ABAD appreciates budget, desires more relief

 

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) has welcomed the recognition of the construction industry at the national level as their proposal was incorporated in the federal budget for the fiscal year 20015-16.

Addressing a press conference Junaid Ashraf Taloo, Chairman, Mohammad Hanif Memon, Vice Chairman, and Mohammad Hassan Bakhshi, Chairman, Southern Region, observed that for the first time the construction industry was given its due importance with the acceptance of the ABAD proposal in the federal budget. Zaigham Mahmood Rizvi, housing expert, and Saleem Kassim Patel, Convenor Budget Committee, were also present on the occasion. 

“If our proposals would have been accepted in total, it would have reduced the housing cost by 15% and increased in revenue collection of government,” they declared. Junaid Ashraf Taloo appreciated the Federal Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar, for taking some positive steps for construction industry. 

“We would have witnessed phenomenal growth of the construction industry if all our proposals were accepted. Further it would have provided greater relief to common man regarding low cost houses,” the ABAD Chairman stated. 

“A few automatic re-rolling mills hold monopoly and they are selling the steel bars at a much higher rate. In the local market steel bars are being sold through cartellization at the rate of Rs.85,000 per ton,” he pointed out. 

He appealed to the government to allow import of steel bars to the ABAD members directly whose benefit will be passed on to common man. He asked the government to abolish Federal Excise Duty on sale of cement may be abolished. The ABAD had proposed that sales tax on cement be charged at ex-factory rate instead of the market rate. 

He urged the government to establish Mortgage Finance Board to boost the housing sector so that the shortage of 80 lacs houses was minimized, besides asking the authorities to abolish Provincial Services Sales Tax on builders since they were not classified as service providers. 

“The government has to provide discount in Mortgage Financing and the Markup should be decrease to 4% or 5%, it will improve the purchasing power of common man. The ban on gas connection should be lifted,” the ABAD Chairman appealed. 

The ABAD proposals also included the start of first phase of Motorway M-9 from Karachi instead of Hyderabad, allocation of funds for K-IV water project to solve the water problem of Karachi, and the fixation of markup on house finance @ 3% only.

PEC elections on June 14

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The candidate for the post of Senior Vice President (SVP) of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Engr Inam Ahmed Osmani, and Engr Jamshed Rizvi, in a joint press conference, complained that the election rules were being violated and the polling stations were being set up in far flung areas of Karachi in order to devoid voters casting their votes. They demanded the polling stations to be set up in North Nazimabad, Federal B Area, PECHS and Burns Road in Karachi.

The governing body elections of the PEC are scheduled to be held on June 14 on all Pakistan basis to elect 46 members including Chairman and Senior Vice Chairman through right of franchise by 180,000 registered voters. 86,127 registered voters are in Punjab, 66,774 in Sindh, 24,751 in Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa and 4,921 in Baluchistan who could cast votes to elect candidates. 

Engr Osmani and Engr Rizvi remarked that the governing body of the PEC has taken the decision to set up one polling station for 1,000 voters and one polling booth for 200 to 250 voters and the location of polling station would be set up in easy approach. 

They regretted that instead the present administration of PEC has set up ten polling stations in Karachi to deprive voters of their right of fanchise. They revealed that the PEC administration has set up three polling stations for 4% voters in District Malir, four polling stations for 10% voters in District South, only one polling station for 47% voters in District Central, just one polling station for 28% voters of District East and one polling station for 5% voters of District West, while not a single polling station was set up in District Korangi. 

They alleged that the administration had intentionally selected polling station sites at far and difficult to reach places. They said that some candidates and voters met with the members of election committee PEC and acquainted the issue but all in vain. They demanded Minister of Science and Technology and Election Committee PEC to set up polling stations at North Nazimabad, Federal B Area, Burns Road according to number of voters. 

Engr Osmani and Engr Rizvi said that the election was being held under the biometric system, which was pleasing on one hand but it may also cause delay as under the procedure one voter would consume 4 to 5 minutes for casting vote. 

They contended that under this condition approximately not more than 120 votes would be cast in ten hours and more than 80% voters would be deprived of their right to vote under the plan of administration of PEC. They said that the governing body elected in 2011 was scheduled to expire on December 31, 2014 but it unilaterally extended period by one year, which was illegal and contravening the rules of the PEC. 

