Sindh Government to provide scholarships for Top Scorers

KARACHI , The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution that the Sindh government would offer scholarships till graduation to the students who secure top score in Matriculation and Intermediate exams.

The private day of session started on Tuesday at 10:10am with Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza in chair. MPA of Muttahdia Qaumi Movement (MQM) Mohammad Alim-u-Rehman moved the private resolution about scholarships. He said that in the developed countries, governments invest in clever students in the shape of scholarship and other incentives. He said the Sindh government should follow these positive steps of the other governments and announce giving scholarships students getting top score in Matriculation exams. Minister for Finance Murad Ali Shah endorsed the resolution. However, he suggested that not only the students of the matriculation but also the students of Intermediate should also be covered in the resolution. On this, Speaker gave ruling for the amendment and it was passed, unanimously. Earlier, taking part in the debate, MPA Munawar Ali Abbasi said that he fully supported the resolution and government should start giving scholarships to position holder students. Dr Ahmed Ali Shah, Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Minister for Power Shazia Marri, Minister for Women’s Development Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto, Rasheeda Panhwar, and others also admired the resolution.

Leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali supported the resolution and said that students of the province will be encouraged with these scholarships. Later, MQM MPA Zareen Majid tabled a private resolution that Sindh government would take special measures to disburse the sugar cess collection from sugar mills for the welfare and development of area where such mills are established. She said that sugar mill owners enjoy profits of billions of rupees but the people in sugarcane areas lack even the basic facilities. She said that government should make a plan in order to develop these areas where with the sugar cess funds. Provincial Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that there are local development committees under every District Coordination Officer (DCO) and funds recovered from the sugar mills regarding the development of that area are transferred to these committees, hence, the draft of resolution should be corrected keeping in view this fact. Parliamentary leader of MQM Syed Sardar Ahmed said that the issue is that many sugar millers are even not paying these funds. Syed Murad Ali Shah, accepting the version of Syed Sardar Ahmed, urged the resolution should be redrafted to make it acceptable for whole House.

Earlier, MPA of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) Shahryar Khan Mahar tried to table a privilege motion against the administration of Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Sukkur but the deputy speaker Shehla Raza did not allow it on technical grounds. PML-F MPA Nusrat Sehr Abbasi tabled an adjournment motion that Education and Literacy department of Sindh had discontinued the services of the more than 7000 employees who had been working in the department on contract basis which is injustice and will increase frustration among the people of the province. She said that Sindh Government is not giving the people new jobs so those who are already employed should not be sacked. Senior Minister for Education and Literacy Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq said that his department is advertising these vacancies on permanent basis, adding the government will give preference to the sacked employees in recruitment. Pir Mazhar requested Ms Abbasi to withdraw her motion.

On his request, MPA Nusrat Sehr Abbasi announced to withdraw the adjournment motion. MPA of National People’s Party (NPP) Arif Mustafa Jatoi tabled a motion for leave to introduce the private Bill No 12 of 2009 - The Sindh Local Government Ordinance (Amendment) Bill. Jatoi said that there is no any MPA in the body of Provincial Finance Commission so that MPAs should be made members of the commission and Leader of the Opposition also be made its member. Minister for the Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the federal government has not included opposition leader in National Finance Commission so why we should do this. He said the Provincial Finance Commission is giving funds to the district governments and these committees are working in districts so there is no need of including MPA in the provincial Finance Commission. Deputy Speaker gave ruling for the voting on the motion and house rejected it.
Arif Mustafa Jatoi has tabled another motion for leave to introduce the private Bill No 4- of 2010-The Sindh Advisors (Appointments, Powers, Functions, Salaries, Allowances, and Privileges) Amendment bill. He said that after the passage of 18th Amendment, Chief Minster has no power to appoint more than five advisors in any province but the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali has appointed as many as 15 advisors and he should reduce the number of his advisors as per the constitution. Minister for Law and Parliamentary affairs Mohammad Ayaz Soomro, however, opposed the idea. He said after the passage of 18th amendment things are being taken step by step. He said that Sindh government will also implement all requirement of the constitution, steps by step. Deputy Speaker gave the ruling for voting on the motion and it was rejected by the House. Many other items remained on the order of the day but the chair adjourned the session till 10:00 am of 12th January on Wednesday.

Source: http://www.onepakistan.com/news/local/karachi/81615-sindh-assembly-passes-resolution-for-granting-scholarship-to-position-holder-students.html

USAID Scholarships for BS and MS studies at Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam

TANDOJAM: Directorate of Planning and Development, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, has announced that scholarships are available for BS and MS level studies for coming 2011 session at the university under USAID funded merit and need based scholarship program. The main objective of the program is to attract needy students in the higher education sector. The students who are expected to be enrolled in batch 2011 in MS (2 years) and BS (four years) are eligible to apply for this scholarship scheme. The directorate encouraged the needy female students to apply for 25 percent of the allocated slots reserved for females especially for those coming from remote and backward area.


Source:http://www.onepakistan.com/news/local/80143-scholarships-for-bs-ms-level-studies.html

LADIESFUND to introduce Master Scholarships at University of Karachi

LADIESFUND Networking Luncheon Series for professional women in Pakistan launched


By Asad Farooq

KARACHI: The Dawood Capital Management Limited (DCML) in collaboration with the British Deputy High Commission Karachi on Saturday launched Pakistan’s first LADIESFUND Networking Luncheon Series for professional women in Pakistan.

On the occasion, a first Pakistani magazine for working women and entrepreneurs’ entitled LADIESFUND Magazine was also launched.

Speaking on the occasion, CEO DCML and LADIESFUND Tara Uzra Dawood said the purpose of the ceremony was to build skilled friendship among professional and influential women in Pakistan.

Ms Tara said: “We thank the British Deputy High Commission for its friendship and overwhelming support of our initiatives at LADIESFUND to energise The Girl Effect in our beloved country.”

Providing world class opportunities for our talented and dynamic women will not only enhance their lives but also help our communities and country be truly optimized, she said.

Director Trade and Investment in Pakistan and British Deputy High Commissioner Karachi, Robert Gibson said: “We are very pleased to be able to partner with the DCML and LADIESFUND in hosting this networking event for female professionals in Pakistan.

In the UK only 10 percent of Board members of FTSE 100 companies are women. A London Business School study evaluates that woman’s lack of exploitation of networking is key factor in this.

Oliver William, Nobel Laureate for Economics 2009, evaluates that the cost of doing business significantly decreases if you do business with some one you know. “So the message is clear -Get Networking. We hope these luncheons can help us achieve this goal.”

The funds generated from this event will be used to support initiatives for women development including the LADIESFUND Fellowship and the LADIESFUND Masters Scholarship Programs at the University of Karachi. These programs aim to give opportunities to women and girls at the grassroots level.

The launch was hosted at the British Deputy High Commission, Karachi. The leading women professionals of Pakistan attended the event. The chief guest of the event, Nasreen Jalil former Naib Nazim of Karachi was interviewed during the event by Dr Ishrat Husain former State Bank Governor on women empowerment in Pakistan.

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\10\story_10-1-2011_pg7_5