Day: July 29, 2026

Karachi: The Chief Secretary (CS) Sindh, Asif Hyder Shah, inaugurated the first-ever Common Training Programme (CTP) for officers recruited through CCE-2023 at the Training Management and Research (TMR) Wing, Services, General Administration and Coordination Department, Government of Sindh, held at Latif Hall, here on Tuesday.

The landmark programme, running from 27 July to 13th November 2026, has brought together 101 newly recruited officers from various provincial services for a unified foundation training under the theme, ‘Capacity Building for Excellence in Public Service. ‘

The participants include 29 Provincial Management Service (PMS) Officers, 27 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), 40 Assistant Directors Local Government (ADLG), 4 Assistant Registrars Cooperative Societies (ARCS), and 1 Assistant Director Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE). Of the total participants, 74 are male officers while 27 are female officers.

The ceremony commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran and the National Anthem, followed by a welcome address by Secretary TMR Wing, Noor Ahmed Samoo, who highlighted the significance of introducing a common training platform to develop a cohesive and professional provincial civil service.

Addressing the participants, the Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah congratulated the newly inducted officers and termed the initiative a historic milestone in strengthening the institutional capacity of the Government of Sindh. He said the first-ever Common Training Programme reflects the government’s commitment to producing competent, ethical and future-ready civil servants capable of meeting modern governance challenges.

The Chief Secretary emphasized that while every individual has the right to dream and set ambitious goals, public service demands a life of discipline, sacrifice and austerity. He urged the probationary officers to uphold the highest standards of integrity, maintain clarity of purpose, embrace hard work, and demonstrate the courage whenever required in the interest of law, ethics and public welfare.

He observed that integrity is the foundation of public trust and encouraged the officers to remain steadfast in their commitment to honesty, impartiality and accountability throughout their careers.

Highlighting the modern orientation of the programme, the Chief Secretary noted that the Common Training Programme has been carefully designed to equip officers with contemporary knowledge and practical skills required in public administration.

The curriculum includes specialized modules on Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPRA) Rules, Project Management, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technology, and Google Professional Certifications, alongside other essential areas of governance and public administration.

He said the programme aims to develop officers who are technologically proficient, professionally competent and capable of delivering efficient, transparent and citizen-centric public services.

The ceremony concluded with an interactive session followed by a group photograph, symbolizing the beginning of a new chapter of professional excellence, collaboration and public service for the newly inducted officers.

Karachi: City administration’s campaign against profiteering continued in the city on the directives of Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi.

All Deputy Commissioners have submitted reports on actions against profiteers carried out between July 20 to 26 to the Commissioner on Tuesday.

The Commissioner’s Office has released details of the drive, showing that Assistant Commissioners visited in their subdivision to check the official prices at 3, 446 shops during the week.

A total of 535 profiteers were fined of Rs. 34, 43, 980, while 41 shops were sealed, two profiteers were arrested, while785 shopkeepers were issued warnings.

The Commissioner’s Office also has released a summary of details of actions taken against profiteers during the past year. According to the report, from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, fines amounting to Rs. 11, 13, 58, 886 were imposed on 15, 794 profiteers, while Assistant Commissioners checked the prices at 91, 000 shops/locations across the city.

According to the details, the Central District took action against 125 profiteers during the previous week. They were fined Rs 5, 57, 000 and sealed four shops.

East District fined 87 profiteers Rs. 14, 17, 000 and sealed 16 shops , in Keamari District 50 profiteers were fined Rs. 2, 37, 480 while 12 shops were whereas, two profiteers were arrested in keamari.

In Korangi District 50 profiteers were fine of Rs. 3, 82, 000 and sealed two shops In district Malir 40 profiteers were fined of Rs. 1, 88, 000. In district South 13 profiteers were fined of Rs. 10, 76, 000 and seven shops were sealed while West District fined 24 profiteers amounting Rs. 1, 38, 500.

Karachi: Vice Chancellor of the Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw (NED) University of Engineering and Technology Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail Jokhio, CEng, FIMechE, FIEP, formally assumed the additional charge of the VC of the University of Karachi on Tuesday.

Dr Tufail was given the additional charge of the KU VC after the completion of Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi’s four-year tenure on Monday, July 27, as the vice chancellor of the university.

The competent authority, Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, has assigned the additional responsibility of the KU acting VC to the NED University Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail, until the appointment of a regular vice chancellor, through a notification issued on July 24, 2026.

After assuming charge as KU Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail briefly addressed teachers, officers, and employees who gathered to greet and welcome him. Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail said that his foremost priority was to take effective measures for sustainable solutions to the problems faced by the University of Karachi. He observed that merely identifying problems was not enough; rather, a comprehensive analysis of their root causes would be carried out to ensure their permanent and durable resolution.

Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail said that for the development, stability, and promotion of the prestige of the University of Karachi, all teachers, officers, and employees must play their effective role with a sense of collective responsibility. He stated that the success of any institution and the achievement of the best results depend on strong teamwork, cooperation, and professional commitment.

Dr Muhammad Tufail urged teachers, officers, and employees to make punctuality and discipline part of their professional responsibilities so that administrative and academic matters could be carried out without interruption, effectively, and in the best manner, resulting in further improvement in the overall performance of the University.