They added that under the constitution of the PEC only those engineers are entitled to cast vote those were registered by June 30 of the election year but the governing body on its own changed the registration date to May 14 and decided to hold election on June 14, instead of June 30. 

They said that on the other hand less polling were set up all over Pakistan and in Lahore alone 5 polling stations are set up for 17,900 voters, two polling station in Multan for 3,100 voters, three polling stations in Peshawar for 5,238 voters, three polling stations in Islamabad for 8,790 voters and just three polling stations for 7,930 voters of Rawalpindi. They felt that the election committee PEC was striving to prevent voters from casting their votes.

Pakistan Railways launch drive against ticketless passengers

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

In a massive drive against ticketless travellers in Karachi Division of the Pakistan Railways apprehended a record 11,205 passengers during the month of May 2015.

The drive was carried out by the Divisional Commercial Officer, Nasir Nazeer, on the directives of the Divisional Superintendent Engr Nisar Memon as a follow-up of instructions from the Federal Railways Minister, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, for rooting out the menace of ticketless traveling which was causing huge losses to the organization.

Accordingly, the DCO raided various trains and caught 11,205 ticketless passengers and recovered over Rs 10.008 million as fine and fare and deposited the same in the government exchequer. 

It may be mentioned here that during April 2015, in a similar action, the DCO had apprehended 10,985 ticketless passengers and recovered over Rs 8,516 million,

It may be recalled here that in during an intensive checking carried out in August 2014, DCO Nasir Nazeer had recovered a record over Rs 17.1 million from passengers who were caught traveling without ticket.

According to the DCO, during May 2015, the trains raided to detect ticketless travelers included Awam Express, Pakistan Express, Allama Iqbal Express, Kara Koram Express and other trains.

Meanwhile, the Railways authorities have appreciated the performance of the young and energetic Divisional Commercial Officer with the directive that this campaign should continue with still greater intensification to curb the menace of ticketless traveling.

SSUET board meets on June 13

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Board of Governors of the Sir Syed University of Engineering &Technology (SSUET), Karachi, is scheduled to meet on June 13, under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr Jawaid H. Rizvi. 

The board meeting, due to commence at 6 pm, will accord approval to the university’s budget for the fiscal year 2015-16. It will also consider and give approval to the recommendations of the university’s Academic Council which earlier met and gave approval to the recommendations submitted by the Joint Board of Faculties and Board of Advance Studies and Research. 

The recommendations mainly concerned the courses of studies, Semester and admission rules for the purpose of inclusion in the prospectus for the academic year 2016. 

The SSUET Board of Governors comprises of eminent personalities like Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, Lt Gen (Rtd) Moinuddin Haider, Prof Dr Ata-ur-Rehman, Justice Sadiq Hussain Bhatti, President KCCI, Secretary Education and others.

Protesting doctors seek job regularization

By Rashid Zia Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

 

The lives of more than 40,000 patients suffering from hepatitis was at stake as they were devoid of vaccine under the government sponsored Hepatitis Control Programme. On the other hand the staff including 438 doctors and nursing staff working in the programme was protesting at not being given permanent status yet.

 

The Hepatitis Control Programme was launched in Sindh for patients suffering from hepatitis B and C for which 82 centers were established in the province with huge staff on temporary basis.

 

However the staff was given assurance by Sindh Health Department that they would be regularized in future but the promise was not fulfilled. The staff later approached the court of law where the Sindh government, on January 30 this year, assured that the staff would be regularized after completing the data.

 

The leaders of Doctors’ Action Committee, Dr Abdul Rahman and Dr Mansoor Qureshi, regretted that the Sindh government did not fullfill it promise of regularizing the staff of Hepatitis Control Programme following which 82 centers of Sindh were shut down through which more than 40,000 patients used to get free vaccination.

 

They disclosed that the hepatitis injection was out of stock due to which the lives of the patients were in danger. They warned that the hepatitis can convert in cancer if the vaccination line was discontinued.

 

The doctors revealed that the health department has once again assured the regularization of jobs but they were not in a position to pull back the patient from mouth of death.

 

On the other hand sources on the condition of anonymity indicated that the tug of war of corruption in the purchase of vaccine between influential personalities was the main cause of the crisis.

Admission at Bakhtawar Cadet College for Girls to start soon

By Rashid Zia Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The admissions to the first-ever Girls Cadet College Sindh would start soon, the decision was taken in the meeting of Board of Directors of Bakhtawar Cadet College for Girls, Nawabshah.

