Karachi University produced 1,240 PhDs in 42 years

Vice Chancellor Karachi University (KU), Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, has said that the KU has produced 1,240 PhDs so far since its inception and on the top among the other varsities of the country in this regard.
“However, 49 public and private universities have produced more than 5,665 PhDs in the country, while KU is on the top among them, he said, while giving an interview to The Nation last week.
Dr. Pirzada pointed out that University of Punjab had awarded 1,266 PhD degrees since 1937, while the Karachi University produced 1,240 PhD scholars since 1957. This figure can help people to measure the standard and excellence of the largest institution (KU) of the country.
The varsity’s research and other academic activities are the real proof of its superiority over other educational institutions in Pakistan, he said.
“KU is trying to promote further research activities; the set-up of 17 research institutes/centres at the KU is the clear instance. Karachi University has produced about 600 MPhil, 300 PhD, 7 DSc and 7 DLit degrees only in science faculty that exceeds the number produced in any other university of the country. Our teachers are also involved in various research projects and contribute regularly to local and foreign publications.
Only in 2006, the number of published research papers by the KU teaching and research faculty was 506. The creation of the Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilisation at KU is another example of the varsity’s stance to encourage research education at higher level.

Qaim Ali Shah orders survey of dilapidated buildings

In the wake of collapse of a building in Karachi's Mithadar area on Friday night, the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has ordered a survey of all the dilapidated buildings in the metropolis.
In a statement here on Friday night, the Chief Minister directed the concerned officials to conduct a survey of the dilapidated buildings in Karachi.
He further instructed that steps be undertaken in this connection on priority basis so that no such incident could recur in future.

Default by members of KSE: Names placed on ECL after two members flee country

Though it was a bit late to act, government finally has placed the names of five suspended members of Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on Exit Control List (ECL).

Ministry of Interior placed these suspended members on ECL on the recommendation of Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), sources told on Thursday.

However, the action taken by the government with regard to these suspended members was of little use as two of these members have already flown out of the country; one reportedly in Europe and other in Singapore.

Though sources in SECP termed the placement of the names of suspended members on ECL to safeguard the interests of investors whose hard-earned money is at risk due to inability of these members to pay-off their liabilities, market participants said that apex regulator acted late and it should have taken this step once the membership of these brokers was suspended on June 30, 2009.

SECP took the action after failure of these members to give a specific timeframe to clear their liabilities and any concrete action plan to for the resolution of outstanding investors’ claims. Upon which, by using the regulatory powers, apex regulator issued orders for the suspension of registration of the said brokers. The suspended securities are Eastern Securities, Prudential Securities, Capital One Securities, MKA Securities and Click Securities. The owners of two brokerage firms that owed the majority of default amount are out of the country now.

Although, the working is underway to calculate the exact amount of defaulted amount of these companies, the varying estimates put the amount around Rs 1.5 billion with the Rs 630 million defaulted amount owed by those two firms whose owners left the country.

The default committee of KSE has given August 12, 2009 as the final deadline to these suspended brokerage houses to pay off the defaulted amount, otherwise their cards would be auctioned.

At the time of suspension of their membership SECP declared that the registration of the above-mentioned brokerage houses would remain suspended, in the public interest and for the protection of investors and to preserve capital market integrity, till claims against them in light of the investors complaints are ascertained and settled.

According to a director of KSE, these suspended members should not only be put on ECL but also should be blacklisted because they have breached the confidence of investors. He was critical of the way SECP handled the issue and said that action should have been taken since the launch of the inquiry against these members.

CANADIAN COUNCILOR CALLS ON CITY NAZIM

The Councilor of Canadian High Commission’s Commercial & Economic Affairs Marilyn MacLean Denton along with Canadian Trade Commissioner Ather Moeen Khan called on City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal at his office and discussed matters of mutual interest besides the development in Karachi.

Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal on this apprised the Canadian Councilor about the development works that have been performed by city government during last four years in Karachi.

He said that besides an important international city, Karachi is also the gateway for Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan. Considering this we had initiated a comprehensive infrastructure uplift process in this city during which lot of mega projects were completed in very short time.

City Nazim said that in order to provide best and unique facilities to citizens in Karachi, we have used latest and most modern technology in every sector. The complaints and information management system 1339 has given great convenience to citizens to register their daily complaints through an effective way. He said that the city government has also introduced a central command and control system in the city which will be implemented gradually.
Nazim Karachi also informed the delegation about the development works performed by city government in various sectors including water and sewerage, road infrastructure, health, education and recreation.

He said that the development works have been done by city government in each and every area of the city and comparing past the citizens have much better facilities in their daily life today.
The Canadian Councilor during the meeting praised the performance of City Government Karachi and congratulated Nazim Karachi on the completion of mega projects in least time.

