Jamshed Rizvi desires to take IEP to higher level

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi  
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The newly elected President of the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP), Syed Jamshed Ali Rizvi, has vowed to make the institution a real forum for the progress of engineers of Pakistan. 

In a chat, soon after his election as President in which he secured 1465 votes as against over 1100 bagged by his closest rival, Jameshed Rizvi expressed his desire to make the institution more proactive. 

“I have chalked out an active program for the Institution to infuse a new spirit into its body,” he said, adding that the IEP will be made a real engineer’s voice at the national level. 

He pointed out that the IEP today has a total membership of about 28,000 engineers of Pakistan whom it will represent in a more effective manner to get their immediate problems solved.

Jamshed Rizvi, who held the office of Chairman IEP, Karachi Chapter, for the last three years, regretted that non-engineers are being preferred over engineers in various ministries and departments and he will launch a struggle to get the engineers their due rights. 

He remarked that the various departments which should be headed by engineers are being headed by non-engineers and as such these departments were not producing the required results. 

Jamshed Rizvi was of the opinion that the qualified engineers were not being paid the salary in accordance with their qualification and experience while the non-engineers working on their seats were being paid highly. 

He said that when an engineer joins any department in Grade 17 he or she retires either in the same grade or just a grade higher. 

“It has been the practice for the last many years. It’s about that the efforts should be made at the relevant levels to press for the just rights of the engineers,” the IEP President stressed. 

He said that he was in the process of preparing a calendar of events to be organized during his three-year term. 

As Chairman IEP Karachi, Jamshed Rizvi had organized the 45th Convention of Engineers which was attended by 28 foreign delegates from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Canada, Italy, UK, and USA besides delegates the delegates from Pakistan. 

He said that during his three-year term he will also focus on having a separate new building for Karachi IEP to be constructed either in place of present building or on the space at the back of present premises for which renowned architects will be hired.

Jamshed Rizvi also revealed that the IEP offices in Lahore, Islamabad and Quetta will be renovated while the Peshawar office was under construction and will be completed in due course of time.

Karachi Railway Division show improvement in train operation

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi  
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The punctuality of train operation from Karachi has achieved considerable improvement during the last 2-3 months with almost all the trains except one or two running on time. 

“The couple of trains which are facing late departures for about half an hour to two hours is because of certain unavoidable reasons,” Anzer Ismail Rizvi, Divisional Superintendent, Pakistan Railways Karachi Division, disclosed in an interview on January 6. 

He revealed that the punctuality improvement has been achieved due to strict monitoring of train operation and motivation which resulted in improved maintenance of locomotives, coaches, signaling system as well track in the Division. 

He stated that notwithstanding the ongoing financial crunch, the Railways Divisional authorities did this within their own resources. He pointed out that 57.5 Km of speed restrictions have now been normalized without spending any money thus resulting in running of trains with normal speed. 

The Divisional Superintendent maintained that although the Railway Division has allotted 102 locomotives, it was operating 42 locomotives. 

However, their maintenance has been improved bringing normalcy in the train operation. It also resulted in operating on an average two freight trains daily from Karachi. 

He informed that the Railway Division earned 346 million rupees in excess during the last six months of the current financial year as compared to the same period of last financial year. 

Anzer Ismail spoke about what he called a significant achievement and said that after a gap of 20 months with effect from January 12013, the Sukkur Express was now running with full composition after attachment of one Air-condition Sleeper and two Lower AC coaches which were withdrawn from service in May 2011 due to non-availability of power plant. He said these plants have now been made available after a lot of efforts and follow-up. 

He said AC Sleeper Coach has a seating capacity of 16 while Lower AC coaches have a capacity of 76 each and will greatly facilitate the passengers intending to travel to Sukkur and Jacobabad. 

As regards the future plans, DS Karachi Railways informed that efforts are being made to re-introduce Mehran Express which was a popular mode of journey from Karachi to Mirpurkhas and was closed due to non-availability of locomotives. 

Anzar Rizvi further informed that railway track from Karachi to Kotri has been rehabilitated while that of Down track was in progress which has brought improvement in speed and running time. 

According to him the track rehabilitation from Hyderabad to Mirpurkhas was also in progress and will be completed in about six months which will reduce running time between the two destinations bringing it down from 90 to 60 minutes.

Book on Ali Brothers launched at SSUET on Jauhar Day

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi  
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Eminent speakers recalled the monumental services of the Jauhar Brothers during the freedom movement at a ceremony organized at the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) to launch the book on the legendary Ali Brothers on the Jauhar Day. 

The function was presided over by Engr Adil Usman, Member, SSUET's Board of Governors, and Vice-President, Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA). 

The voluminous book has been authored by Khalid Ali, a senior Aligarhian, now settled in the United States of America (USA). The launching ceremony was held on the Jauhar Day which is observed by the SSUET on January 4 every year. 

The author, a grandson of Maulana Mohammed Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali Jauhar, acquired his education from the Aligarh Muslim University where he was elected as Union’s General Secretary in 1945 before joining the Provincial Muslim League Council. 

He also served as Attache of Pakistan in various countries. After migration to Pakistan he also had a stint with Dawn, the leading Karachi-based daily, besides working for the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) for sometime. He had started his professional career as a journalist in India. 

In his address, Khalid Ali described the Ali Brothers as shining stars of the hopes of Muslims of South Asia and their political acumen and talent was also mentioned by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah and Mahatama Mohandas Gandhi. 

He mentioned that the struggle waged by Ali Brothers for the establishment of a separate homeland for the Muslims of South Asia had been a ray of hope and inspiration in the hour of darkness. 

Khalid Ali observed that their greatness was a profound and unparallel example of love for the cause of Muslims and they were of the firm conviction to have an independent country where they had a few yards of land to live peacefully. 

In his speech on the occasion, Prof Shamim Akhtar opined that the book is not only a biography but an authentic piece of the history of sub-continent, adding that it has fully covered the life and achievements of the Ali Brothers, the prevailing conditions and trends. 

Prof Afsar Sultana described the book as the most important and valuable contribution highlighting the personalities of the Ali Brothers and their achievements and discussed the condition of Muslims in India at that time as well as events taking place during independence movement. 

Another eminent speaker, Azad Bin Hyder, remarked that Khalid Ali has done a great favour to the history of sub-continent by writing this book which can be described a masterpiece among the books written so far since 1947. 

Prof Dr Waqar Ahmed Rizvi reckoned that the 16-chapters book thoroughly envelopes the lives and achievements of the Ali Brothers, freedom movement and their struggle. He recalled Jawahirlal Nehru having admitted that he learnt politics from Mohammed Ali Jauhar. 

On the occasion noted poet and Convenor SSUET’s Literary and Cultural Forum, Khumar Farooqui presented poetic homage to the Ali Brothers. The ceremony was also address by two university students Mohammed Umar Khan and Umar Ali Kazmi.