APP Sindhi News Service

APP Sindhi News Service

By Samar Ahsan

I had the privilege of working as an internee at Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) .It began from basics which feels like a drop of water in the ocean. I came to know how a news agency works, assimilate and disseminate the reliable news.

APP is the premier national news agency of Pakistan which was founded in 1910 as subsidiary of Reuters News Agency, but after independence in 1947 it was named as Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).

The government ensured its professional development, financial and administrative strength and took control of it on June 15, 1961. English medium was used as an official language and later its services expanded in Urdu, Arabic, Pashto and Sindhi languages.

APP Hyderabad Station was established in 1950's but only released English and Urdu news. The translators used to convert them into Sindhi for Sindhi print media.

The project for APP Sindhi News Service was proposed in 1995 but due to unfavorable circumstances it could not be processed ahead.

Again in 1998, the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Nisar Memon felt the need to start Sindhi News Service so that Sindhi newspapers could easily be facilitated.

Later, he formally inaugurated APP Sindhi News Service at Indus Hotel saying “Establishment of Sindhi News Service of APP is an important step, as the message should reach out to the people in their own language.” He highlighted the importance of regional language in his speech.

The charge of Sindhi News Service was given to Chief Reporter Mr Javed Nisar Channa, under the supervision of Radio Retired Deputy Controller, Abdullah Veesar along with two sub-editors and a computer operator. It's been seven years since service in Sindhi language has started.

In September 2005, Javed Channa made efforts to make APP Station a Bureau Office. In the same year Abdullah Veesar, Shakeel Bachani, Imran Patoli and Nisar Sheikh were appointed as sub-editor and reporters. By October 2007, seven more appointments were made including Shahid Ali Panhwar, Ashiq Hussain, Zafar Mangi, Majeed Peerzada, Shaukat Chandio, Sadaf Baloch and Aliya Anjum.

A number of more than 22 daily newspapers are subscribers of Sindhi Service. Some of them are Ibrat, Mehran, Hulchul, Sindh, Koshish, Kawish, Awami Awaz, Hilal e Pakistan, Tameer-e- Sindh, Shaam, Sindhu and many more.

The team of APP was rewarded for its hard work when APP Hyderabad got its recognition as Bureau Office on November 16, 2009. Mr Ghulam Hyder Khokar was appointed as Bureau Chief.

APP aims to ensure timely, fast and efficient flow of information as well as balanced news with professional staff.

Another important feature of the APP professional approach is its extensive monitoring of major local and foreign news channels. The news based on this exercise capture tangible space in the newspapers on perennial basis.

APP Video News Service was formally launched to cater the needs of news channels.

APP has a strong bond of trust with its subscribers. The news agency is playing a leading role by supplying authentic and credible news to the print media round the clock. --- Weekly Roshni

Believable but unbelievable

Believable but unbelievable

By Nida Sheikh
I know many who opted to become a homeopathy doctor after failing in certain walks of life. Few days back, I was really astonished to know that one of my classmates is treating people as a doctor. This compelled me to think that how can he be a doctor? As it requires extra ordinary talent that everyone does not have.

As far as I know, usually people strive hard to be a doctor because it is a very painful and frustrating journey.

After surpassing a fierce competition of FSc, one has to compete in the entry test of medical colleges. If he is able to get admission in medical college then he just becomes a study machine, for five years and those five years are yet another story of misery, awful atrocities, terrible schedules and cut-throat competition.

After that, he is supposed to do one year house job and then has to study for some more years to become a classified doctor or a specialist.

But a person who passed his matriculation with immense difficulties like hopelessness in Biology, blankness in Mathematics and insolubility in English then how could he be……….

Unfortunately Pakistan is one of those under developed countries where poverty, illiteracy and population growth is very high. People are mostly unaware and surviving with fake and useless traditional beliefs which results in the destruction of health and life.

I can say that they are professional actors harming people with different tips.

They are normally “Quakers”, I mean those who sit on road sides and at different clinics harming humanity with different tips, Greek and magical treatments.

The way to become such doctor is very easy. All you need to do is, simply join some homeopathic college after matriculation and within two years you will emerge as a “Daaktar”.

Here, the thing which is very interesting is that these homeopathic doctors do not know the names and number of bones present in human body.

They just apply tips and give you tiny white balls with a red color liquid as medicines. These medicines do nothing. Neither harm nor benefit. This is just for the gratification of poor and innocent people.

