI: The Sindh government’s decision to impose Sindh number plates for all licensed vehicles has caused anarchy and frustration among Karachi residents, ARY News reported. Intended to control theft of vehicles and improve tax collection, the initiative has instead caused lengthy waits, delayed issuance, and strict traffic enforcement. According to official stats, Karachi has 3.5 […]

KARACHI: The provincial health department on Saturday reported fourth death from Naegleria fowleri in Sindh. According to officials, a 17-year-old student reportedly suddenly developed fever, body aches and vomiting on June 25. A day later, he was admitted to the Aga Khan University Hospital where he tested positive for the deadly infection. On June 27, his condition deteriorated and he was shifted to ventilator support. The patient had no history of swimming, the officials said and added that apparently he contracted the infection through the contaminated, or non-chlorinated, tap water. According to experts, lack of filtration and chlorination of potable water is a major source of Naegleria’s infection. Besides, city’s water distribution system is faulty, allowing seepage of sewage in the domestic water supply lines, which in turn gets contaminated and causes harmful diseases. Karachi recorded this year’s first death from Naegleria fowleri in March. The woman victim was a resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal and died...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast another spell of rain in Karachi, Hyderabad and other parts of Sindh on Friday. Several parts of Sindh received moderate to heavy rainfall on Thursday, ending the prolonged dry spell across the province and bringing relief from the scorching summer heat. The authorities had earlier released an urban flooding warning for several cities. In its latest weather advisory issued today, the Met Office said “strong monsoon currents are penetrating over the province.” Under its influence, rain thunderstorm/rain with few moderate to isolated heavy falls is likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Dadu, Sukkur, Larkana, Qamber Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mitiari, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Jacobabad, Ghotki, Kashmore and Tharparker districts till June 29. In its weather forecast for Karachi, the Met Office said intermittent thunderstorm and rain with moderate to i...

It was a sultry summer morning. Mir Shah Mohammad Talpur was visiting his sprawling mango orchards, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, to inspect the year’s produce. However, the ruthless sun glaring on his back and mercury rising to 43.2 degrees Celsius were making things difficult for Mir. For the mangoes, though, these climatic conditions were in tandem with their harvest. Mir’s orchard is spread across 450 acres of land. “I have been looking after the bagh for six years … many trees here are around 50 years old,” he told Dawn.com. The 49-year-old wore a black sun cap along with a neck flap to avoid exposure to the intense heat. Like many in the area, Mir too sublets his mango orchard — a practice in vogue, by and large, in Sindh. Only a few growers, including those who believe in progressive farming, manage their own orchards. The province is known for its Sindhri mangoes, harvested in the first week of June. Two workers moving from one part of the orchard to other for picking of fruit. Despite other ...

Sindh reported its first death of the year from the Congo fever as a 42-year-old man in Karachi passed away after being diagnosed a day earlier, as per a statement from the provincial health ministry’s media coordinator on Wednesday. According to the WHO, the Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), commonly known as Congo Virus, causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks with a case fatality rate of 10-40 per cent. There is no vaccine available for the disease. According to experts, the CCHF virus is primarily transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood or tissues during and immediately after slaughter. In April, the National Institute of Health (NIH) issued an advisory urging prevention of Congo fever ahead of Eidul Azha. The 42-year-old man, a resident of District Malir, was admitted to Indus Hospital in Korangi, where he tested positive for CCHF on June 16, Media coordinator for the Sindh health ministry, Meeran Yousuf told Dawn.com. The patient passed away...

After the unveiling of Sindh’s budget last week was met with protests by opposition lawmakers, PPP Senator Quratulain Marri on Monday lamented that Sindh was “being treated like a colony of the federation”. Last week, Sindh Chief Minister Shah Murad had also warned that the PPP — a coalition partner of the PML-N-led federal government — would not support the passage of the federal budget in parliament if Islamabad continued to manage development schemes in Sindh instead of transferring them to the provincial government. “The federal government has wronged us. They have dissolved the Public Works Department (PWD), which was responsible for overseeing development projects across provinces,” Murad had said, adding that while the other three provinces received funding for development projects accompanied by their budgets, Sindh was completely overlooked. Senator Marri, chairing a meeting of the Senate Planning and Development Committee today, questioned why Sindh was “being treated like a colony of the federation...

• CM says plan to manage Sindh’s projects from Islamabad will not work • Inaugurates second phase of first segment of Shahrah-i-Bhutto KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has warned the PML-N government that the PPP will not support the passage of the federal budget in parliament if Islamabad continues to manage development schemes in Sindh instead of transferring them to the provincial government. Although the PPP is not part of the federal cabinet, it is a major coalition partner of the PML-N government and without its support the passage of the federal budget in the National Assembly is not possible. Speaking at a programme held to inaugurate the second phase of the first complete segment of the Malir Expressway, renamed as Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Expressway / Shahrah-i-Bhutto, on Saturday, the CM strongly criticised the federal government, accusing it of discriminating against Sindh and treating the province like a colony. “The federal government has wronged us. They have dissolved the P...

