Author: Ahsan Mughal

By Ahsan Mughal KARACHI: On Sunday, police briefly detained Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) MPA Muhammad Farooq along with several party workers during a press conference outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office in Karachi. The gathering, organized by JI supporters, was a protest against alleged rigging in the 2024 general elections, when police moved in to disperse the crowd. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) South, Mahzoor Ali, clarified that no arrests had been made. “No JI workers were arrested or taken to the police station,” he said. Earlier, MPA Farooq had told reporters that the ECP office “is not the house…

By Ahsan Mughal KARACHI: Two women travelling from Karachi to Dubai were detained by FIA immigration authorities at the city’s airport, with one admitting to links with an illegal network, officials said. During routine immigration checks, both women were offloaded from their flight under suspicion of involvement in unlawful activities. Authorities said the women had presented tourist visas, but during questioning revealed they intended to work abroad. One of the women, a resident of Faisalabad, acknowledged connections to an immoral network. FIA officials added that the central organizer behind the travel arrangements was also arrested. Multiple mobile phones recovered from…

By Ahsan Mughal KARACHI: The chairman of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and federal minister for education, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, has said his party’s demand to place Karachi under federal administration is not unconstitutional, insisting that the proposal falls within the framework of the constitution.Speaking to journalists on Thursday after a laptop distribution ceremony at NED University, Siddiqui said that if the demand was being labelled as treason, then the relevant constitutional clause should be removed. He said he would raise the issue directly with the prime minister.Commenting on the Gul Plaza tragedy, Siddiqui questioned whether even the Sindh…

“This is not just about security; it is an attempt to divert attention from the Gul Plaza tragedy. This time, we will not let it go unaddressed,” MQM-P leader said By Ahsan Mughal KARACHI: Senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Dr. Farooq Sattar, has publicly demanded the resignations of Sindh’s Chief Minister, the Information Minister, and the Mayor of Karachi. He called on Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to take action and ensure that the officials step down. Speaking at a press conference in Karachi alongside Haider Abbas Rizvi, Sattar expressed concern over security arrangements,…

By Ahsan Mughal KARACHI: The opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, Ali Khurshidi, said he would not allow the provincial assembly to function until a judicial commission was formed to investigate the Gul Plaza tragedy. Speaking to reporters outside the Sindh Assembly, Khurshidi said lawmakers were not being allowed to discuss the incident on the assembly floor. He said ten days had passed but key questions remained unanswered, and rejected the provincial government’s investigation committee. Khurshidi called on the public to support the opposition’s demand for a judicial commission. He said the assembly would remain paralyzed until such a commission…

By Ahsan Mughal KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) opened an investigation into alleged corruption exceeding Rs3 billion in a Sindh government project intended to supply solar panels to low-income households. The scheme, backed by a $100 million loan from the World Bank, aimed to deliver 200,000 solar units across the province, offering renewable energy access to some of the most vulnerable communities. Following a formal notice from NAB, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah authorized the release of detailed project records to the agency, allowing investigators to examine procurement processes, contracts, and delivery timelines. Sources familiar with the…

By Ashan Mughal KARACHI: The chairman of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P), Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week, calling for the establishment of a high-level, independent commission to investigate the Gul Plaza disaster. The building, which collapsed days earlier in Karachi, has left families mourning and raised questions about safety and oversight in the city’s construction sector. In his letter, Siddiqui urged that the proposed “Gul Plaza Inquiry Commission” operate transparently to uncover facts and identify those responsible for the tragedy. He recommended that the panel include representatives from multiple federal institutions, including the Federal…

By Ahsan Mughal KARACHI: Stakeholders in Karachi have warned that the city’s transport system is on the brink of collapse, calling for a comprehensive mass transit program to serve its more than 35 million residents. The warnings came during a seminar titled “Karachi Transport: Burning Issues and Solutions,” chaired by Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Monem Zafar Khan. The event brought together lawmakers, senior bureaucrats, transport officials, and civil society representatives. Monem Zafar said the provincial government had failed to implement initiatives it should have completed 15 years ago. He described the city as “handed over to mafias” while public problems mount.…

By Ahsan Mughal KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has officially launched a public campaign under the banner of ‘Save Karachi,’ aimed at drawing attention to the city’s pressing administrative, economic, and social challenges. The campaign was announced at a key meeting held on Monday at a park adjacent to the MQM-P headquarters in Bahadurabad, attended by senior party leaders, town union representatives, central department heads, and a large number of right-leaning members of the national and provincial assemblies. Addressing the gathering, MQM-P chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the responsibility to act fell on everyone, emphasizing that the city…

By Ahsan Mughal KARACHI: The Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) has called for the creation of a separate Southern Sindh province, arguing that the region’s growing administrative failures and economic hardships make the move essential rather than optional. Speaking at a meeting with a delegation of MQM-H elders from the district central areas at the residence of party leader Sadiq Idris, he said the demand was rooted in a need for justice, not division. “Southern Sindh is not about separation; it is about fairness,” Idris told the gathering. He highlighted that the existing provincial structure had failed to meet the needs…