NEWS     

• The Chinese company has written to the Sindh government about increasing incidents of theft in Thar Coal Block-1. The letter alleged that local youths were involved in thefts of electric cables, steel products, and other precious materials and instruments. If arrested, the thieves are rescued from the police. Because of thefts, a transmission line was badly damaged recently. The Chinese company asked the Sindh government to ban public movement in the 2 km area around the fence of the Thar Coal Block-1. “If the theft incidents are not controlled and we will be unable to give the required results”. (Intekhab Daily   & Daily Pakistan)
• The Sukkur-Karachi long march made an overnight stay at Bhan Syedabad, and left for Karachi. Speaking at Bhan Syedabad, nationalist leader Zen Shah said, “No security has been provided despite expressing apprehensions. We are out to seek rehabilitation of Sindh.” He also asked people to join the long march in large numbers. He said price- rise is taking a heavy toll on the poor in Sindh. He blamed price hike for the spurt in suicides in Sindh. He also hit at foreigners saying foreigners are making life difficult for locals. “We will not allow foreigners continue to stay in Sindh”. (Pahenji Akhbar, Feb.26)
• Educationist Syed Khalid Raza, who was also a leading light of Jamaat-e-Islami was killed by suspected motorcycle-riders who fired at his head when he was at the threshold of his house in Gulistan Johar. Raza was Deputy Director of Dar-e-Arqam Schools Karachi Region. He was also the Vice Chairman of Federation of Private Schools. The Sindh Governor and Chief Minister have sought a report from the Karachi Police Chief.  Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Amir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rahman strongly condemned the killing of Syed Khalid Raza. Demanding the Raza killers as soon as possible, Rahman lamented that Karachi is left at the mercy of robbers. (Jasarat, Jang)
• On a tip-off, the Karachi CTD raided the Garden area, and arrested an activist of banned outfit Lashkar -e -Jhangvi activist Siddique. He was involved in targeted killings. (Daily Express)
• On the call of Ameer of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi, a nation-wide shutter-down strike will be observed today. He said we are forced to go on strike due to increasing inflation, and high POL  price. He said their strike would be peaceful. If the government had withdrawn the increase in the prices of petroleum products by the deadline, we had set, we would not have gone on strike today. (Jasarat/Daily Pakistan)
• The traders’ associations have disassociated themselves from the call of Tehreek e Labbaik Pakistan for the strike on 27^th February. They said that they will open their shops as usual. The President of the All-Pakistan Traders Association Ajmal Baloch said that the TLP leaders announced the strike without consulting us. We had never gone on strike at the call of any party. The leaders of TLP should reconsider their announcement. (Islam Daily)
• The cashier of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PTMA) Punjab Branch was robbed and killed at the trucking point. The PFMA condemned the killing and announced to stop the supply and sale of government flour at trucking points in Multan from Monday. (Jang)
• 28 Pakistanis have been confirmed dead in a boat sinking incident off the coast of Calabria in Italy. The Pakistani embassy in Rome said all the 28 bodies have been found. There were reportedly   40 Pakistanis on board the ill-fated boat. 12 of them are reported missing. (Jang)
• The traders and owners of marriage halls have refused to obey the orders of the Karachi Commissioner to close their business early to save the power. The President of the Karachi Electronics Dealers Association Mohammed Rizwan said that the order of closing markets and business centers by 8 pm is against the interests of businessmen.  The commissioner has taken the decision overnight. It is unacceptable. The leaders of the Marriage Halls Association and owners of restaurants have also rejected the order for early closure of business and declared that they will go on working as usual. They said that the decision was taken without consulting them. (Islam Daily)
• Census begins on March 1.  Demanding that the rights of Baloch people should be protected,  Balochistan National Party (BNP) in a statement urged the census staff to record foreign refugees as Afghans. “Today we are suffering from many problems due to these refugees who had brought the Kalashnikova culture to Balochistan and are trying to capture the trade and markets. They have destroyed the demography of Balochistan. They were allowed to stay here on humanitarian ground but they are behaving as citizens of Balochistan. It must be stopped. The census should be transparent mentioning them as foreign Afghans. The situation in Afghanistan has changed so now they should be told to go back to their homeland. We can’t treat them as guests any longer”. (Intekhab Daily)
• Under the banner of National Trade Union Federation, Home Based Women Workers Federation Pakistan and youth organization Alternet, a rally protesting against inflation was taken out from Fawara Chowk to Karachi Press Club. The rally was led by Riaz Abbasi of the National Trade Union Federation, Zahra Khan of the Home-Based Women Workers Federation, and Aqib Hussain of Alternate. The workers, youth, women, political and human rights activists carried banners and placards against the government’s economic policies, and IMF slavery.     (Urdu Point)
• Criticizing the decision of the Federal Government to reduce the working hours of electricity on agricultural feeders of Balochistan, the Zamindar Action Committee has announced a joint meeting of political parliamentary parties and Zamindars. The meeting will discuss the cut in power supply as also problems faced by the landlords in Balochistan. (Urdu Point)
• Mullah Farhad, Deputy Organizer of Haq Do Tehreek Panjgur, has criticized the delay in grant of bail to Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman. He linked these delaying tactics to the visit of the Prime Minister. He added that the government thinks that as long as Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman remains in prison, there will be no demand or protest in front of visiting Prime Minister. (Urdu Point)   