Now days, some homeopathic doctors have started a new trend of prescribing allopathic medicines to patients at very cheap rates by exploiting poverty of common people.

They are not only conducting their evil business in public openly, but are also using media as a tool for their advertisement.

This is an alarming question for all of us and government should take stern action against such spineless creatures. -- Weekly Roshni

Dreaming for a house

Dreaming for a house!

By Maria Memon

“Turning your dreams into reality, luxurious living style is not that expensive now”.

This kind of sentence we get to see everywhere while walking down street, watching T.V or reading newspaper, who offers luxurious houses in cheap rates and easy installments.

When one comes across these offers, he would surely dream to invest his money in these projects because now days it has become a difficult thing for a middle class man to buy his own house. As he has limited financial resources in which he has to fulfill all his needs and sometimes these needs are left unfulfilled due to inflation. This great dream of a middle class person seems to be fulfilled when builder's promises appear on.

At this moment, he walks to the office of such housing schemes, chooses location and luxurious style of his house and pays off the advance.

Let's have a look on how and in what dramatic manner they make people believe on their lies.

A person after booking a house pays installment with a hope that he will soon own his house because he is given a word by builders, but unfortunately, he is unaware of drama of builders and developers.

Usually the cost of a house told initially is different but after some time they ask customer for more money in the name of maintenance.

To ensure a strong and long lasting structure its foundation should be well built, but with housing schemes the case is totally different.

They use poor material in construction of building. Being weak, it trembles and if any natural disaster hits, it falls straight down to earth.

Expenses are charged according to the cost of glass, high quality wooden windows and doors but when they are fitted they get scars and scratches by just touching them. Mostly these housing schemes do not complete and if accidentally any scheme gets completed, it is different than original model.

In Hyderabad and other cities of Pakistan, it is a common practice of builders that they occupy land on lease but do not pay its cost, not even the sales tax, but still no action is taken against them by government.

The reason is that they get a sufficient amount of commission to zip lock there mouths. As a consequence, people who invested their money, regret as their dream of house turns into a nightmare because they can not get their money back but still they are left with a belief of owning the house soon, which is a deception obviously.

Victim of this fraud is mostly the middle class who do not have that much resource to raise voice against such builders and construction companies. By hook or by crook if some one tries to file an FIR against any builder, no one hears him as corruption had already satisfied their appetite. By chance if any case is filed and reaches to the High Court or Session Court, the builder gets bailed on an application.

Sometimes when a builder gets caught in debt, government taxes, bank loans and money taken from public then he sells his project to any other builder and takes the money so that he can leave the country before he gets into serious trouble.

No doubt builders have a huge part in this whole drama and they are worthy enough to be blamed. Government and Law Enforcement Departments along with public are also at fault as they invest their money, which they do not earn easily, without any verification that whether the scheme is right or not.

One must verify before booking any house or flat and the customer should also check all authentic and legal documents which are necessary for property. If a builder is registered or licensed then he would surely have those documents.

Perhaps if government and police would take any stern action against these frauds, the life and earnings of many people could be saved from these mischievous people.- Weekly Roshni

A House of mind enrichment

A House of mind enrichment

By Aneel Ahmed Memon

I used to wonder that is their any place in interior Sindh where I can see students totally lost in books? This curiosity leaded me to discover such place in Sindh. Finally, I found a library where a large number of students, with a disciplinary atmosphere, were enriching their minds with knowledge. The historical city of Larkana is famous for its literature, culture and tradition. The educational institutions of city have produced many scholars, scientists and analysts who have proved themselves in different walks of life.

Library provides an easy access of materials to the readers so that they can be aware of books and matter available. As for Larkana, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto library is catering the need of thousands of knowledge seekers and is giving them well disciplined atmosphere for self study. This Library was established in 1976 and was inaugurated by deputy commissioner Muhammad Hashim Memon.

There was no book available in library. The main cause of this was the dictatorship and this building was under the control of army.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, first time visited library in 1994 during her regime and provided books, furniture and other required materials for visitors so they might rise by enhancing their mental capabilities through treasures hidden in books. Today, more than 800 students regularly attend library to achieve their ambitions and goals in this era of competition.

Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto library has a reference hall having more than 500 seats. In addition, it has CSS, PCS halls, children and ladies sections, periodical section, newspaper hall, auditorium and computer section equipped with internet facility, having more than 100 computers.

There are more than 8000 books of different subjects available in the library which fulfills the needs of readers. These books include literature, history, general knowledge and world encyclopedias. 17 different newspapers in different languages are provided to readers in newspaper section regularly.

Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto library has witnessed some changes in the infrastructure to facilitate the students of Larkana.

The Ajrak Industry of Matiari

The Ajrak Industry of Matiari

By Maria Memon

The Matiari district is mainly famous for its "Ajrak" industry. The industry was established here since last four to five centuries ago. There are six factories “Ajrak Kaarkhaana” in Matiari, where varieties of Ajrak like Teli, Vall, Sabuni, Kori etc are printed.

The Ajrak, a textile with dominant shades of rich crimson and deep indigo is a name derived from “Azrak”, which means blue in Arabic and Persian.

People wore printed clothes even in prehistoric times. The blocks used for printing Ajrak are of different styles, size and shapes.

These blocks are carved out from wood of Babur, Keekar and Talhi (Sheesham). Different tools are used for making the designed blocks out of that ordinary wood. It normally takes the block-maker a week to carve a complete set. A set usually comprises of seven blocks. Asl, Kut, Phulli, Kharrh, Meena. Two blocks each of Kharrh and Meena are carved so that two artisans can print simultaneously.

As Ajrak block carving is a highly specialized craft, there are very few Ajrak “poregars” left in Sindh.

The fabric used for Ajrak is always cotton which is base material whether hirak, baftah or lattha (types of cotton fabric). 10 meter length of fabric is torn in two pieces of five meters, which is later sewed up together.

After tearing up the fabric, next step is to wash the cloth in lake or canal. As the fabric is woven in mills, removal of impurities is necessary without which the dyes would be improperly absorbed.

Then the fabric is soaked in a mixture of Carbonate of Soda and water, then it's squeezed and spread on the ground to let dry.

The dried cloth is then steamed which is called “Khumbh (Steaming of fabric)”. The Khumbh is usually fired in evening and continues for eight hours. The Khumbh is kept aflame until next evening till each and every fabric gets steamed, then it's taken for washing. After washing fabric is dried on a grassy, lime free ground in the sun and then brought back to workshop.

When fabric is soaked in three different mixtures it is ready for printing (Chappai).

First step in printing is “Kiryana Printing” or simply White Outline Printing. In this method the borders are printed first and then the centre portion. It is like and outline of design,then coming printings are like, filling of this method.

Next step is KUTT printing or the Printing of Black Areas. Fabric printed with Kiryana is now printed with .

Kutt Phulli Printing: The fabric printed with Kiryana and kutt is now printed double with Kiryana mixture in the area of phulli (floral stars) to ensure that when dipping in indigo dye, the areas would remain protected and unaffected by the dye.

Kharrh Printing: Having gone through the stages of white and black printing, the dried fabric is received by the printer to print the Red Areas. The fabric is lightly dusted and when complete, is hung out to dry in the sun for few hours. The resist is applied over the entire surface which is to be protected against indigo. The Kiryana, kutt and phulli are printed over again therefore.

Kunn Process (First Indigo Dyeing). The kunn (dyeing vat) is earthenware, approximately 1.5m deep and sunk in ground. Pieces of fabric are dyed in pairs. When all the lengths are dyed and dried in the sun then, folded and rolled into a large bundle.

Vichharrh is a process of washing the dyed, dried fabric in a river or canal.

Then cloth is dyed red, which is called Rangan Jo Marhalo.

Mananh Process (Gissi Treatment). A pair of Ajraks are soaked in the copper van containing liquid gissi (camel dung) taken out, wrung and kept on the ground.

Tapai process: Ajraks are washed again in carbonate of soda to remove gissi.

Meena Process, by printing the meena resists mixture all areas in the Ajrak are covered except those that have been dyed indigo in the first stage of dyeing.

Meena Jo kunn (indigo dyeing), Folded ajraks are immersed into prepared kunn in which dye has been mixed. They are not squeezed but lifted and spread on the ground to dry completely.

Washing and finishing: Ajraks are taken to a river and spread on water surface to sink in gradually and soak for a few hour. This removes the gum and metoori mixture from fabric.

In last comes the bleaching treatment, in which ajraks are soaked into bleaching solution, wrung well and kept on the ground.

