Shoaib Siddiqui plans to take bowling from urban to rural Sindh

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Sindh, who has been the motivating force in making things happens on a fast track as far as the activities of sports at the provincial level are concerned, has vowed to take the sport of bowling, popular sport of the urban areas, to the interior regions of the province.

Shoaib Siddiqui, who had taken over the chief of the sports department of Sindh in October 2008, firmly believes that it’s the fundamental right if every citizen to have access to the sporting facilities.

More significantly he also reckons that the government, besides the corporate sector, has a responsibility to create the sports infrastructure to let the common man engage himself in healthy activities.

The visionary and responsible government officers like him, who believe in meeting the challenge and overcoming the obstacles, are the ones who bring about a change despite the shortcomings in the system. It’s easier said than done.

Shoaib Siddiqui gladdened the hearts of the enthusiasts of the sport of bowling by supporting one of their tournaments recently which was organized by the Sindh Tenpin Bowling Association with the venue being the bustling Thunder Pins housed in Millennium Mall which is one of the favourite destinations for the youth of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and other adjoining areas.

It was the first ranking bowling event to be staged in Pakistan, made possible by the Sindh Sports Board (SSB). It was a major accomplishment for the organizers who had also made an appearance in the 13th Sindh Games 2010 held in Karachi.

The inaugural Sindh Inter-League Bowling Tournament 2010 was acclaimed as a success story with about 50 bowlers having registered in the masters and amateur categories. The outstanding performers of the landmark three-day were rewarded with cash prizes besides certificates and trophies.

Hanif Mohammad Mirchawala, Director Sports, Government of Sindh, was the chief guest in the presentation ceremony of the tournament having been inaugurated by the departmental chief, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui.

“I suggest that the Sindh Sport Board should provide us with the space to open up a bowling arena in terms of private-public partnership. We are trying our level best to make this sports reachable for every class, a technician who won gold dedal in 13thSindh Games Tenpin Bowling Event 2010 amateur category is the living example,” Romis Ali General Secretary, STBA, observed in his welcome speech.

Top Seed Shabbir Lashkarwala lived up to the billing to become the first Sindh Inter-League champion by scoring an average of 172. He was also the gold medalist in the13th Sindh Games 2010 Tenpin Bowling event.

Rashid Ali, Syed Zubair and Aleem Agha claimed the next three positions in the masters’ category with Mahmood Ahmed claiming the award for the highest score of 236.

Abdullah Tahir emerged the champion in the amateur singles while the next three positions were shared by Shahjahan, Abid Ahmed and Faizan Tariq. Abdullah Tahir got another prize for his being the top scorer with 214.

Sindh Whites, comprising of Khawaja Ahmed, Zubair Ali, Naeem, and Abdullah Tahi, won the team event with Sindh Green, featuring Robert, Shahjahan, Sarim and Mahmood Ahmed, finishing as the runner-up and Sindh Blues, containing Naseem Ahmed Qureshi, Shabbir Lashkerwala, Farhan Riaz and Abid Ahmed, getting third position. (www.skmsports.com)

Martyr of revolution and loyalty Dr Imran’s Farooq laid to rest

Dr. Imran Farooq, the Martyr of Revolution and founder member of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) laid to rest today at Shuhada Graveyard in Yaseenabad, Karachi. Earlier, the funeral prayer of Dr. Imran Farooq was offered at Jinnah Ground Azizabad. Leader of JUI Maulana Asad Thanvi profound the funeral Prayer of Dr. Imran Farooq. Hundreds of thousands office bearers, workers, supporters attended funeral prayer including Members of the MQM Coordination Committee and elected representatives While leaders of various political parties Pir Mazharu-ul-Haq, Rashid Rabbani, Waqar Mehdi, Najmi Aalam (PPP), Imtiaz Shaikh (PML-F), Nihal Hashmi (PML-N), Molana Asad Devbandi, Allama Ali Karrar Naqvi, Mirza Yousuf Hussain, Shakil Qadri (Sunni Tehreek), famous social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi and also attended the funeral Prayer. At the airport, the MQM leaders wrapped the coffin of their martyr leader’s body in party’s flag and placed the coffin in an ambulance of Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF). During the funeral prayer and burial emotional scenes were observed. MQM’s leaders, workers and family members of Dr. Imran Farooq could not control their sentiments and at times cried.

Dr Imran’s funeral: Karachi’s security on high alert

The security arrangements of the city have been mounted to the high alert for the arrival and funeral proceeding of Dr. Imran farooq’s body.

The Home Department of Sindh has instructed the police and rangers to make stern security arrangements on the occasion.

Following the instructions of the home department, security of all important and sensitive places has been beefed up and the police and rangers have started snap checking after increasing their movement on the roads.

Through a notification, issued by the Sindh Home Department, a 48 hours ban has been imposed on carrying arms and ammunition in the metropolis. This ban will start from today night at 12.00pm.

