Sindh
Brigadier (Retd) Haris Nawaz – Sindh’s caretaker minister..
KARACHI: Brigadier (retd) Haris Nawaz was born on May 3, 1951 to Ahmed Ghareeb Nawaz and Asifa Nisar in Lahore, Punjab where he spent his childhood.
Haris Nawaz’s grandfather used to own Lahore based newspaper called “Wafadar” before partition during early 1900s. The family roots had focused on spreading literacy across the country. After partition, Haris Nawaz’s parents saw the need to educate young girls and decided to open a girl’s school that would teach grade 1 onward all the way to grade 10.
He completed his primary education and pursued his intermediate from Islamia College Lahore. Haris Nawaz joined Pakistan Academy in December 1971 and got commission in Pakistan Army on 20th August 1972.
After getting commissioned in Pakistan army, Haris Nawaz joined 18th Baloch Regiment which later was converted to 3 Sind Regiment. He attended school of infantry and tactics in Quetta and studied at Command and Staff College Quetta and later he was also appointed as an instructor. He served as a brigade major of an infantry brigade before leaving for Saudi Arabia.
He left for Saudi Arabia for his secondment in 1990 during the gulf war where Pakistan Armed Forces deployments included sending its military in support of Saudi Arabia. As the gulf war came to an end, he moved back to Pakistan where his achievements were recognized and was promoted to a leadership position where he commanded an infantry regiment. He was later posted to school of infantry and tactics as a chief instructor where his roles and responsibilities included training of the young officers of Pakistan army.
He was appointed Colonel Staff of Infantry Division in Jhelum and commanded an Independent Infantry brigade at Badin Cantt from 1998 to 2001. He completed his masters from National Defence University, Pakistan in defense and strategic studies and worked as director joint warfare and training at joint staff headquarters Chaklala Cantt Rawalpindi until his retirement in 2004. Brig (Retd) Haris Nawaz spent most of his career in the army in instructional, command and staff roles in Balochistan, Sindh and Northern areas. He commanded the Northern Light infantry regiment at Siachen, the highest battlefield in the world.
Upon retirement in 2004, he settled in Karachi and served in NAB, National Accountability Bureau as Director Financial Crime, Sindh from 2012 to 2013. Haris Nawaz worked closely with ex-president of Pakistan, General Pervaiz Musharraf and worked for 2 years as General Secretary – Sindh of All Pakistan Muslim League (Political party headed by Ex-President General (R) Pervaiz Musharraf).
In 2015, he left the party and started appearing as a defense and security analyst on national and international talk shows. He was also appointed as an advisor to the chief minister Sindh during caretaker government in 2018. He was given the portfolios of four ministries which includes works & services, prison, social welfare and special education. He was one of the few to officially represent Pakistan army on media as defense analyst and was selected by the media wing of the army (Inter Service Public Relations). His role as Geo political and defense analyst was to critically analyze the Geo political developments in the region and its effects on Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the President’s House Islamabad. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon gave a detailed briefing to President Asif Ali Zardari on several development projects in Sindh, specifically ongoing transport projects.
President Asif Ali Zardari ordered that all transport projects in Sindh be undertaken through modern technology.
President Asif Ali Zardari instructed to increase the numbers of Pink Taxi and Pink Scooty to provide special facilities to women.
President Asif Ali Zardari also said that women empowerment is our top priority, and these projects not only offer vital facilities but are also an important landmark in generating new job opportunities for women.
KARACHI: In a remarkable move, the 7th Agricultural Census 2024 – Integrated Digital Count was officially launched here on Wednesday.
The event, held in Karachi, was marked by the participation of key dignitaries, including Mr. Muhammad Ali Malkani, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Government of Sindh, and Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister for Planning and Development and Energy, Sindh and Dr. Naeem-uz-Zafar, Chief Statistician, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), whereas secretaries, director generals and other officers of different provincial departments also attended the launch.
Dr. Naeem-uz-Zafar, in his keynote address, emphasized the transformational nature of this census. “This is not just a data collection exercise; it is a foundation for evidence-based decision-making that will steer our agriculture sector towards sustainable growth. For the first time, we are adopting an integrated and fully digital approach, combining agricultural, livestock, and machinery censuses into a single, comprehensive operation,” he stated.
Highlighting the census’s objectives, Dr. Naeem-uz-Zafar added, “The 7th Agricultural Census will provide critical insights into Pakistan’s agrarian structure, crop patterns, livestock population, and mechanization trends. The use of advanced tools such as tablet-based data collection, GIS dashboards, and real-time monitoring ensures accuracy, reliability, and timeliness. This initiative aligns with international best practices and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines.”
He detailed the preparations, including the extensive training of 1,695 enumerators and supervisors across 30 venues in Sindh, to ensure the quality of data collection. He also underscored Sindh’s vital role in Pakistan’s agricultural economy, with its 8.2 million acres of cultivated land and major contributions to crops like cotton, rice, sugarcane, and wheat.
Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Ali Malkani, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, echoed these sentiments in his address. “This census is a historic step towards modernizing our agricultural practices and addressing the challenges of food security, climate resilience, and rural development. Sindh’s agriculture sector is the backbone of its economy, supporting 37 percent of our population. The insights gained from this census will empower policymakers to make informed decisions and drive sustainable progress,” he remarked.
The Minister also lauded the collaborative efforts between federal and provincial governments, academia, and relevant stakeholders in making this initiative a reality. “The data we collect will have far-reaching impacts, shaping policies that uplift farmers, enhance productivity, and strengthen food security,” he said.
The event also featured Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister for Planning and Development and Energy, who reiterated Sindh’s commitment to supporting innovative initiatives like the Integrated Digital Count. “Our government firmly believes in using technology to address the challenges faced by our agriculture sector. This census is a critical step in achieving that vision,” he stated.
The journalists present on the occasion asked questions from the dignitaries regarding the reasons of 16 years gap since the last agricultural census, and the validation, relevancy and efficacy of this census in the face of continual climate crisis. The field operations for the census will run from January 1 to February 10, 2025, with the final results expected by August 2025. This initiative reflects dedication and cooperation between the federal and provincial governments to leveraging technology for governance and ensuring the sustainable development of the agriculture sector.
KARACHI: With an aim to lower the financial burden on the provincial exchequer, the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) started to pay private companies contracted for garbage disposal in the city in local currency instead of US dollars.
In this regard, Managing Director SSWMB Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah held a meeting with representatives of the private firms responsible for disposal of garbage in the city and apprised them of the decisions made by the steering committee of the Board.
The meeting deliberated upon the new plan of garbage disposal in the city before the expiry of the contracts made with private firms for solid waste management on district West, Malir, Keamari and East.
It was informed in the meeting that the negotiation with the contracting firms for payment in local currency had already been started.
The representatives of the private firms working in district Malir, West and Keamari informed the meeting that the verification of the staff and vehicles had been completed through a third party, while the verification was still going on in district East.
The managing-director directed the officials concerned to take steps to further improve efficiency in the new operational plan.
He asked the officials to make union committee-wise operational plan, containing complete details of daily waste volume, transport, machinery, staff and all resources to further improve the door-to-door waste collection services.
He also directed the private companies to pay the salaries of their respective staff on time. Mr Shah said that the operational plan should also include training of the staff, the strategy of separate collection of waste and date of people who picked garbage illegally.
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