Sindh Archives - FutureSoch

Juvenile card requirement dropped for MDCAT candidates in Sindh

September 19, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: The mandatory juvenile card requirement for candidates appearing in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 in Sindh has been waived, allowing students without the document to take the exam.

According to a press release, the relaxation was approved by the MDCAT committee on the instructions of the Sindh Health Department.

Candidates who do not have a juvenile card have been directed to bring their original, photograph-bearing marks sheet for identification at the examination center.

The original marks sheet for either matriculation or intermediate will be accepted, and candidates’ identities will be verified against the document at the test center.

The press release said the requirement was relaxed to facilitate candidates who did not have juvenile cards.

The MDCAT 2026 examination in Sindh will be conducted by Sukkur IBA Testing Services.

Sindh to hold MDCAT 2026 examination on Sept 20

September 18, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) for admission to medical and dental colleges in Sindh will be held Sunday, September 20, with examination centers established in seven cities across the province.

The test will be conducted in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sukkur.

In Hyderabad, the Public School Unit No. 3 in Latifabad has been designated as the examination center. In Jamshoro, the test will be held at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences.

Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur Public School has been designated as the center in Mirpurkhas, while the Police Training School Ground will host the examination in Larkana.

In Shaheed Benazirabad, the examination center will be at Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology. In Sukkur, candidates will take the test at IBA Public School on Old Airport Road.

The SIBA Testing Services said maps of the examination centers had also been released to help candidates. Separate entrance routes have been marked on the maps for the NED University and Dow University centers in Karachi.

SIBA Testing Services advised candidates to check their reporting time, examination center and designated entrance in advance.

The MDCAT examination will last three hours. Question papers will be collected from candidates after the examination, according to SIBA Testing Services.

Sindh confirms another Mpox case, total cases rise to 41

September 4, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: Sindh has reported another confirmed mpox case, bringing the total number of cases reported in the province this year to 41.

According to , a 19-year-old man from interior Sindh was diagnosed with mpox after being brought to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital in Karachi on Thursday.

The patient reported a rash on his body, prompting doctors to send samples for testing. A PCR test confirmed the mpox infection, and the patient has been admitted to the hospital’s isolation ward.

Of the 41 confirmed cases reported this year, 28 have been recorded in Sindh outside Karachi, while 13 have been reported in Karachi.

Sindh reports three confirmed Mpox cases

September 3, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: Sindh has reported four new mpox cases, three of which have been confirmed, according to officials at Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital in NIPA.

Hospital sources said three confirmed cases and one suspected case were reported at the hospital. Two of the confirmed cases are from interior Sindh and involve a father and his daughter, while the third confirmed patient is a 46-year-old resident of Federal B Area in Karachi.

PCR tests confirmed mpox in all three patients, while test results for the suspected case are still pending, according to hospital sources.

The latest cases bring the number of confirmed mpox cases reported in Sindh this year to 39, while Karachi has recorded 13 confirmed cases overall.

Mpox is a viral disease caused by a virus belonging to the same family as the virus that causes smallpox. Common symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, weakness and a rash that can develop into painful or itchy lesions. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin can also occur.

Health experts said the virus can spread through close physical contact with an infected person, including direct contact with rashes or lesions and through contaminated clothing, towels and bedding. Symptoms can appear within 21 days after exposure.

Experts advised avoiding close contact with infected people, maintaining isolation until recovery and practicing good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of the virus.

Sindh declares 6,220 school buildings unsafe, orders suspension of classes

August 19, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: The Sindh government has declared 6,220 school buildings unsafe and ordered the suspension of classes at the affected schools, officials said.

The decision comes during the monsoon season, with authorities planning to shift students from schools housed in dangerous buildings to nearby schools.

The Sindh Education Department has directed deputy commissioners to identify alternative schools close to the affected buildings so students can be relocated.

Officials have not yet provided a timeline for when repairs or reconstruction of the unsafe school buildings will begin or be completed. It also remains unclear when students will be able to return to their original schools.

The unsafe schools are spread across 30 districts of the province. Badin, Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar have the highest numbers of schools housed in dilapidated buildings.

Sindh announces MDCAT 2026 entrance test schedule

July 30, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 for candidates in Sindh will be held on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, under the supervision of Sukkur IBA Testing Services (SIBA).

According to SIBA, examination centers have been established in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpur Khas, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Islamabad to facilitate candidates from across the province.

In Karachi, the test will be conducted at NED University, while candidates in Hyderabad will appear at Public School Latifabad. Other designated venues include Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Jamshoro, Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur Public School in Mirpur Khas, Police Training School Ground on Wagon Road in Larkana, Quaid-e-Awam University in Shaheed Benazirabad, and Sukkur IBA Public School on Old Airport Road in Sukkur. Sindh-based candidates who selected Islamabad as their examination city will take the test at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).

SIBA said the three-hour examination will begin as scheduled, and candidates are advised to arrive at their respective centers on time. No candidate will be allowed to leave the examination hall before the test concludes.