The meeting was presided by the Chief of Air Staff Southern Command and it was attended by the Commissioner, Ghulam Mustafa Phull, the Deputy Commissioner, Tahir Hussain Sangi, education expert, S M Yousuf and officials of the departments of finance and education. 

The Deputy Commissioner informed the meeting that the first Girls Cadet College was being constructed on an area of 100 acres and the admission would soon be starting. He said that the college was best fit for the people of Sindh, adding that the approach road has been constructed to reach the college easily. 

Addressing the meeting, the Deputy Chief of Air Staff Southern Command said that the posting of principal was under process and this college would work under the auspices of the Pakistan Air Force. He expressed the hope that the college would produce outstanding girls cadets.

SSP Mirpurkhas highlights sporting spirit

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Usman Ghani Siddiqui said that people of Mirpurkhas were ambitious and have interest in sports and for that reason several sports programmes were arranged on the occasion Golden Jubilee Mango Festival. 

He was addressing at the concluding session of shootingball exhibition match organized at the Government Girls High School by the district administration with the support of the Sindh Bank. 

The shootingball match was played between the teams of Niaz Club Hyderabad and Lashari Club Mirpurkhas. The match was won by Niaz Club by 16 points. Secretary RTA Muhammad Hassan Qureshi, DO Sports, Muhammad Arshad Arain, and a large number of sports lovers were present on the occasion.

Mirpurkhas Commissioner backs sports culture

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Divisional Commissioner of Mirpurkhas, Shafique Ahmed Mahesar, believed that the players who remain on the front of game remain the winners. He said that the society gives good impression with the holding of sports events. 

He was addressing on the occasion of distribution of prizes to prominent position holders in the cycling race organized by district administration in collaboration with Lipton Tea Company.

The Commissioner stated that the district administration was taking concrete steps to promote sports in Mirpurkhas. 

The cycling race commenced from Jamrao and concluded at the Gama Stadium. It was participated by cyclists from Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Khairpur. The first position in cycle race was clinched by Muhammad Sumair of Karachi while Riaz Ahmed of Hyderabad and Sajid Ali of Karachi stood on second and third position on the victory stand. 

SSP Mirpurkhas, Usman Ghani Siddiqui, also took part in cycle race. Secretary RTA Pervez Hassan Qureshi, DO Sports Muhammad Arshad Arain, Wahid Pehlwani, Nasir Baloch, Imam Baloch, Malik Iqbal and Hassan Baloch were also present on the occasion.

Advisor desires promotion of tradional sports

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Special Advisor to the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Riaz Ali Shah Khurasani, has reckoned that traditional Sindhi wrestling (kodi kodi) was affiliated with the Sindhi culture and its promotion was the responsibility of all the stakeholders. 

Talking in the event held on the sidelines of the Golden Jubilee Mango Festival in Mirpurkhas, he observed that the participation in such traditional games would encourage players. 

Kodi kodi and Malkhra in-charge Assistant Commissioner of Taluka Ghulam Muhammad Jhaman Das, President Kabbadi Kabbadi Association Saleh Kori, Malik Iqbal, Imam Baloch and sports lovers were present on the occasion. 

He pointed out that Mirpurkhas was the only district in Sindh where majority of varieties of mangos were produced and exported to foreign countries. 

He said that the organization of the Mango Festival was aimed at introducing the varieties of mangos produced by small growers, noting that such exhibitions become a link between mango producers and importers of foreign markets.

CM Sindh chairs party meeting in Mirpurkhas

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has declared that notice has been taken of the shortage of irrigation water in Mirpurkhas and an enquiry committee headed by Secretary Irrigation has been formed to look into the matter.

 

He made the announcement after chairing a party meeting meeting held at the residence of the PPP President Mirpurkhas Division, Pir Syed Aftab Shah Jilani, a senior parliamentarian and a former federal Minister.

 

The Chief Minister deliberated on the strategy in the ensuing local government elections scheduled to be held in September in which, as a matter of policy, the party workers will be given a chance.

 

He emphasized that the workers were the party assets and the high-ups realized the sense of their sacrifices at all levels.

 

PPP District President, Mir Munawwar Talpur, Tharparkar President, Mahesh Malani, Umerkot President, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, Taluka presidents party office bearers and workers were also present on the occasion.