The CCPO of Karachi has said that all security arrangements have been finalized and a high alert has been imposed in the city to handle the arrival and burial of Dr. Imran Farooq’s dead body. (SAMAA)

7-Star Books on Sports

SECOND PHASE OF CITY-WIDE FUMIGATION

City District Government Karachi has started second phase of town-wise fumigation campaign after completion of first phase of extensive spray program. About 20 vehicles will be used for second phase to perform spray in two towns daily. City Government has also arranged a special spray program for flood relief camps. A total of 267 patients infected with dengue virus have received successful treatment in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

This was stated by Administrator Karachi Fazlur Rehman while talking to media representatives after inaugurating second phase of city wide fumigation campaign in Saddar Town Office on Friday.

He said that the special 40 bedded ward established in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital was providing best and free of cost medical treatment to patients suffered from dengue fever. More beds will be added in this ward if needed.

Administrator said that he has called a joint meeting of town administrators and city government to adopt a combined strategy to control the spread of dengue and other harmful viruses and to bring improvement in the overall sanitation condition in city.

He said that the on going fumigation will be made even more effective by adopting such a strategy that could effectively cover all areas or union councils in Karachi. In order to make it more effective, elected representatives on town level will be asked to support the fumigation campaign in their respective areas.

Administrator said that the shortage of resources will not create any obstacle in the continuous provision of better health care facilities to citizens.

He also appealed to citizens to register their complaints on 1339 regarding spray campaign in their area so that instant action could be taken. EDO Health Dr. Nasir Javed and Saddar Town Administrator Mukhtar Hussain were also present on this occasion.

Unregistered NGOs collecting donations

As Pakistanis rally around their suffering compatriots, dozens of unregistered NGOs are siphoning millions of rupees by setting up relief camps in the city, Central Asia Online has learned.

Their camps now stand on roadsides and near traffic lights in Karachi, while their representatives, including children, go soliciting door to door and through markets.

“We don’t need to register our NGO … because we are doing relief work,” said Malik Ajmal, sitting in the camp of Punjab Welfare (PW), a self-declared NGO in Karachi’s Korangi Industrial Area.

“We have collected donations and goods since August 5, and nobody from the police or administration has come to check our NGO credentials,” Ajmal told Central Asia Online.

PW has spent millions of rupees to help flood survivors in Punjab, he said. However, when asked, he had no written documentation of collections or expenditures. PW has no office or office staff, he said. Only three PW employees run the camp.

No mechanism for verifying NGO legitimacy exists, admitted Lt-Gen (R) Nadeem Ahmed, head of the National Disaster Management Authority.

“The government realises that some miscreants may collect donations in the guise of welfare or charity organisations, but currently any action against these people can destabilise relief and rescue operations,” Ahmed said.

“Relief operations are so fragile and speedily conducted that nobody can enforce any check on them, so we have to bank on the intentions of charities,” Ahmed said, adding that any action by the government against them could discourage genuine NGOs at a crucial time.

Another organisation, the Al-Gilani Welfare World Organisation (AGWWO), has set up camp on Malir Cantonment Road. Hussain Shah Gilani, the camp organiser, told Central Asia Online that AGWWO is not registered with the Social Welfare Department (SWD) but it was registered at “global level” and had been running the camp since August 8.

Gilani did not respond when asked about his NGO’s international registration. Locals said they had never heard of it.

Concerned agencies, especially the SWD and Home Department lack mechanisms to monitor fundraising by private organisations that never registered with the SWD.

Hijab Manzar, deputy director of SWD Sindh, told Central Asia Online that his agency was aware of spurious NGOs collecting donations for flood relief.

“We can take action only if we receive complaints from organisations registered with SWD,” Manzar said. “We need special orders from the provincial chief secretary in order to take action against these phony NGOs.”

About 7,000 NGOs are registered in Sindh with SWD and are working properly in collaboration with the government, she said. Most of the registered NGOs are based in Karachi, she added.

Some of the supposed NGOs that have established camps throughout the city have never been heard of before. Some use the names of political party leaders to discourage official attention.

The government should develop a mechanism to monitor NGOs involved in relief and rescue operations, genuine NGO officials and development analysts said.

“Karachi’s local administration should check the NGOs to learn who is collecting donations, why they collected them, and where they were spent,” said Muhammad Habib, a Karachi-based development expert. The government should take strict action against questionable NGOs, he added.(Central Asia Online)

Rotary facilitates Pakistani boy’s heart surgery in Bangalore

Mohammad Sufiyan

Rotary International’s District 3271, comprising the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan, has facilitated the treatment and subsequent heart surgery of a local boy, Mohammad Sufiyan, in the Indian town of Bangalore .

Mr Aziz Memon, National Chair, Rotary’s Polio Plus Committee and a former District Governor, announced here on Tuesday that Sufiyan, a nine-year-old boy, will be leaving for Bangalore with his parents on September 23 where he will be operated upon 10 or 12 days later.

