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Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Deprived communities: Sindh govt, GCT to transform academic landscape: minister
KARACHI: Sindh Home and Law Minister, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, has reaffirmed the provincial government's support for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working to educate children from underprivileged communities across the province. He further stated that the Sindh government and Green Crescent Trust (GCT) could transform the landscape of education for underserved communities across the province. Speaking as chief guest at the inauguration of the landmark Educational Complex of the non-profit Green Crescent Trust (GCT) in Mehrabpur, Lanjar praised the initiative, which in its first phase will provide schooling for 600 children from disadvantaged families. The Home minister went a step further by announcing that he would personally volunteer his services to support charitable educational efforts anywhere in Sindh. 'I am available for these voluntary services anywhere in Sindh to brighten the future of our future generations. My services will always be available — both as a provincial minister and afterwards,' he said. Lanjar commended the high standards of the newly built academic facilities at GCT's Educational Complex, given the name Al-M'awa campus. He expressed concern that doctors and teachers in public institutions often preferred to work in major cities rather than remote and underdeveloped areas, urging them to follow the example of NGO staff who willingly serve in challenging rural environments. He noted that the Sindh government had been actively partnering with dedicated NGOs through public-private partnerships to revitalise educational and healthcare facilities for marginalised communities. He particularly lauded the fact that hundreds of GCT's female teachers were graduates of its own schools, calling it 'the best way to uplift one's underserved native area.' He assured the audience that the provincial government, through the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF), would provide maximum financial and academic support to credible NGOs such as GCT, which had been working tirelessly to educate children from underprivileged areas. The Home minister also announced that he would donate land to expand educational services of the GCT in Sindh. Naushahro Feroze Deputy Commissioner, Muhammad Arsalan Saleem, also addressed the gathering, pledging full support from the local administration for GCT's schools in his district. General Amjad Khattak (retd), GCT Adviser, stressed that enrolling out-of-school children was essential for Pakistan's progress, urging charities, NGOs, and provincial education authorities to work together to eradicate illiteracy and establish quality schools in neglected regions. GCT CEO, Zahid Saeed, said launching a state-of-the-art educational facility for an underserved community was the best way to celebrate Pakistan's Independence Day and Marka-e-Haq with true zeal and purpose. He thanked GCT's dedicated donors and patrons for enabling it to expand quality education into remote areas where the government and other NGOs had not established schools. Zahid Saeed shared that, in its 31-year history, GCT had established a network of 173 charitable schools in Sindh, enrolling 34,660 children from destitute families. Once fully operational, the Mehrabpur Educational Complex will accommodate 2,400 students up to Class 12, becoming GCT's second facility in Sindh to also offer college-level education. The total cost of the project is Rs 400 million, with Rs 110 million spent to complete the first phase, which includes modern classrooms, IT and science laboratories, a library, a playground, and vocational training facilities. In Mehrabpur alone, GCT currently operates 11 charitable schools educating 2,200 children, more than 40 per cent of whom are girls. He announced that with the support of its generous donors, the GCT will start many similar schools in the future. He also informed the audience that under the vision 2030 of GCT, it will meet the overall target of 100,000 enrolment with a total of 250 schools. He expressed his sincerest gratitude to the Sindh CM, the education minister and SEF for their strong support for GCT in enrolling out-of-school children. 'We are also deeply grateful to our generous donors and patrons for their outstanding support of our drive to enrol out-of-school children in Sindh,' said GCT CEO Zahid Saeed. He added, 'We are thankful to Sindh Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar for taking time from his pressing engagements to inaugurate our new school and demonstrate his unwavering commitment to the cause of educating children from deprived communities.' Provincial government representatives, development partners, philanthropists, and community stakeholders also attended the inauguration ceremony. Philanthropist Zia Hameed and GCT trustee Saad Zia also spoke on the importance of charitable initiatives in eliminating illiteracy in Pakistan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Kuwait Times
10-06-2025
- Kuwait Times
Over 200 prisoners break out of Pakistani jail after quake panic
