Category: Karachi

Karachi: Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab has reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the city's parks, recreational areas, playgrounds, and public resources.

He stated that these are the people's trust, and their protection is the administration's top priority.

He made these remarks while presiding over a meeting of the Department of Recreation and Safari Park, attended by Municipal Commissioner Afzal Zaidi, Financial Advisor Gulzar Ali Abro, Senior Director Recreation Imran Rajput, and other relevant officials, said a statement on Monday.

The Mayor instructed that all contracts and tenders for recreational projects must be finalized three months before expiration to ensure timely initiation of work.

He emphasized the immediate addition of new animals, including zebras, to Karachi Zoo. Educational tours for school children to the zoo should be arranged to provide them with an opportunity to observe animals and birds closely, he added.

The Mayor Wahab directed the development of various recreational projects on the 132-acre land of Safari Park. He also urged the swift progress of plans to establish a water park and sports complex to enhance citizens' recreational experiences.

Karachi Zoo currently generates Rs 3.756 million monthly from entry fees. Safari Park's annual revenue target is Rs 63.9 million, of which Rs 32.7 million (51%) has already been achieved this fiscal year.

Mayor Wahab highlighted the ongoing development projects at Karachi Zoo and Safari Park, designed to increase public engagement. Coordination with experts in Thailand is also underway for the medical examination of the elephant at Safari Park. Call to Action.

The mayor urged young officers to work with dedication, stating that their performance directly impacts the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's (KMC) reputation.

"Officers failing to deliver their responsibilities will face strict action. Our focus is on providing better services to citizens and improving KMC's image," he emphasized.

Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday praised the efforts of non-profit organizations that have been actively partnering with his government to provide quality education to children from underserved areas of the province through modern digital learning systems.

The Chief Minister made these remarks during a surprise visit to two schools operated by different non-governmental organizations in the underprivileged localities of Korangi, in collaboration with the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF).

The CM first visited the Green Crescent Trust (GCT) school in Bilal Colony. The principal, Irum Fatima, informed him that the school has enrolled 559 students from low-income families, offering classes up to the eighth grade. Additionally, the school provides preschool education for children under five.

Shah learned that SEF offers regular financial assistance to partner schools based on student enrollment. The SEF currently funds Rs 1,300 per student per month for its affiliated schools run by NGOs.

The Chief Minister instructed the Education Minister to conduct regular inspections of SEF-affiliated schools in the city, emphasizing that the government's efforts should yield positive results.

During the visit, the principal expressed that she was unable to enroll over 1,000 children from deserving families due to the school's limited capacity.

Shah assured her that his government would support efforts to expand the school's capacity and advised her to contact the Education Minister regarding this matter.

The Chief Minister toured the classrooms and engaged with the students, reviewing academic activities and the daily attendance register.

Teach the World Foundation President Shafiq Khan was also present and briefed the CM on innovative technology-aided learning methods being implemented to enhance educational quality for children in underprivileged areas.

The GCT has been dedicated to enrolling out-of-school children in Sindh for the past 30 years, operating a network of 170 charitable schools in remote areas of the province. These schools currently serve over 32,800 students from low-income families, with 19 of the schools affiliated with the SEF, including 12 located in Karachi. One notable campus in Matiari provides education in English and features a state-of-the-art facility.

Later, the Chief Minister visited the Digital Micro School in Awami Colony, which also operated in partnership with the SEF. He learned that tablet computers are being used to educate 100 students at the school, all of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds and had not previously attended school.

The CM sat on the classroom floor and interacted closely with the children.

During his visit, CM Shah reviewed how students were using the tablet computers for regular classroom education, focusing on English and Mathematics through an engaging learning system.

He stated that he initiated this surprise visit to assess the effectiveness of using tablet computers in an underserved area and mentioned that this technology could be extended to other schools if it proves beneficial for student learning.

Finally, the Chief Minister announced his intention to continue making surprise visits to educational institutions, police stations, revenue offices, and other public facilities to assess their functionality, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday expressed concerns regarding the 46 per cent dropout rate among students who complete their primary education due to the lack of middle schools in the area, therefore, he directed the school education department to introduce afternoon shifts for middle school classes at primary schools, aiming to address this problem.

The meeting was held at CM House, with Minister of Education Syed Sardar Shah, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, Secretary of School Education Zahid Abbasi, Chairman of P and D Najma Shah, Secretary of Finance Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary of Colleges Asif Ikram, and other concerned officers in attendance.

Minister of Education Syed Sardar Shah and Secretary of School Education Zahid Abbasi briefed the Chief Minister and reported that there are 16.89 million children aged five to 16 enrolled in the province, which includes 5.20 million in public schools and 4.01 million in private schools. Additionally, schools under the Sindh Education Foundation have 93,000 students, non-formal education serves 5.66 million children, and madrasas have 1.03 million students.