Editorials

• On the one hand, courts are hearing cases against government and on the other hand the government is taking objection against some of judges in higher courts. Hence, the situation is very complex and confusing. The courts are hearing matters against the judiciary while assemblies are discussing affairs of judiciary/judges. Hence, we get to see irregularity, instability and anarchy everywhere around us. Let someone in these messy and chaotic conditions take country out to safer shores. People want relief in day-to-day life, be it from parliament or through judiciary or be it through any individual, any particular political leader or party. (Ibrat Edit)

• Pakistan is witnessing a sharp increase in onion prices.  Last year’s unusual monsoon rain and flood completely damaged the onion crops in Sindh, Balochistan, and southern Punjab.  The onion that was selling at an average of Rs 30 per kg, has suddenly reached to Rs 450 per kg. The government has ordered onion imports in a big way. (Edit Jang)
• Besides a good science syllabus for schools, we also need to have scientific parks in our cities in Sindh and these parks should have models of every scientific research being done. These parks should have experts too to explain about on-going scientific research. Such exercises can enthuse students to take more interest in science. As a matter of fact, we do not have much to impart in this field. If our base is not strong, we cannot expect building to be strong enough. We can do a lot; we can change a lot provided all doors shut on science and education are opened up. Otherwise, we will keep producing generations of ignoramus time and again. (Sindh Express Edit)