Over 200 prisoners break out of Pakistani jail after quake panic Prisoners snatched guards' guns and started shootout KARACHI: More than 200 inmates escaped from a jail in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi late on Monday when they overpowered prison guards after being allowed to leave their cells following a series of earthquakes, local officials and police said. The jailbreak began just before midnight and continued into the early hours of Tuesday after hundreds of prisoners were allowed into the courtyard of the District Malir prison because of the tremors, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister, told reporters at the scene on Tuesday. Police said the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff and forced open the main gate after a shootout, evading paramilitary soldiers. At least one prisoner was killed and three guards wounded, said Provincial Police Chief Ghulam Nabi Memon. 'I heard the firing for quite some time and then some time later prisoners made their way out running in all directions,' Bukhsh, a private security guard at a residential complex opposite the jail who goes by a single name, told Reuters. He added that some of the prisoners entered the apartment complex before being taken away by police. On Tuesday, a Reuters reporter who visited the prison saw shattered glass and damaged electronic equipment. A meeting room, for prisoners to see their families, had been ransacked. Anxious family members had gathered outside. The jailbreak was one of the largest ever in Pakistan, Lanjar said. The prison, which houses 6,000 inmates, is in the Malir district of Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city. Prisoners ran through the area throughout the night, some of them barefoot, with police giving chase, local TV footage showed. About 80 of those who escaped had been caught, said Murad Ali Shah, the provincial chief minister. The jail's superintendent, Arshad Shah, told reporters that there were 28 prison guards on duty at night, and that 'only a few of such a large number of prisoners escaped'. He said the prison did not have security cameras. Officials said the inmates, many of them heroin users, had been unnerved by the earthquakes. 'There was panic here because of earthquake tremors,' said Lanjar. The provincial chief minister said it was a mistake for prison authorities to have allowed the prisoners to leave their cells. He urged the inmates still at large to hand themselves in, or face a serious charge for breaking out. 'Petty crime charges will become a big case like terrorism,' Shah said. — Reuters
Express Tribune
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Sindh bans 4-seater rickshaws; amends vehicle registration rules
Sindh government on Friday approved a ban on four-seater rickshaws and online as well as on the counter sale of tinted windows, police lights, and sirens. The meeting chaired by Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar discussed amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules also approved outsourcing the motor vehicle fitness check. IGP Sindh, and secretaries of law, transport and mass transit, excise and taxation, along with the DIG traffic were present in the meeting. They approved mandatory fitness certification for commercial and non-commercial vehicles, It was decided that a draft would be prepared and submitted to the government for approval and ratification of the amendments. Participants approved a complete ban on four-seater rickshaws, and decided to make it mandatory for water tankers and dumpers to install trackers and sensors. Minister Lanjar stated that third party services will be engaged to issue fitness certificates to commercial and non-commercial vehicles, with formal Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed with them. Violation fines were also approved, including Rs200,000 fined for wrong-way driving of government vehicles, Rs25,000 for motorcyclists driving against traffic, and Rs100,000 for four-wheelers violating one-way rules. Motorcyclists driving without a license are to be fined Rs25,000, while car drivers are to be fined Rs50,000 for the violation. Meanwhile, first-time offenders of one-wheeling or drifting are to be fined Rs100,000, increasing to Rs200,000 and Rs300,000 for repeat offenses. Minister Lanjar also approved the installation of at least five cameras in heavy/load-carrying vehicles. Additionally, e-challans for traffic violations will be delivered to vehicle owners' registered home addresses, and vehicles with unpaid fines will not be approved for sale or transfer. The minister further stated that the traffic, transport, and excise systems will now be interlinked and operated online, while a dedicated Traffic Magistrate will be appointed to handle traffic law violation cases. Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawala assured the department's full support in enforcing traffic regulations and emphasised that no registration or route permit will be issued to four-seater or larger rickshaws, and a crackdown will be launched against any such vehicles on the roads. He further stated that all organisational steps to establish the vehicle fitness service structure will be completed promptly, after which strict enforcement of fitness requirements will follow.
