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Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Sindh govt spox fires broadside at MQM-P
Sindh government spokesperson Mustafa Abdullah Baloch stated "it is disappointing to see Farooq Sattar of the MQM-P attempting to politicise a policy that represents and benefits all citizens of Sindh." He said that "the introduction of vehicle number plates featuring the Ajrak motif is not a revenue-generating measure, but a cultural initiative coupled with reform in our vehicle registration system." Baloch claimed that "for years, authorities have struggled with easily tampered, fake number plates, making it difficult to trace stolen vehicles, or maintain accurate vehicle databases. The new plates have enhanced security features and are aligned with international practices." He deemed MQM-P's criticism "not only baseless, but politically motivated." Further, he argued that, "instead of acknowledging that Karachi will benefit from a regulated, secure vehicle registration system, MQM-P is using cultural identity as a tool to sow conflict." He stated "we want to move towards a digital and secure vehicle registration system, one where the data of each vehicle is integrated into a platform accessible by authorities." Honour killing against Islam: MQM-P Deputy Parliamentary Leader of MQM-P in the Sindh Assembly, Taha Ahmed Khan, condemned the murder of a couple in Balochistan who had chosen to marry of their own will. "This is an extremely tragic and condemnable incident. Our Constitution does not permit anyone to take a life in the name of honour," said Taha. He further stated that this act is not just a crime against individuals, but an attack on women's freedom, human dignity, and fundamental rights. Taha said that murder in the name of honour is completely against the teachings of Islam.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Issue new number plates for free'
Issue the new Ajrak-themed number plates for free or stop legal action for non-compliance, said Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) senior leader Dr. Farooq Sattar on Sunday. Sattar strongly criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), accusing it of running a feudal form of democracy in Sindh for the past 17 years. He warned that Karachi, the province's economic backbone, was being systematically exploited, while its citizens were being pushed to the wall. Addressing a press conference at MQM-P's Bahadurabad headquarters alongside senior leaders Syed Amin-ul-Haque, Zahid Mansoori, Shakil Ahmed, and others, Sattar said "there is a smoldering anger in Sindh's cities. Karachi is being looted in the name of culture, and the feudal rulers have shown unprecedented arrogance," he said. He questioned the recent promotion of Ajrak-themed number plates, claiming that behind this cultural facade lies a "new avenue of exploitation." He alleged that thousands of traffic policemen from interior Sindh have been deployed in Karachi and are extorting money from citizens under the pretext of enforcement. "Governor Sindh has rightly pointed out that Ajrak will lose its sanctity if it is used to loot people," he added. Sattar pointed out that while in interior Sindh more than 95% of vehicles reportedly operate without number plates, no action is taken there. "Karachi, the golden goose, is being slaughtered," he said, calling for either free issuance of number plates or a halt to arbitrary penalties. He also criticised the recent transfer of 40 employees from the Sehwan Development Authority to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), terming it an "injustice" to Karachi's youth. "Karachi and Hyderabad domicile holders are being sidelined in government institutions," he said. The MQM leader said that the collapse of buildings in Lyari and failure to implement policies on dangerous structures reflect the PPP-led provincial government's negligence. He demanded that former chief ministers and local government ministers be named in FIRs for allowing illegal constructions during their tenure. "The Minister for Local Government is obligated to convene meetings on dangerous buildings every three months — but they have shown complete disregard," he noted. Touching on education, Sattar claimed that in the recent NED University entrance exam, 90% of students from Sindh's rural boards failed, while 76% from Karachi passed, showing a glaring disparity. "I feel sorry for these children. They are being made dependent on crutches by a broken system," he remarked. Sattar also criticized the Karachi mayor and the Jamaat-e-Islami's nine town chairmen, blaming them for poor city conditions. "The mayor says he is not responsible for lanes and neighborhoods. Then who is?" he asked.
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Qawwals: governor attends funeral prayers
KARACHI: Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori attended the funeral prayers of renowned qawwal Ahmad and other martyrs who lost their lives in the recent terrorist attack on a bus in Quetta. Senior MQM-P leader Anees Qaimkhani and several members of the assembly were also present on the occasion. Governor Sindh offered Fateha for the departed souls and prayed for the elevation of their ranks. He expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and assured them that the entire nation shares in their grief. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
CM visits flood-hit Hyderabad
The Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has contended that a large number of low-lying areas in Hyderabad, where flash flood cut a swathe through the city on July 14, accompanied by the power outages during the downpour 'worsened' the situation. Talking to the media in Hyderabad on Thursday after visiting the rain affected roads and localities, the CM said Hyderabad Electric Supply Company was asked before the rainfall to maintain power supply so that drainage pumping stations could work uninterrupted. The request, however, could not be entertained as the company claimed that 18 of its grid stations were shut down due to falling of the transmission poles. CM Shah acknowledged that some areas in the city are still under rainwater but he assured that drainage efforts are afoot. Responding to criticism of MQM-P over performance of the provincial government during rains, the CM alluded that the party was itself responsible for deterioration of Hyderabad's urban infrastructure when it was in power. He recalled visiting Latifabad in a boat during the 2005 flash flood when the city had MQM-P's Nazim. Commissioner Bilal Ahmed Memon and Deputy Commissioner Zainul Abedin Memon in their briefing claimed that the city was struck by a cloud burst as City taluka received 107 millimetre torrential shower in an one hour followed by 91 mm in Latifabad and 55 mm in Qasimabad. Roads The CM assured that the Rs3.2 billion Autobahn road project's phases I and II will be completed by the end of July. During his visit to the under-construction Abdul Sattar Edhi Flyover, he was briefed about a new road project being executed on either sides of the Pinyari Canal. SPSC The CM inaugurated the newly established Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Lab at the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC). He was briefed that the lab is equipped with 500 tablets with a per day testing capacity of 2,000 candidates. The commission claimed that it is going to be the first institution in the province to implement computer-based testing.
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
MQM-P's demand for new province gains momentum
As Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) sticks to its demand of creating a new province in Sindh, the party's leadership says the centre and the national assembly should ideally have the right to decide creation of new provinces. Addressing an event at Hyderabad Institute of Technology and Management Sciences on Saturday, the Federal Minister and convener of MQM-P Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said they will pursue a constitutional amendment in this regard. "We are against rolling back the 18th amendment. We rather want to see complete implementation over it," Siddiqui, who also spoke to the media, said. He reiterated that article 140-A of the amendment has enshrined a local government system which operated with completely devolved authority. He emphasised that the new provinces should be created keeping in view the growing population of the country. He argued that it went against the grain of the law to empower the provincial assemblies to decide about creating or not creating new provinces within their territorial jurisdiction. "We are trying to introduce an amendment in the constitution towards this end." He contended that Hyderabad will continue to be the country's third largest city if an honest population census is conducted. He deplored that such large city with rapidly growing population continues to be deprived of the public sector universities, a demand which MQM-P besides other political parties have been making for decades. He said a former vice chancellor of NED had planned to open the varsity's campus in Hyderabad but the Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah thwarted his attempt and that campus was instead opened in Tharparkar.