COLUMNS

• Sardar Abdulrehman Khaitran, a minister in Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Government is facing charges of running a private jail and killing one woman and her two children; How much the developments in Sardar Khaitran case would impact politics in Balochistan can be made out from the fact that everybody in Balochistan is standing today by the side of the oppressed.  Murree Kabila Etihad (Alliance) is part of the struggle and is demanding justice. But, from tone and tenor of the Balochistan government, it is clear as to how it looks at this issue. Other political parties have also not reacted but   only made proforma statements. Since BAP is a part of ruling PDM coalition at the Centre, the Federal government is also dilly-dallying on the issue. Clearly, Khaitran is a pampered person of alliance government. If this incident had taken place with some elite class or upper-class member, then all parties by now would have been in action. Most poor people and lower strata are debtors of Kabila sardars and hence keep getting subjected to a life of humiliation and slavery at the hands of the Kabila chiefs. These chiefs are government within government. It is they who play judges in their own cases; they know they are above law; they are a law unto themselves. Jirga (out of court) decisions are taking place in the Sindh too where in settlement of disputes innocent young girls are given away as compensation to the aggrieved parties. For poor and helpless, struggle is the only way to get justice but we have seen there are two sets of law in our system, one for the poor and the other for the elites and the influential. (Mumtaz Mungi in   Sindh Express, Feb.25)
• A group of 150 activists are on a long march from Sukkur. The march began on Feb.15,2023. It will cover 650 kms by the time it reaches Karachi 33 days later. Zen Syed Shah of Sindh United Party is leading the march, though it is not the first such march for securing the rights of the Sindh. But, today, when Zen Shah march is in progress, conditions are getting grim. When G M Syed stood up against religious fundamentalists in 1960s, the State was religious minded and the society’s ethos was secular. Now however, both, the State and our society are deeply in the clutches of extremism. The influx of outsiders Sindh is at an alarming level. According to one survey, everyday 10,000 to 12,000 people enter Sindh, legally or illegally. Sindh cities and plots are being taken over by these outsiders. Rising influx of outsiders is creating reasons for playing with Sindh’s geography apart from triggering several issues and challenges for Sindh culture, history, language and also for our resources. Indus is symbolic of Sindh’s prosperity. But lots of canals and dams have come upon it resulting in formation of sand dunes on the river bed. Crores of acres of land is turning dry for want of water. The state of law-and-order leaves much to be desired. After sun set, roads and streets start wearing empty looks as criminal elements start getting active. Kidnappings and target killings have become big business. Sindh’s fight for survival and ways and means being adopted in that pursuit are both legal as well illegal, violent and peaceful too, constitutional and also unconstitutional, but Sindh’s fight has often been more peaceful. The padyatra is for awareness amongst people because organizers of padyatra are aware of the power of people; the organizers also know peoples’ key role in changing the course of history in the past. Politics can never be imagined without people. Current stir/padyatra is not new, nor is it the first or last stir for Sindh interests, but when our march participants return home tired and exhausted, they will think of new ways of struggles”. (Kawish, Isa Memon, Feb.25)
• Reporting are pouring in, as I am writing this column, that the second phase of jail bharo campaign stands suspended because   several PTI leaders and people from other walks of life who had turned up in Peshawar and other cities have not courted arrest. Now, it is left to readers to decide about the plight of PTI’s jail bharo movement. It is reduced to big mockery and here too major loser will be the country’s economy. In such a situation, it looks like neither the economy is going to get better nor political stability is coming soon. We have a very strange situation in the country with the President announcing election dates for KP and Punjab provinces without consulting the election commission and Governors of the two provinces. The Attorney General (AG) and other experts say the President has no such power and he has committed a mistake by suo motu announcing the date. The Supreme Court’s taking note of this matter has only added to confusion as some judges and government are opposed to the suo motu hearing.  All this is happening because we are not going by what the rule books/constitution says. If we keep crossing constitutional limits, crises will keep cropping up on economic, political and even constitutional issues. I do not see any improvement, be it on economic or political front as long as we do not go by what the constitution says. We only keep agreeing to IMF’s terms and conditions without taking any effort to uproot corruption in the system. Recently, a case has been filed with supreme judicial council making an appeal that there should be investigations against one Supreme Court judge and his family members. The case hinges on the charge that the judge and his family have properties/assets which are said to be worth more than three billion rupees. From this narrative, we can imagine as to what could be the depth of corruption in other government departments. These developments affect Sindh also. Punjab’s emissaries in the federal government do not take note of irregularities at federal level, but keep pointing fingers against the Sindh government’s irregularities. Sindh government might be involved in irregularities, but it is also doing some good things which we deliberately ignore. (Kawish, Khan Aabroo, Feb.26)
• Recent terror attack on Karachi police office has a lot of lessons if we are prepared to take them. It appears Karachi is going to be major terror centre in times to come. Conditions will be too grim and ghastly making us forget terror centers of yesteryears like Beirut and Lebanon. Ruling class does not look much seized with this issue not realizing the threat to the ruling class too. There are people from different parts of the world in Karachi. Even the Sindh government might not be having complete data on them. Sadly, no government till date has tried to make Karachi free from this curse of illegal migrants/foreigners in the city. The Afghans have made life a big challenge for others in Karachi. Maybe TTP is behind the recent terror attack on Karachi police office, but they are Afghan Taliban and Pathans from Kabilas who hardly understand Urdu. They effortlessly get flats on rent as if they are original residents of Karachi. Sadar Town in South district has become their hub. Association of plaza shopping complexes, police and very law keeping machinery are quiet even as motorcycles are stolen and their main business is dealing in stolen mobiles and laptops and their smuggling. They get permission also to stay in masjids. Now, in new census surveys, they will get themselves counted as citizens. It is sort of a red alarm for Sindh people. We should put more pressures on the government for framing laws to oust foreigners from Karachi. (Nissar Lagari in Sindh Express) ###