Sindh presents tax-free budget for 2026-27

June 17, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday presented the province’s budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, announcing a 7% increase in salaries and pensions for government employees, raising the minimum monthly wage to Rs43,000 and introducing a range of development and social welfare initiatives.

Presenting the budget in the Sindh Assembly, Shah said the government would merge the ad hoc relief allowances granted in 2022 and 2025 into employees’ pay scales. He also announced that the minimum wage would be increased from Rs40,000 to Rs43,000 per month.

The chief minister said no new taxes had been imposed in the budget, which aims to provide relief to citizens and the business community. The government also decided not to introduce any new development schemes in the upcoming fiscal year, while proposing Rs2.56 trillion for non-development expenditures.

Education remained a key priority, with Rs601 billion allocated to the sector. The government also reduced sales tax on educational support services to 5%.

Shah announced plans to establish the Sindh International Financial Center in Karachi, describing it as a platform for infrastructure financing, Islamic finance and climate finance.

He said Sindh had agreed to arrangements worth Rs260 billion under Article 160 of the Constitution in support of national stability while safeguarding the province’s constitutional rights and development priorities under the NFC Award.

The budget also introduced a subsidized solar financing program for middle-income households. Shah said Rs18 billion would be spent to distribute 275,000 free solar home systems, adding that free solar units had already been provided to low-income families.

Among other initiatives, the chief minister announced the launch of the Sindh Green Data Infrastructure Initiative and a waste-to-value program aimed at converting waste into fuel and commercial products.

The government also plans special legislation to support small farmers by improving access to machinery, financing, insurance and modern technology.

In the health sector, Shah said services at major institutions, including National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre would be expanded. He added that the 1123 telemedicine service and 1122 ambulance network would be further strengthened.

Shah highlighted the completion of the Rs60.7 billion Shahrah-e-Bhutto project, describing it as a major public convenience initiative.

He also reiterated plans to transform Keti Bandar into a global maritime, logistics, industrial and energy hub linked to the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone and Thar coal resources, with the goal of making it Pakistan’s next major economic gateway.

Sindh proposes Rs522 billion development budget for FY2026-27

June 15, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: The provincial government of Sindh has prepared its Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the fiscal year 2026-27, proposing a total allocation of Rs522 billion.

Officials said the overall development programme size stood at Rs1,018 billion in the current fiscal year, while the ADP allocation was Rs520 billion.

For the upcoming fiscal year, Rs296 billion has been proposed for foreign-funded development projects, compared to Rs367 billion allocated under the Foreign Project Assistance programme in the current year.

The Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) allocation is proposed at Rs50–60 billion, down from Rs76 billion in the current fiscal year.

Similarly, Rs50 billion has been proposed for the District Annual Development Programme (DADP), compared to Rs55 billion allocated this year.

Authorities said the proposed budget aims to balance ongoing development needs with available fiscal space, while prioritizing key infrastructure and social sector projects across the province.

Sindh tightens business hours with new austerity measures

April 10, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: The Government of Sindh has announced the implementation of an austerity policy, directing early closure of shops and shopping malls across the province.

According to an official notification, new business hours have been introduced for markets, hotels, and wedding halls. In districts other than divisional headquarters, all shops, markets, and shopping malls will close at 8:00 PM. Meanwhile, in divisional headquarters including Karachi, these establishments will remain open until 9:00 PM.

Under the new rules, hotels and food outlets will be allowed to operate from 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM. However, home delivery and takeaway services will continue without any restrictions.

Wedding halls and banquet facilities will be permitted to host events from 8:00 PM to midnight.

The notification also clarifies that essential services such as tandoors, milk shops, bakeries, medical stores, laboratories, clinics, hospitals, and petrol pumps will remain exempt from these restrictions.

The austerity measures have been enforced with immediate effect. Authorities, including commissioners and deputy commissioners, have been directed to ensure strict implementation in coordination with law enforcement agencies.

It is worth noting that similar measures have already been introduced in other provinces following the federal government’s austerity policy, with Punjab and Balochistan also enforcing early market closures.

Early market closures announced nationwide except Sindh from April 7

April 6, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

ISLAMABAD: In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on petroleum products, the government has decided to enforce early closing hours for markets, shopping malls, and commercial centers across the country, excluding Sindh.

According to an official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, shops dealing in daily-use items, departmental stores, and malls will close by 8:00 PM.

Bakeries, restaurants, tandoors, and food outlets will remain open until 10:00 PM, while marriage halls and marquees will also be required to shut after 10:00 PM.

The directive further includes a ban on wedding and other events at private residences after 10:00 PM. However, medical stores and pharmacies will remain exempt from these restrictions.

The new measures will take effect from April 7 and will be implemented in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir.

In divisional headquarters of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, markets and shopping malls will be allowed to remain open until 9:00 PM.

Officials noted that consultations are still ongoing in Sindh regarding market timings, and a final decision is yet to be made for the province.