Day: July 17, 2026

Karachi: Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon on Thursday said the provincial government had recovered 150,000 tonnes of wheat from hoarders during a province-wide crackdown aimed at stabilising prices and ensuring adequate supplies for the public.

Addressing a press conference, the senior minister said Punjab and Sindh had witnessed bumper wheat harvests this season, but profiteers and hoarders purchased and stored large quantities of wheat, preventing the government from procuring the required stocks.

He said the Sindh government launched a crackdown against hoarders, recovering 150,000 tonnes of wheat and compensating those from whom the grain was seized according to the government-notified procurement rates.

Sharjeel urged those still hoarding wheat to hand over their stocks to the government so that sufficient supplies could be made available in the market. He said wheat prices had declined by 13 percent after the recovered stocks were released.

Responding to a question, the minister said the Sindh government had taken immediate notice of the murder of Dr. Akash Kumar, adding that police acted swiftly by arresting three suspects-Anil, Ram Chand and Suresh-and recovering the vehicle used in the crime. He praised the police for their prompt action and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to taking immediate action against serious crimes.

Sharjeel strongly condemned statements made against the country’s martyrs and ghazis, saying Pakistan’s armed forces had defended the nation on every front. Referring to the recent Pakistan-India conflict, he said the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force had responded effectively and defeated the enemy.

He urged JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to withdraw his remarks regarding the armed forces, saying such statements had received wide coverage in the Indian media and benefited the country’s adversaries. He said Pakistan’s martyrs and ghazis were national heroes whose sacrifices could not be diminished by any statement.

The senior minister said the entire nation remained united during the Pakistan-India conflict, with every segment of society playing its role. He added that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had consistently struggled against dictatorship but had never spoken against the country’s armed forces.

Sharjeel said Pakistan’s status as the only nuclear power in the Islamic world reflected the vision of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He stressed that all political, military, business and social segments of society should remain united on issues concerning national interest.

Answering another question, he said Maulana Fazlur Rehman was a seasoned politician and withdrawing his statement would further enhance his stature. He also said the prime minister was keeping the country’s economic conditions in view while making key decisions.

On the wheat issue, Sharjeel said Punjab and Sindh had adopted separate procurement policies. He said there was no evidence that wheat had been transported from Punjab to Afghanistan, but there was evidence of wheat being moved from Sindh to Punjab. He clarified that under the Constitution, no province could stop the movement of wheat to another province.

Referring to the case of missing girl Priya Kumari, he described the matter as highly serious and said the Sindh government’s position had already been made clear.

On water shortages, Sharjeel said the Sindh government had repeatedly written to the prime minister and the federal government, urging them to ensure Sindh received its due share of water. He called on the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to fulfil its constitutional responsibility by ensuring fair water distribution among provinces in accordance with the Water Apportionment Accord.

The minister said the PPP had rendered immense sacrifices for democracy and national stability but had never spoken against national institutions. He also remarked that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) had supported General Pervez Musharraf’s election as president.

Highlighting Karachi’s significance, Sharjeel said the metropolis remained the backbone of Pakistan’s economy.

Responding to a question about Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah’s health, he said the minister had suffered a blood clot in the brain while in Dubai and was receiving medical treatment there. He added that Sindh also possessed modern and well-equipped healthcare facilities.

He reiterated that IRSA should ensure all provinces received their constitutional share of water under the Water Apportionment Accord.

Karachi: The Pakistan Eye Bank Society (PEBS) on Thursday celebrated the successful completion of the first phase of its School Eye Clinic project, under which more than 60,000 school children from underprivileged communities were screened for vision problems, and launched the second phase aimed at screening 120,000 children over the next year.

A ceremony was held at PEBS Hospital in Karachi with Consul General of Germany Thomas Schultze as the chief guest. The event was attended by patrons of the Pakistan Eye Bank Society, school principals, teachers and students.

Speaking on the occasion, PEBS President, Qazi Sajid Ali, said the society had been working to prevent blindness since 1968. He said more than 16,000 corneal transplant surgeries had been performed, while over 36,000 people had pledged to donate their corneas.

He said PEBS Hospital was currently providing services in ophthalmology, cardiology, diabetes care, dialysis, dentistry and oral and breast cancer treatment, besides organising free eye camps in remote areas. More than 12 million patients had benefited from its healthcare services, he added.

Highlighting the School Eye Clinic initiative, he said a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Rotary Club Heidelberg-Schloss in Heidelberg, Germany, in May 2025 to support eye screening of schoolchildren. The project achieved its target ahead of schedule, he added.

Qazi Sajid Ali said the screening results were alarming, revealing that about 25 per cent of the children examined had vision defects. He stressed the need for a national policy to prevent blindness through early detection and treatment.

In an online address, Tobias Dratt of the Rotary Club Heidelberg-Schloss said the project had exceeded its initial target by screening more than 64,500 children in over 250 schools during its first year.

He said nearly one in four children examined had a vision problem, while four out of five affected children had never previously been diagnosed. The initiative had enabled thousands of children to improve their learning opportunities by receiving timely eye care, he added.

The German diplomat appreciated the efforts of the Pakistan Eye Bank Society and said he was impressed by the organised methodology adopted for conducting school eye clinics.

He later inaugurated the second phase of the project, which would commence in August and aim to screen 120,000 schoolchildren within one year.

Established in 1968, the Pakistan Eye Bank Society is a charitable, non-profit healthcare institution and a pioneer of corneal transplantation in Pakistan. It provides a range of free and subsidised healthcare services to communities across Karachi, Sindh and Balochistan.

Karachi: The total liquid foreign reserves of Pakistan stood at US$ 22,675.5 million as of July 10, 2026, among them reserves of $ 17,225.8 million were held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

‘During the week ended on 10-Jul-2026, SBP’s FX reserves decreased by US$ 1,245 million to US$ 17,225.8 million. The decline in SBP’s FX reserves is due to external debt repayments,’ the central bank reported on Thursday in its weekly statement on the position of liquid foreign reserves.

Meanwhile, the net foreign reserves held by commercial banks also declined by $ 68 million to $ 5,449.7 million, the break up of forex reserves for the period under review showed.

Pakistan’s total liquid foreign reserves in the previous week ended on July 03, 2026 stood $ 23,988.7 million. Among them the State Bank of Pakistan held foreign exchange reserves of $ 18,471 million while the other $ 5,517.7 million were held by the commercial banks.