“Master Sufiyan was under the treatment of Dr Nawaz Lashari at Karachi ’s National Medical Centre for the past four months but the stage had come when he needed to undergo surgery. We got in touch with the Manipal Hospital in Bangalore for further advice where the ailing boy will be taken now,” Mr Aziz Memon disclosed.

“We are confident that Master Sufiyan and his parents will be returning happily to our country upon successful surgery. Let all of us pray for the little boy,” he concluded.

Make Noise

“Make noise” is an event organized by AWAZ CDS (GCAP PAKISTAN NATIONAL SECRETARIAT) all around the country from 17-19th September. The call for action against poverty should be given in these events. In Karachi, the event has been organized by Nauman Adil, member GCAP PAKISTAN,at Karachi press club and Karachi college(the camp of idp’s from Sindh) .The protest has been launched with different slogans in which they ask the government to eliminate poverty by 2015 as stated by the United Nation millennium development goals. Many people from different walk of lives attended the event.The protest should be launched with noise from different musical instruments but due to 10 days mourn announced by the local political party because of the murder of their leader , the protest has only been launched with slogans.

MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq assassinated in London

Muttaheda Qaumi Movement leader Dr. Imran Farooq was assassinated last evening near his residence in London.

According to available reports, Dr. Imran Farooq was going towards his flat when an unknown person attacked him with a stiletto near a park in Mill Hill area near Edgware.

He received multiple wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

It may be mentioned here Dr. Imran Farooq was one of the founding member of MQM and held a number of important positions in the party including that of General Secretary in earlier days when the party was called Mohajir Qaumi Movement, later he attained the position of Convenor of Muttaheda Qaumi Movement.

He was also the Member of National Assembly (MNA). His wife Shumaila Farooq was also an MPA during 2002 elections.

He leaves behind a widow and two sons besides other family members.

He went into hiding when the army launched ‘Operation clean-up’ in 1992. After few years he managed to escape to London. He surfaced in London on ninth day of September, 1999.

For quite some time he was not playing any active role in the party but was regularly attending the functions held at the MQM International Secretariat.

MQM has canceled all the programmes throughout the world being held to celebrate Altaf Hussain’s birthday today.

Last evening the MQM workers thronged the entire Azizabad area particularly the lanes and by-lanes near party’s headquarters Nine Zero to celebrate Altaf Hussain’s birthday when this sad news came and MQM Deputy Convenor Dr. Farooq Sattar asked the party workers to go homes as all programmes have been canceled in emergency.

Later the Coordination Committee both in London and Pakistan held its meetings after which an announcement was made in this regard.

Later, MQM leaders went to the residence of DR. Imran Farooq in Sharifabad area to sympathise with the family members including Imran Farooq’s father who was also a Haq Parast MNA in the year 1997.

Moving scenes were seen near MQM headquarters and the residence of Dr. Imran Farooq where a large number of MQM leaders, workers and supporters were seen weeping sympathizing with each other.

It is expected that his body will be brought here and he mat buried at MQM’s Shuhda graveyard in Yaseenabad.

MQM announces 10 days mourning

MQM has vehemently condemned the assassination of Dr. Imran Farooq and has announced a worldwide ten days mourning. A statement issued from party’s International Secretariat said that all party activities will remain suspended for the next ten days. The decision was taken jointly by the MQM London and Pakistan Coordination Committee. Expressing condolences with the father Farooq Ahmed, mother, wife and other bereaved family members party chief Altaf Hussain expressed his deep grief and sorrow and said, that all MQM members, workers and supporters equally share their grief. He prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant fortitude courage to all to bear this irreparable loss. (NC Report)

Swiss government accelerates relief efforts

The outgoing Consul General of Switzerland in Karachi Martin Beinz has said that his government is accelerating efforts to provide aid to the victims of the gruesome recent floods in Pakistan.

Speaking at a reception held in his honor by the President Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Association (SAMEA) at the residence of its Executive member Rashid Ahmed Siddiqui recently he hoped that Pakistan will overcome the calamity with resilience while the whole world stands behind with the aid being flown in rapidly.

President Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Association, Zafar Iqbal presenting crest to outgoing Consul General of Switzerland in Karachi Martin Beinz at Iftar dinner at the residence of its Executive member Rashid Ahmed Siddiqui, Syed Farukh Mazhar and others also seen in the picture. 

The diplomat who is on his way to his new assignment after completing his tenure of over 3 years to Chicago USA recalling his stay in Karachi as memorable and exciting and hailed the business community particularly SAMEA for close coordination and doing utmost to promote bilateral business with his country and offered his help to further increase the bilateral trade.

Earlier President SAMEA Zafar Iqbal in his opening remarks lauded the interaction and efforts of the outgoing diplomat and said that his readiness to promote the small businesses were exemplary and hoped a bright future for his future career.

On this occasion the Consul Generals from Japan, Sri Lanka, Iran, Vietnam, Germany along with former Senator Iqbal Hyder and large number of SAMEA office bearers and members were also present.