During the discussion, the Chief Minister pointed out two major challenges facing the School Education Department, enrolling 7.8 million out-of-school children and reducing the dropout rate, which currently stands at 46 per cent.

He emphasised that these two challenges could only be addressed by strengthening both formal and non-formal education streams in terms of access, quality, and governance.

To a question, the CM was informed that there were 36300 primary schools and 4,600 post-primary/middle schools. The significant gap between the number of primary and post-primary schools contributes to the dropout rate.

Shah directed the education department to initiate post-primary schools during the second shift/afternoon shift in primary schools, with plans to upgrade them to the middle school level.

Murad Shah instructed the education department to convert the Sindh Textbook Board (STBB) into a company, restricting its role to book publication and distribution only. The responsibility for textbook development will be transferred to the Directorate of Curriculum, Assessment, and Research (DCCAR).

The Chief Minister also directed the Minister of Education to reform DCCAR by converting technical positions to market-based roles, bringing in efficient technical human resources.

He emphasized that private schools are significant stakeholders, catering to 40% of enrollment, and therefore must be properly regulated, monitored, and evaluated.

Murad Shah approved the creation of inspector positions within the Directorate of Private Schools to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation, including the implementation of a 10% freeship policy in private schools and proper inspections.

Karachi: Sindh Minister for Energy Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Monday, stressed on completion of the alternate energy project aimed at provision of solar panels to 0.2 million households across the province at the earliest.

The minister, while chairing a meeting at Energy Department regarding provision of solar panels to 200,000 homes with the support of the World Bank, instructed to ensure transparency, merit as well as simple and convenient-for -people distribution process.

The meeting in which detailed consideration was given to the method of distribution of solar panels, according to a statement issued here, was attended by Senior Energy Specialist Dmytro Glazkov, Energy Specialist Manahil Raza and Consultant Abrar Khattak from the World Bank, Secretary Energy Mosaddiq Ahmed Khan, PD Sindh Solar Energy Mahfouz Ahmed Qazi, and heads of various solar distribution companies.

Syed Nasir Shah directed the World Bank delegation and distribution companies to keep the process of distribution of solar panels very simple and convenient for the people. He also directed the meeting to speed up the steps regarding distribution of solar panels and maintain merit and transparency in all work.

The minister asked the heads of solar panel distribution companies to complete all the steps on time and to contact him directly in case of any difficulties.

He said that the project should be completed at the earliest as per the vision and instructions of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and efforts should be made to make its fruits available to the public within three months.

Karachi: Sindh Minister for Energy Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Monday, stressed on completion of the alternate energy project aimed at provision of solar panels to 0.2 million households across the province at the earliest.

The minister, while chairing a meeting at Energy Department regarding provision of solar panels to 200,000 homes with the support of the World Bank, instructed to ensure transparency, merit as well as simple and convenient-for -people distribution process.

The meeting in which detailed consideration was given to the method of distribution of solar panels, according to a statement issued here, was attended by Senior Energy Specialist Dmytro Glazkov, Energy Specialist Manahil Raza and Consultant Abrar Khattak from the World Bank, Secretary Energy Mosaddiq Ahmed Khan, PD Sindh Solar Energy Mahfouz Ahmed Qazi, and heads of various solar distribution companies.

Syed Nasir Shah directed the World Bank delegation and distribution companies to keep the process of distribution of solar panels very simple and convenient for the people. He also directed the meeting to speed up the steps regarding distribution of solar panels and maintain merit and transparency in all work.

The minister asked the heads of solar panel distribution companies to complete all the steps on time and to contact him directly in case of any difficulties.

He said that the project should be completed at the earliest as per the vision and instructions of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and efforts should be made to make its fruits available to the public within three months.

Karachi: Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori on Monday presented a bouquet and sweets to Consul General of Qatar, Nayef Shahein R.M. Alsulaiti, at the Qatar Consulate here to honor him on Qatar's active role in the Gaza ceasefire agreement, recognizing it as a crucial contribution to regional peace. Upon his arrival, the Consul General and diplomatic staff gave the Sindh Governor a warm welcome. During his meeting with the Qatar's Consul General, the Governor Sindh emphasized the strengthening bilateral relations between Pakistan and Qatar over time. He noted that Qatari investments have significantly contributed to reducing poverty and unemployment in the region. The Governor urged Qatari investors to take advantage of the province's lucrative sectors. During the meeting, both sides discussed Pakistan-Qatar bilateral relations, investment opportunities, trade enhancement, and other key matters. The Consul General expressed Qatar's desire to see Pakistan thrive economically and maintain its strategic defe nse role in the region.