It is worth mentioning that Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail was regarded as one of the country’s eminent educationists, a globally renowned engineer, and a pioneer of reforms in higher education management.

Dr Muhammad Tufail, who was a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of both the Institution of Mechanical Engineers from the United Kingdom as well as the Institution of Engineers Pakistan, is a distinguished academic leader, globally recognized engineer, and governance reformer.

With over 25 years of leadership experience in higher education, research management, accreditation, and international academic collaboration, Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail has played a prominent role in institutional reforms, promotion of quality education, academic partnerships with global universities, digital transformation, advancement of research activities, and strengthening of effective administrative systems.

Under his leadership, several strategic reforms were implemented at NED University, resulting in further enhancement of educational standards, institutional transparency, research funding, and international linkages.

Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail has obtained his PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering (Manufacturing Systems) from the University of Nottingham, UK. Before assuming charge as NED VC, he also served NED University as its Pro Vice Chancellor, Dean of various faculties, and Chairman of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.

Among his major achievements was the establishment of a constituent college of NED University in District Tharparkar, through which students from underprivileged areas gained access to quality engineering education.

At the national level, Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail has served as an elected member of the Governing Body of the Pakistan Engineering Council, as Convener and Member of Accreditation Visiting Teams, as a member of various Selection Boards and Finance Committees, and as Chairman of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (Pakistan Group). He has played an effective role in improving engineering curricula, accreditation systems, and the quality of higher education.

Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail is also a distinguished researcher and research supervisor. He has led numerous research projects in diverse fields including advanced materials, manufacturing systems, sustainable fuels, additive manufacturing, biomedical alloys, and supply chain quality management, and has successfully completed research projects worth millions of euros under international programs.

In recognition of his outstanding services in higher education and engineering, Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail has been honored with multiple awards including the Engineers Excellence Award (Academia and Research) 2023 by the Pakistan Engineering Council, the High Performers Award 2023 by the Government of Sindh, and the Wall of Fame Award 2018.

Academic and administrative circles state that Professor Dr. Muhammad Tufail’s vast experience, effective leadership, and reformative vision will bring significant improvement in educational, research, and administrative domains at the University of Karachi.

Karachi: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Sindh on Tuesday reviewed progress on the Green Climate Fund (GCF)-funded project, Transforming the Indus Basin with Climate Resilient Agriculture and Water Management, aimed at strengthening climate resilience in the province’s agriculture and water sectors.

A high-level FAO delegation, led by Deputy Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific and FAO Representative ad interim Robert Simpson, met officials of the Sindh Planning and Development Department to assess the project’s achievements, discuss upcoming activities and enhance interdepartmental coordination, said a news release.

The meeting was chaired by Acting Chairman of the Planning and Development Department Bilal Ahmed and attended by representatives of the Finance Department, Agriculture Department, Irrigation Department, Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) and the provincial Monitoring and Evaluation Cell.

The FAO delegation briefed participants on progress under the project’s three implementation components, highlighting achievements in strengthening climate information services, promoting climate-smart agriculture and improving sustainable water management in the intervention districts.

Officials said the project seeks to improve climate change adaptation in the agriculture and water sectors, enhance on-farm resilience and create an enabling environment for sustainable water management and climate-resilient farming practices.

The meeting was informed that Master Trainer Farmer Facilitators had been trained to lead Climate Business Farmer Field Schools, enabling farming communities to adopt climate-resilient agricultural practices, efficient water management and sustainable farming techniques.

FAO also shared plans to collaborate with Sindh Agriculture University to secure formal accreditation of the Farmer Field School curriculum to ensure its long-term sustainability and wider adoption across the province.

Participants were informed that the Hydro Informatics Centre of the Sindh Irrigation Department was using data generated from FAO-installed Automatic Weather Stations to produce farmer-friendly weather advisories, helping farmers make informed decisions and better prepare for climate-related risks.

The meeting also reviewed preparations for the forthcoming Provincial Project Technical Steering Committee meeting, which will provide strategic guidance and strengthen coordination among implementing partners and government departments.

Speaking on the occasion, Bilal Ahmed appreciated FAO’s continued collaboration with provincial institutions and acknowledged the progress achieved under the project. He reaffirmed the Sindh government’s commitment to supporting its implementation and stressed the need for stronger coordination to maximise its impact.

Robert Simpson said sustained collaboration between FAO and the Government of Sindh was vital to addressing the growing challenges of climate change and strengthening food security.

He said agro-meteorological information systems played a key role in developing effective early warning systems, while institutionalising the Farmer Field School methodology would ensure the long-term adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.

The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment by FAO and the Government of Sindh to further strengthen cooperation in promoting climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable water resource management and resilient livelihoods for farming communities across the province.

Karachi: A police constable embraced martyrdom after sustaining gunshot wounds during an encounter with suspected robbers in Pakistan Bazaar area on early Tuesday, police said.

According to police, the encounter took place near National Stop in Altaf Nagar when a police party confronted the suspects. During the ensuing exchange of fire, two alleged robbers were killed.

Police said Constable Hassan, 26, son of Shoukat Ali, sustained serious injuries after being shot by the suspects. He was being shifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries on the way, police added.

Police recovered two pistols along with ammunition and a motorcycle from the suspects. Further investigation into the incident is underway, police said.