Karachi welcomed a new public transport facility – the Peoples Bus Service – Monday. The best part is: it won’t cost you more than Rs50 (depending on your route, of course).
It was inaugurated by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. The politician had a ride on the bus himself as well to review the facilities.
A total of 240 red coloured hybrid air-conditioned buses have been procured from China for the intra-district bus project that became operational today. The buses will be plied on seven routes across the metropolis.
Sindh Minister for Information and Transportation Sharjeel Memon said that the bus service will be operational on Route 1, from Model Colony to Tower, which comprises 38 stations spread across 29.5 kilometres, under which 30 buses will operate from 7am to 12am.
The bus service project has six other routes which include North Karachi to Indus Hospital, Korangi, Nagan Chowrangi to Singer Chowrangi, Korangi Industrial Area, North Karachi to Dockyard, Surjani Town to PAF Base Masroor, Gulshan-e-Bihar, Orangi Town to Singer Chowrangi and Mosamiyat to Baldia Town.
Memon said that the service will kick off on the route from North Karachi to Korangi from next week and it will be fully operational on the remaining routes by August 14. He further stated that 130 more buses will reach Karachi port this week.
PPP leaders react
“Happy to inform that #Peoples Bus Service has become operational & will operate from Malir Halt to Tower. #SindhGovt has procured 240 new hybrid air conditioned buses for #Karachi which will operate on 7 different routes. Chairman #PPP will formally inaugurate the service today,” PPP’s Murtaza Wahab wrote.
PPP senior leader Sharmila Faruqui also shared a picture of herself travelling in the newly launched bus service with other PPP leaders.
To guarantee fertiliser price stability, a cabinet committee meeting was presided over by Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister.
Senior government officials, including Industries Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, attended the meeting.
The attendees received an update on the government’s, gas suppliers’, and fertiliser industry’s conversations. Additionally, the gas supply for the fertiliser sector was evaluated and determined to be adequate.
Throughout the Rabi cropping season, the Deputy Prime Minister ordered the fertiliser industry to maintain a continuous gas supply in order to guarantee steady production and stock levels.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has praised the State Bank of Pakistan’s decision to lower its policy rate by an additional 2 percent, stating that the bank’s current 13 percent rate is encouraging for the nation’s economy.
He expressed optimism in a statement that the policy rate cut would encourage investment and further boost investor confidence in the country’s economy.
The prime minister said that decreasing the inflation rate also lowered the policy rate and that future inflation rate reductions will be even more pronounced.
Additionally, he expressed gratitude to the Federal Finance Minister and other officials for their work in this area.
25 defendants, including PTI officials, have non-bailable arrest warrants issued by the Anti Terrorism Court of Rawalpindi for their failure to show up for court proceedings related to the GHQ attack case.
Judge Amjad Ali Shah added nine more suspects to the GHQ attack indictment list during today’s ATC Court sessions, bringing the total to 98.
Among the 61 defendants who appeared in court were Shah Mehmud Qureshi and the founder of the PTI.
Among those charged are Khadim Hussain Khokhar, Mehr Mohammad Javed, Chaudhary Asif, Zakir Ullah, Azeem Ullah, Shireen Mazatri, Major Retired Tahir Sadiq, and former MPA Rashid Hafeez.
A plea to cancel the bail of 23 suspects, including Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has also been filed by the prosecution side.
In the GHQ attack, there were 119 accused in total.