Plan chalked out to rescue Karachi

The government, after due consultations and threadbare discussion with all stakeholders ranging from the gas and oil companies to power generating utilities, has succeeded in chalking out a plan aimed at eliminating loadshedding in Karachi by December next.
This announcement was made at a join media briefing conducted by Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira and Federal Minister for Privatisation Naveed Qamar at the Governor House on Wednesday.
Pervaiz Ashraf announced that Pakistan State Oil (PSO) had been advised to provide non-stop supply of oil on 90 days credit to all the power generating units, and the Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Limited (SSGPL) will also be giving uninterrupted supply of 276 mmcft gas, which would help to generate 100 to 150 Megawatt additional electricity in the system.
Moreover, Wapda will continue to supply 650 megawatt of power to KESC despite the prevailing crisis in the country, he added.
The five-member Cabinet Committee on Energy Crisis comprising of the above mentioned ministers besides Federal Labour Minister Syed Khursheed Shah and Federal Minister for Overseas Dr Farooq Sattar met at the Governor House and discussed in the power crisis faced by Karachi, the economic and commercial hub of the country.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah also attended the meeting.
The cabinet committee, which summoned the KESC administration, identified three major areas - generation, transmission and distribution - to improve the performance of the power utility.
It was decided that committee would meet again on coming Wednesday.
Meanwhile, it has summoned the owners of KESC to brief them about the financial management of the company.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said all these measures would help KESC generate 1750 megawatt non-stop electricity, while Raja Pervaiz Ashraf directed the Pepco to continue to supply of 650 megawatt power to KESC.
Kaira said the CEOs of two IPPs were present in the Governor House to sign an agreement with KESC that will add 80-megawatt power in the system of utility in August. He said due to this addition, people of Karachi would also get 3 MGD more water.
He said 60 years old worn-out distribution network of KESC needed revamping with a view to reducing line losses. As a role model, the utility has been given the task to completely overhaul the distribution and transmission in three towns-Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulberg and Shah Faisal town by the end of August. Sindh government will provide full assistance to achieve the target in these three model towns.

Acid-injected mother wants perpetrator’s arrest

Shagufta, a twenty-four year mother of three innocent boys, wants the person who injected acid into her body after physically molesting her arrested immediately. Recuperating at Burn Centre Karachi, where she has undergone three painful surgeries, Shagufta was lured by the landlord Sahebzada Swati who after molesting her injected acid into her private parts and dumped her at the doorsteps of her house just a short distance away from his own.
Shagufta insisted that accused Sahebzada be arrested immediately talking to head of Madadgar Helpline, Pakistan’s first referral centre for Child and Women victims of violence, Zia Ahmed Awan Advocate and Field Officer Bushra at Burn Centre Karachi. Shagufta, who was transferred from Crisis Centre Hyderabad to Burn Centre Karachi eleven days ago on the instruction of provincial minister for Human Rights Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto is recuperating from three surgeries necessary to save her life. For the time being nothing matters more to Shagufta than the arrest of accused Sahebzada Swati, However, who has not yet been arrested despite the lodging of FIR No. 62/09 at Tando Yusuf Police Station, Hyderabad.
Zia Awan Adv expressing grave concerns at the rising incidents of burns to women throughout the country stressed on the need for maximum sentences prescribed under the law as the only effective deterrence. He also stressed on the need not only on the rehabilitation of the victims and their families but also on measures to bring heinous crimes against women to an end. He demanded registering case against accused Sahebzada under Anti-Terrorism Act and trying him at Anti Terrorist Court.
Statistics of heinous crimes against women paint an ugly picture. So far this year a 103 cases of women suffering severe burns have been reported while the total number of women-burn cases reported since 2001 adds up to 2,125. Of these 2,125 reported cases; Adv Zia says that majority of such cases never get reported in the country, 1,030 happened in Punjab; 903 in Sindh; 159 in NWFP and 33 in Balochistan. Of the 2,125 women reported severely burned 1,255 were married while 870 were unmarried.
According to details Shagufta’s husband Zulfiqar, a laborer, lived on rent in the house of the accused who from the very beginning had roving eyes and bad intentions about her. Zulfiqar left the house and rented another premises nearly in Hyderabad after he came to know about the immoral activities of the accused. However, on the 12th of this month the accused lured Shagufta into his office on the pretext of cleaning his house but instead not only physically molested her but also injected acid into her body and later dumped her unconscious at the door step of her house.
Zulfiqar, Shagufta’s husband, claims that police is protecting the accused which is evident from the fact that SHO and Liaquat, a policeman of Tando Yusuf PS warned the accused on phone that “the media knows about the case” thereby warning him to flee. According to Zulfiqar police is providing protection to the influential accused who sells narcotics, occupies Railway quarters as well as a land grabber who has built half dozen houses on Hindus’ graveyard. (NC Report)

Karachi Nazim files petition against CM orders

City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has filed a constitutional petition in Sindh High Court (SHC) against orders of Sindh Chief Minister of slashing powers and not letting him to do work.

Nazim in his petition says the orders have been passed without legal formalities and he is not allowed to do work.