PTI, MQM can’t blackmail PPP govt: Sindh CM.

• For third year, no new mega project announced for the country’s economic hub • Meagre allocations for Sukkur motorway and K-IV projects deplored KARACHI: Trade and industry leaders on Saturday strongly criticised the federal and Sindh budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, calling them deeply disappointing and discriminatory towards Karachi, the country’s economic nerve centre. Businessmen Group (BMG) Chairman Zubair Motiwala and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Jawed Bilwani expressed serious concerns over the sheer neglect and denial of essential development funds to Karachi and the province of Sindh as a whole. In a joint statement, they also demanded that before the approval of budgets, necessary amendments be made by significantly enhancing allocations for Karachi-centric development projects. Highlighting the gross underfunding of the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, a strategic infrastructure project vital for the economic connectivity of Sindh and Karachi, they said despite the pro...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast the arrival of a pre-monsoon weather system in eastern Sindh starting Saturday evening, while extreme heat continues to scorch large parts of the country.

KARACHI - Sindh budget for next financial year, with a total outlay of over 3451 billion rupees, was presented in provincial assembly in Karachi on Friday.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Friday appointed Raja Khaleeq uz Zaman Ansari as spokesperson for the Sindh province.

KARACHI: The Sindh Excise and Taxation Department announced the relaxation in biometric requirements for vehicle ownership transfers. According to a notification issued here, ownership transfers for vehicles registered in Sindh can be processed using the seller’s CNIC till August 14. According to a spokesperson for Sindh Excise, a two-month relaxation has been granted, allowing vehicle […]

In an attempt to provide eco-friendly transport facilities, the Sindh government has decided to purchase more buses and allocate funds for electric vehicle (EV) taxis and scooters in the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26. Sindh government has reaffirmed its commitment towards addressing Karachi’s urban mobility and transport issues. With a population of 20 million, the metropolis faces rampant infrastructure issues ranging from transport, water and sanitation. The decision was made in a meeting chaired by Minister for Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon and attended by Secretary Transport Asad Zamin, Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) Managing Director Kamal Dayo and TransKarachi CEO Fuad Ghaffar Soomro among other officials. During the meeting, a comprehensive review of various projects under the provincial transport and mass transit department, including People’s Bus Service, EV scooters, and other issues were discussed. The meeting also discussed establishing charging stations for EV vehicles at var...

As Eid ul Adha celebrations continue, large parts of Punjab and Sindh, including major cities like Lahore and Karachi, are reeling under an intense heatwave, with health advisories issued for the coming days.

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Law and Home Affairs Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, in a high-level meeting, finalised major decisions regarding rickshaws and broader traffic regulations across the province, ARY News reported. According to reports, the meeting focused on amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules. It was attended by key officials including the IG Sindh, DIG Traffic, […]

In a bid to tighten traffic regulation enforcement, the Sindh government on Friday approved a set of legal changes, including a ban on four-seater rickshaws, mandatory third-party vehicle fitness checks, and sharp increases in traffic violation fines, as part of an overhaul aimed at improving road safety and accountability. The decision comes as Karachi witnesses a surge in traffic accidents, particularly involving dumpers and water tankers, that killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. The spate of deadly incidents triggered protests over citizens’ deaths, prompting the provincial government to ban heavy vehicles during daytime hours and require them to obtain fitness certificates. According to a statement from the home department, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar chaired the meeting to discuss necessary amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules in light of the alarming increase in the number of accidents in the province. Briefed by the secretaries of law and transp...

In response to a serious shortage of eligible officers in the prisons department, the Sindh government has approved an ordinance allowing the appointment of the Inspector General (IG) Prisons from the Pakistan Police Service (PSP), Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), or the provincial civil service.

Over two hundred inmates managed to escape from District Prison Malir in Karachi last night, the Sindh police chief confirmed on Tuesday, adding that 78 were recaptured while one was shot dead. Police officials earlier said the prisoners broke through the jail’s outer wall, which had been weakened due to the multiple low-intensity tremors felt in the area since Sunday. Police cordoned off the whole area and no one was allowed to enter or leave without ascertaining their identity. Sindh Inspector General of Police (IG) Ghulam Nabi Memon on Tuesday told Dawn.com that over 200 prisoners managed to escape from Malir prison late on Monday night when they were brought out from their barracks for counting due to an earthquake, out of them 78 were recaptured while teams are being constituted to re-arrest the remaining 138. Memon, who visited the jail earlier today, said that as per his assessment and briefings of jail and police officials, after the earthquake in the area, the jail administration brought an estimated...