Author: Moin Ullah Shah

By Moin Ullah Shah KARACHI: The Asia-Pacific Shelter and Settlements Forum 2026 opened in Karachi on Monday, bringing together senior political leaders, international delegates and urban development experts from across the region. The ceremony was attended by First Lady Asifa Bhutto Zardari and Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, along with members of the provincial cabinet and foreign delegations. Speaking at the opening session, Sindh chief secretary Asif Hyder Shah described it as an honour for the provincial government to host the Asia-Pacific Shelter and Settlements Forum 2026. He said more than 600 delegates and experts from 41 countries…

By Moin Ullah Shah KARACHI: A poetry recital was held on the sixth day of a 10-day flower show organised under the patronage of Korangi Town chairman Muhammad Naeem Sheikh, drawing large crowds to Eidgah Ground in Karachi. The spring festival, which has attracted strong public interest since its opening, saw an evening mushaira arranged by the literary group Bismil Arts Council. Prominent poets, writers and literature enthusiasts from across the city attended the event. The programme began with a recitation from the Qur’an and a naat, followed by the formal start of the mushaira. Poets presented verses on love,…

By Moin Ullah Shah KORANGI: A ten-day Jashn-e-Baharan spring festival was formally inaugurated at Eidgah Ground in Korangi No 3½ under the leadership of Korangi Town chairman Muhammad Naeem Sheikh, with a large public turnout celebrating the arrival of spring. The opening ceremony was attended by Karachi deputy mayor Salman Abdullah Murad and Pakistan Peoples Party Korangi district president Jani Memon as chief guests. The deputy mayor inaugurated the festival by cutting the ribbon and toured various stalls, the flower exhibition and other arrangements. The town chairman later presented him with a traditional Sindhi ajrak. Addressing the gathering, Muhammad Naeem…

By Moin Ullah Shah KARACHI: A major water supply line at the Dhabeji pumping station burst with a loud explosion on Tuesday, triggering concerns over a possible disruption to Karachi’s water supply. Officials said the rupture occurred on one of the main pipelines that serve as a lifeline for the city. The pressure from the burst was so intense that it knocked down a 200-foot-long boundary wall of a nearby bungalow owned by engineer Ijaz Ali Baloch. Large volumes of water flooded the house, damaging furniture and other valuable belongings. Engineers from the Water Board reached the site soon after…

Moin Ullah Shah AWAMI COLONY: A police encounter near Memon Institute in Awami Colony led to a shootout between law enforcement and suspected robbers targeting local citizens. Two suspects, identified as Waqas and Muhammad Ali, were injured during the exchange of fire and taken into custody. Police recovered two TT pistols, six mobile phones, over Rs 14,000 in cash, and a motorcycle from the suspects’ possession. The injured suspects were immediately transferred to a hospital for medical treatment. A large number of local residents gathered at the scene, raising slogans in support of the police and chanting “Sindh Police Zindabad.”…

By Moin Ullah Shah Karachi: A high-level Darbār was convened at the South Auditorium under the chairmanship of DIG Traffic Karachi, Mazhar Nawaz Sheikh, attended by all SSPs, DSPs, section officers, and record keepers of the traffic department. Addressing the officers, DIG Traffic highlighted the increasingly severe traffic situation in Karachi, which is causing major difficulties and accidents for citizens. He emphasized that improving traffic management is a shared responsibility of the Traffic Police and other relevant authorities, and strict enforcement of traffic laws without discrimination is essential. He instructed all personnel to maintain regular attendance, be actively visible in…

By Moin Ullah Shah KARACHI: A Suzuki Mehran SB308 VXR, registered as BMF-752, was reported stolen from the parking area of COMMECS College, opposite Rabia City in Gulistan-e-Johar, Karachi, on the morning of 30 January 2026. The car, a 2018 model with a 796 CC engine, had been parked at around 8:16 am but was found missing just ten minutes later at 8:26 am. The vehicle, bearing engine number PKB729610 and chassis number SB308PK01268090, belonged to Waqar Ahmed Soomro, who immediately reported the theft to the authorities. A formal complaint was lodged at the Shahra Faisal Police Station under report…

By Moin Ullah Shah KARACHI: Inspector General of Police Sindh, Javed Alam Odho, chaired a high-level meeting on February 4 to review police deployment, patrolling, and monitoring on the province’s major entry and exit points. The session at Central Police Office was attended by senior officials, including Chief CPL Zubair Habib, Additional IGs Karachi, DIGs from headquarters, Sindh Police Highway Patrol, IT, T&T, Finance, Security and Emergency divisions, Karachi Administration, Traffic East, West, South, DG Safe City Authority, NRTC officials, and other officers. During the briefing, DIG Sindh Police Highway Patrol highlighted the deployment and performance of police along highways…

By Moin Ullah Shah KARACHI: A fire broke out on Monday evening at Saddar’s mobile market but was quickly brought under control by rescue teams. Rescue 1122 officials said the blaze erupted on the seventh floor of Al-Najeebi Electronic Market, engulfing several cars parked there. Teams reached the site swiftly, extinguished the fire, and evacuated people trapped inside the building. Karachi Mayor took to X to say the situation was under control. “KMC fire tenders with snorkel are present on ground to tackle situation,” he added. The mayor also visited the site to oversee rescue operations. Sindh Chief Minister Syed…

By Moin Ullah Shah KARACHI: Economist Kaiser Bengali on Saturday urged immediate land reforms and quarterly revisions of the minimum wage, warning that Pakistan’s current wage structure has left millions of workers in poverty despite growth in the textile sector following the restoration of GSP Plus status. Speaking at a conference on minimum wage implementation organized by the Pakistan Institute of Labor Education and Research (PILER), Bengali highlighted stark gender wage gaps. In rural areas, men earn Rs30,000 monthly versus Rs28,000 for women, while in cities, men earn Rs37,250 and women Rs35,000. Punjab leads in youth education and technical training,…