Governor, City Nazim inaugurate CNG Bus Project

Governor of Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal yesterday inaugurated the CNG Bus Pilot Project at Surjani Town. The Governor inspected the CNG Bus Terminal and also traveled through a CNG bus on this occasion.
Earlier addressing the inaugural ceremony Governor of Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan congratulated the citizens of Karachi for getting another gift in the form of CNG buses. He also paid tribute to City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal under whose leadership the city government could perform such a marvelous work during the last four years.
He said that the City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has through his services proved that he is a true leader who has served the citizens with great fervor and spirit. Today, he has achieved another goal of providing the citizens with respectable and comfortable means of transport in shape of dedicated CNG buses.
The governor added that the city is most important part of the country while the City Nazim has ensured with his utmost dedication that the city must keep the wheels moving.
In his address, Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal appealed to the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Gilani to help stop the bureaucracy at the federal and provincial level from creating impediments ahead of city’s development projects.
Kamal said further that hundreds of studies have been done so far but still the city is lacking its Mass Transit Program due to obstacles that the corrupt bureaucracy had always created.
Similarly, certain other viable public projects such as Bus Rapid System, Light Rail System and Circular Railway are still in pending.
He said that the CNG bus project is totally funded by City Government. Without taking even a single penny for the project from the federal or provincial government, we have spent Rs 250million on purchasing of these dedicated CNG buses while we have also allocated funds for purchase of another fleet of 100 buses in next budget, Nazim added.
Nazim Karachi said that in past diesel buses were introduced in Karachi by the name of CNG buses while we have completed all homework before starting the CNG bus operation. All required infrastructure was provided to these buses so that the project could be run smoothly and without any hurdle. He said.
Nazim Karachi said that it is hard for a city government to undertake a huge project like mass transit system. In all over the world the MST was done by the federal governments.
He however called it unfortunate that the city of Karachi despite of all the studies still deprived by the Mass Transit Facility.
He said that Karachi is the key city of Pakistan. It provides livelihood to labors from all over the country. We will continue development process in the city, he added.
The pilot project contains 50 dedicated CNG buses that would be plying on two routes initially. Two different manufacturers with 25 buses each have manufactured these CNG buses locally. The CDGK has already paid full cost of these 50 buses.
The purpose of plying dedicated CNG buses is to ensure most modern urbanized system of transport with complete self-esteem of the commuters. In this regard, the CDGK has already put to operate the e-ticketing facility, as there would be no bus conductor. The passengers should buy under self-service traveling coupons from e-ticket booths established at different locations on the prescribed routes. Provincial ministers, MNA, MPA, Town Nazims, DCO Karachi and other dignitaries were also present. (NC Report)

Target killing in Karachi aimed to sabotage peace process in Sindh: MQM’s Rabita Committee

MQM's Rabita Committee while denouncing the firing at JSQM rally stated that anti-state elements would not be allowed to sow the seeds of hatred and prejudice in the soil of Sindh and MQM will spoil all such conspiracies.
While addressing a press conference here Sunday members of MQM's Rabita Committee (Coordination Committee) stated that the Government should expose the criminal elements engaged in target killing of MQM's members and involved in firing at JSQM Chairman Bashir Khan Qureshi.
MQM denounces firing at Chairman of JSQM and termed the incident as a conspiracy to bring the people of Sindh in confrontation with each other by sabotage the peace of the province and to derail the incumbent democratic set up in Sindh, Rabita Committee said.
Rabita Committee also urged on President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani, Federal Interior Minister, Chief Minister Sindh and Provincial Interior Minister Zulifqar Ali Mirza to investigate the firing incident at JSQM chairman by firing FIR against the accomplices.
Rabita Committee further elucidated that peaceful policy of MQM should not be termed as weakness of the party, as MQM has aimed peace and stability in the province and will not allow anti-state elements to sabotage the peace in the metropolitan city.

NEPRA may take control of KESC

The power tariff will be inflated by Rs 3 when the government withdraws the subsidy on electricity in line with a commitment between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Federal Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said on Saturday.

Replying to questions at a press conference, the minister said the average electricity generation cost was Rs 8.37 per unit and the average selling price was Rs 5.37 per unit – the difference translates into the subsidy provided by the government, which would be withdrawn to fulfil the commitment with the IMF. But he did not provide a specific date for the likely increase.

He said the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) would take over the management of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) if there was no improvement in efficiency in the supply of power. He said NEPRA had already served a show-cause notice on the KESC, and in case the company failed to satisfy government, legal action would be taken. “This includes taking over management control of the company if we are unable to de-privatise it [KESC],” he said, adding that Karachi was the industrial hub of the country, and the government wanted to ensure a smooth supply of power to the port city.

Ashraf said the Water and Power Ministry had rejected several proposals by NEPRA on increasing the power tariff. “The power tariff is not the top issue for the government … the administration is making all-out efforts to eliminate load shedding from by December,” he said.

He said the government had already cleared more than half of the circular debt, and hoped that the remaining Rs 70 billion would be paid soon.

The minister lamented that some political leaders were making “irrelevant statements” on the power crisis. He said the government was committed to overcoming the problem on “war footing”.

He claimed that the defeat of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid in the general elections of 2008 was a result of severe load shedding in the country during the party’s tenure.

The minister also lamented the propagation of the 1994 independent power providers’ policy (IPP), and said it had driven investors away.

Ashraf said the minister had formed a committee on power crisis, which met daily to monitor the situation.