Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: Following the directive of provincial minister for information & local government Sharjeel Inam Memon, managing director of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi gave instruction for immediate operation for demolition of illegal hydrants in Baldia Town on which the water board officials took action with the help of local police against water thieves in Mochko Goth, Ittehad Town and various areas of Manghopir where they demolished 5illegal hydrants and cut off more than 12 water connections which had been taken from the main trunks of water board to steal …12…..million gallon daily water.
According to details the provincial minister for information and local government Sharjeel Inam Memon has directed the managing director of water board Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi to take effective measures for provision of water to citizens on fair and equitable basis. He also desired that the water board close down all illegal hydrants in different areas of the city so that the residents of such areas could get rid of scarcity of water. He also instructed KWSB to take strict action against illegal sale of KWSB water in the name of water boring. He further said that these measures would ensure provision of stolen water to citizens especially those residing in areas which were affected due to shortage of water and would bring improvement in the water supply in these areas.
On these directives, M.D KWSB Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi gave strict instruction to the DMD Technical Services Inftikhar Ahmed Khan and Chief Engineer WTM Zafar Ali Palejo, Chief Security Officer Major (R) Muhammad Nawaz Gondal, Superintending Engineer Asif Qadri to accelerate the campaign against illegal hydrants and water pumping houses all over the city particularly in district west and district central under a solid and effective strategy.
He said all those illegal hydrants which had been setup again must be demolished whereas immediate and strict action was taken against those persons who had re-established the once removed hydrants and water connections.
The staff of water board in the lights of above directives begun crackdown against water thieves with the help of police on Thursday. During this action the KWSB staff while using heavy machinery razed more than 3 hydrants and their filling points and 6 underground water connections that had been taken from water board lines in various areas of Manghopir including Mashallah Coach Adda, Gulshan-e-Tauheed and Khairabad. The water board staffs root out the underground connections and cut off connection from welding plant. These hydrants were using for openly selling 12 million gallon daily water after stealing it from KWSB main lines.
First information report was also being lodged in the concerned police station against water thieves.
Meanwhile the M.D Water Board strictly directed the DMD Technical Services, Chief Engineer, Superintending Engineer water trunk main and in-charge officer hydrants to follow the directives of provincial minister for local government and chairman KWSB Shrjeel Inam Memon while incorporating all available resources for elimination the water theft in the city. This may be noted that the Supreme Court had also taken suo moto action against the running of illegal hydrants.
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: Child Rights Movement Sindh is network of 43Child rights Organizations of Sindh, We activists and organizations of Sindh highlighted that the Case of Shafqat Hussein marks an example of State’s negligence towards the rights of children in conflict with law that are ensured by United Nation’s Convention on Rights of the Child, the Constitution of Pakistan and Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000.This was speaking at a press conference organized by Child Rights Movement (Sindh) at Karachi Press Club.
Shahzad Akbar from the Justice Project Pakistan, who is representing Shafqat in the court of law, briefly shared the case details and how JPP is pursuing it. He also shared the details of misreporting and brutal investigation by the police that forced Shafqat for confessing the crime. According to law Shafqat should not be sentenced death.in judiciary the age of accused is not investigated properly which is a huge lacuna. Shafqat which himself is a child hanged it will be the violation of justice.
Umer Khan of Azad Foundation spoke of rights of the child in constitution of Pakistan and UNCRC and pleaded to the State and higher courts of Pakistan to consider Shafqat’s time already spent in prison (that too with adult) that equates to a life sentence (Umar Qaid), his exemplary behavior and for negligence occurred during his trial regarding his age, the way police treated him and investigated him.
Shafique Kandhro Child Protection Officer DevCon spoke about the rights of children in conflict with law in UNCRC and relevance to the constitution of Pakistan and this case. He Said Sindh Child Protection Authority Act 2011 was passed and Child protection Authority was formed but rules are not notified still and no policy and plan of action is finales, so for Children of Sindh are dying , they are dying due to un-sufficient nutrition and health facilities, tortured and murdered, they are at risk in Jails of Sindh. Shelters for street children are a dream.
RanaAsifHabib of CRM member said JJSO should implement with its real sprit, judicial committee should formed for laws which are against the child rights.
Mubashir Soomro (from DevCon a member of Child Rights Movement – Sindh): the conclusion of this press conference is that Child Rights Movement always stands for the protection on rights of children throughout Pakistan and CRM will keep raising the voice for Shafqat until he is treated the way he was supposed to under the JJSO 2000. Shafqat was supposed to be trialed in juvenile court.The age factor was also not investigated. Torture marks are still present on the body of Shafqat. We demand for investigation by keeping in mind the above factors.
Wealso appreciate the step taken by ChudhariNisarsb to postpone the hanging of Shafqat; we demand that Shafqat should not be punished twice, either he is guilty or not but he already spent 11 years of his life in jail which are equivalent to life sentence. On the basis of above facts, we demand to release the Shafqat.