The complicated process of Ajrak making differs from centre to centre and craftsman to craftsman. The experts called “Usto” vary the proportions of the ingredients used and the duration of time required for a certain stage of the process, according to weather changes, fabric structure and availability of raw materials.

Almost all types of Ajrak go through these processes of making, but in some Ajrak styles like Kori Ajrak, Do rangi Ajrak and Sabuni Ajrak some of these processes are eliminated because they have adopted new processes or sometimes they skip some steps, which results in a low quality Ajrak.

Workers in factories works on daily bases, they get a 250/= pay each day. Owners of these factories get a 10 to 20% profit on each Ajrak when sold to a shop in market. 


This practical work was carried out under supervision of Sir Sohail Sangi

younger generations to perform their due role in strengthening friendship between Pakistan and China

Feb 22: Noted analyst and foreign policy expert, Major-General (Rtd) Jamshed Ayaz Khan has said that Pakistan is lucky to have best friends like China and urged the younger generations to perform their due role in strengthening friendship between Pakistan and China.

He was delivering a lecture on “The rise of China and its regional security and strategic implications” organized by the Area Study Centre Far East and South East Asia, University of Sindh on Monday.

He said that the people of china are very sincere, close friends and love the people of Pakistan and added that China’s economic growth can not be ignored in the historical perspective.

He said that today in most countries of the world, the products of China are available and it has developed its markets slowly and gradually. He said that history of power politics in Asia during the past quarter of a century is a tale of the decline of two powers i.e. Russia and Japan, the gradual rise of third (China) and the resurgence of a fourth USA.

He said that china’s rise was an important feature of world politics in the late 20th century and added that China is apprehensive about the predominance of US and would prefer a multipolar world.

The expert said that China’s growing confidence in its capability of shaping the environment will have profound affect on China’s diplomatic conduct in the coming years and added that a more self confident China will be more responsible with its growing strength.
He said that China does not pose a global threat despite its growing might. He said that China has maintained cordial relationship with all ASEAN countries.

He said that ASEAN Countries and China have greatly minimized the danger of a conflict while China’s recent mediation during the squabble between Thailand and Cambodia underscored ASEAN Countries mutual confidence in China.

Dr. Rafia Ahmed Shaikh Pro Vice Chancellor of the University who presided over the event said that China throughout most of its history has been a peace loving nation which has not exhibited aggressive designs towards other nations.

She said that fall of the Soviet Union ushered in a new era of unipolar world dominated by the United States. She said that this has led to an imbalance in world relationships and has placed an unusually heavy burden on the shoulders of US to play world policeman.

She said that it is just not possible for any one country, no matter how powerful, to always control and maintain world affairs according to its own thinking and added that the vacuum naturally, needs to be filled.

Director Area Study Centre, Dr Parveen Shah speaking on the occasion said that rapid rise of China since 1990 has constituted a most dynamic development in East Asia. She said that rise of China as an economic

Water samples collected from village Saindino Mallah

JAMSHORO: The water testing and surveillance laboratory at department of Community Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro collected water samples from village Sain Dino Mallah which included samples from water supply, pond, home tap, well, school and Karachi Mori.

All samples were tested for bacteriological presence, the sample showed highly loaded with E.Coli and is above WHO permissible limits. Therefore unfit for drinking purpose and can cause diarrhoea, Hepatitis-A, E, typhoid and other water borne diseases. The water sampling was done as a part of free medical camp held in the village Sain Dino Mallah two weeks back inaugurated by vice chancellor LUMHS Jamshoro, Professor Noshad Ahmed Shaikh.

On Tuesday, water test report was issued by diagnostic and research laboratory LUMHS while chemical examination report will be issued soon.

Professor Noshad Ahmed Shaikh while discussing the village water sample test report which was unsatisfactory, advised that community should be educated to take preventive measures like use of boiled water.

A team of lady health visitors and health education officers of community medicine department, LUMHS will conduct health education and awareness programme on regular basis in village Sain Dino Mallah Jamshoro.

Second free medical camp and second dose of Hepatitis-B vaccination will also be held on March 9 and more water samples will be collected from this village and other parts of union councils of Jamshoro and Indus River.

The vice chancellor had announced the repair and renovation work of girls primary school which has been started by LUMHS Jamshoro... Feb 23