Business Recorder
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- Business Recorder
Complete ban on four-seater rickshaws enforced
KARACHI; A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Minister for Law and Home, Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar, to discuss amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules. The session featured comprehensive discussions, consultations, and proposals, resulting in effective and practical decisions. Key decisions included mandatory fitness certification for both commercial and non-commercial vehicles, outsourcing vehicle fitness evaluations to third parties, and a ban on the sale of tinted windows, fancy lights, and sirens either online or at shops. The meeting was briefed separately by the Secretary of Law, Secretary of Transport, and DIG Traffic Karachi on necessary amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules, enforcement of traffic regulations, and other essential matters. During the meeting, participants unanimously approved legal amendments to enforce a complete ban on four-seater rickshaws, and to make it mandatory for water tankers and dumpers to install trackers and sensors. It was resolved that a comprehensive draft would be prepared and submitted to the government of Sindh for approval and ratification. On the occasion, Lanjar stated that services of third parties will be engaged for issuing fitness certificates to commercial and non-commercial vehicles and formal Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) will be signed with them in compliance with all applicable regulations. He added that to reduce traffic congestion, accidents, and rule violations, only 1x2 seater rickshaws will be allowed on the roads. The meeting approved strict fines, including Rs200,000 for wrong-way driving by government vehicles, Rs25,000 for motorcyclists driving against traffic, Rs100,000 for four-wheelers violating one-way rules, Rs25,000 for motorcyclists and Rs50,000 for car drivers without a driving license, Rs100,000 for first-time offences of one-wheeling or drifting, increasing to Rs 200,000 and Rs300,000 for repeat offences. Lanjar also approved the mandatory installation of at least five cameras in heavy/ load-carrying vehicles. Additionally, e-challans for traffic violations will be delivered to vehicle owners' registered home addresses. Vehicles with unpaid fines will not be allowed to be sold or transferred. He further stated that the traffic, transport, and excise systems will now be interlinked and operated online. He also announced that a dedicated Traffic Magistrate will be appointed to handle traffic law violation cases. On the occasion, Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawala assured full support from the Excise Department in enforcing traffic regulations and emphasised that no registration or route permits will be issued for four-seater or larger rickshaws (Chingchi), and a crackdown will be launched on any such vehicles found running on the roads. He said that all organisational steps to establish the vehicle fitness service structure will be completed promptly, after which strict enforcement of fitness requirements will follow. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Sindh bans 4-seater rickshaws, amends vehicle registration rules
Listen to article Sindh government on Friday approved a ban on four-seater rickshaws and online as well as on the counter sale of tinted windows, police lights, and sirens. The meeting chaired by Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar discussed amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules also approved outsourcing the motor vehicle fitness check. IGP Sindh, and secretaries of law, transport and mass transit, excise and taxation, along with the DIG traffic were present in the meeting. They approved mandatory fitness certification for commercial and non-commercial vehicles, It was decided that a draft would be prepared and submitted to the government for approval and ratification of the amendments. Read more: Karachi bans motor-cab rickshaws on 11 major roads Participants approved a complete ban on four-seater rickshaws, and decided to make it mandatory for water tankers and dumpers to install trackers and sensors. Minister Lanjar stated that third party services will be engaged to issue fitness certificates to commercial and non-commercial vehicles, with formal Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed with them. Violation fines were also approved, including Rs200,000 fined for wrong-way driving of government vehicles, Rs25,000 for motorcyclists driving against traffic, and Rs100,000 for four-wheelers violating one-way rules. Motorcyclists driving without a license are to be fined Rs25,000, while car drivers are to be fined Rs50,000 for the violation. Meanwhile, first-time offenders of one-wheeling or drifting are to be fined Rs100,000, increasing to Rs200,000 and Rs300,000 for repeat offenses. Minister Lanjar also approved the installation of at least five cameras in heavy/load-carrying vehicles. Additionally, e-challans for traffic violations will be delivered to vehicle owners' registered home addresses, and vehicles with unpaid fines will not be approved for sale or transfer. The minister further stated that the traffic, transport, and excise systems will now be interlinked and operated online, while a dedicated Traffic Magistrate will be appointed to handle traffic law violation cases. Also read: Rickshaw ban hits commuters Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawala assured the department's full support in enforcing traffic regulations and emphasised that no registration or route permit will be issued to four-seater or larger rickshaws, and a crackdown will be launched against any such vehicles on the roads. He further stated that all organisational steps to establish the vehicle fitness service structure will be completed promptly, after which strict enforcement of fitness requirements will follow.
