KARACHI – Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar in a meeting held here on Thursday with leaders of 28 Bar Associations, issued a grant of Rs. 133.5 million after listening to their issues.
The meeting was attended by Caretaker Law Minister Omar Soomro, Information Minister Ahmad Shah, Special Assistant to CM Advocate Moiz Baig, Secretary Law Ali Ahmad Baloch and elected representatives of various high court and district bar associations. At the outset, the CM welcomed the elected representatives of the high court and district bar associations and appreciated the role of lawyers in the supremacy of law and constitution.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that main function and purpose of the Caretaker government were to ensure free, fair and transparent elections and for this, we have made all necessary arrangements to achieve the objectives. The CM said that being lawyers we must have good interactions and liaisons with other segment of the society, especially legislators. He added that lawyers must keep a close eye on society and extend their full support to the marginalised segment of society.
The CM handed over cheques of Rs.10 million each to High Court Bar Associations of Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkano, Rs. 20 million to Karachi Bar Association, Rs. 10 million each to District Bar Association Hyderabad and Sukkur, Rs 7.5 million to Malir, Rs. 5 million each to Nawabshah and Khairpur, Rs. 4 million Shikarpur, Rs. 2 million each to Badin, Dadu, Jamshoro, Ghotki, Mithi, Sanghar, Umerkot, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Shahdadkot, Sujawal and Naushahro Feroze, Rs. 3 million to Thatta and One million rupee each to Tando Mohammad Khan, Matiari, and Tando Allahyar district bars. The CM also gave an amount of Rs 2 million cheque to Taluka Bar Association Bhirya of District Naushahro Feroze.
On the occasion, the office bearers of the associations thanked to the chief minister for his support and cooperation with the lawyers community and for taking his interest in resolving their issues.
Meanwhile, Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar handed over eight snorkels, purchased for Rs1.35 billion, to the municipal corporations of Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, and Larkana. The snorkel distribution ceremony was hosted by Minister Local Govt Mubin Jumani at the water board office at Shahrah-e-Faisal on Thursday.
The ceremony was attended by Minister Information Ahmad Shah, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Secretary Local Govt Manzoor Shaikh, Mayor Hyderabad Kashif Shoro, CEO Water Board Salahuddin, CEO Water Board Asadullah Khan and other officers and mayors.
The chief minister handed over three snorkels to KMC and each one to Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana. During a ceremony, the Chief Minister addressed the audience and highlighted a grave issue related to the high-rise buildings in Karachi. He pointed out that many of these buildings lack proper firefighting systems, equipment, and fire exits.
In the event of a fire, the residents living on higher floors are at great risk of getting trapped, which can lead to the loss of both life and property. Justice Baqar emphasized the importance of having a proper firefighting mechanism in place. To achieve this, the Sindh government has already ordered a fire safety audit of buildings. The aim is to identify any defects in the buildings and ensure that builders rectify them to ensure the safety of residents and occupants.
The Chief Minister stated that it is the shared responsibility of the government and civic agencies to ensure that there are adequate firefighting machines to handle fire incidents. As a result, the government has been investing in buying fire trucks and snorkels for aerial firefighting.
Source: nation.com.pk