3,182 kanals of ETPB land still occupied despite invalid transfers

The Sindh School Education Department has approved the transfer of 2,059 teachers under the first phase of its e-transfer system, aiming to improve teacher distribution and ensure better staffing in public schools across the province. According to an official notification issued in Karachi, the approved transfers include 1,625 applications under the general category and 434 applications under the mutual transfer category. The department approved transfers for a total of 2,059 teachers. Among them, 1,163 are male teachers, while 896 are female teachers. Officials said 644 teachers were transferred on the basis of the teacher-to-student ratio to address staffing imbalances in schools. Another 544 teachers received transfers based on their marital status. The notification further stated that 173 transfers were approved on medical grounds. In addition, 100 teachers were transferred due to tribal dispute-related reasons. Another 31 teachers were granted transfers because of physical disabilities. The department also approved 434 applications under the mutual transfer category, allowing teachers to exchange their postings with one another. According to the official statement, the e-transfer system has also helped improve the functioning of public schools. A total of 41 schools that were previously facing teacher shortages have become operational after teachers were posted through the transfer process. Education officials said the e-transfer system is designed to make the transfer process more transparent, efficient and merit-based. The digital system reduces manual intervention and ensures that transfers are processed according to approved criteria. The School Education Department expects the initiative to improve the availability of teachers in underserved areas and strengthen the overall quality of education in government schools across Sindh. Further phases of the e-transfer programme are expected to continue in line with departmental requirements.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has established a dedicated unit to investigate criminals operating through the dark web. The move is aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s ability to deal with hidden online criminal networks. The new unit has been set up at the FIA’s National Command and Control Centre (NC3) in Islamabad. It will use advanced technology and digital investigation techniques to identify suspects who use encrypted platforms to conceal their identities. FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar said the unit would focus on criminal networks involved in activities that fall under the agency’s jurisdiction. Investigators will also examine suspicious digital transactions, including those involving cryptocurrencies. A major focus will be networks involved in producing fake documents. Such documents can be used to facilitate human trafficking and illegal migrant smuggling. The unit will also investigate other forms of cyber-enabled crime linked to the dark web. The dark web is a hidden part of the internet. Its websites are not normally indexed by standard search engines. Access often requires specialised software and knowledge. Criminals can use these systems to hide their identities and locations. The technology has also been misused for illegal trade, cybercrime and other criminal activities. Authorities face additional challenges because many dark web networks operate across national borders. Criminals can also use cryptocurrency to make financial transactions more difficult to trace. The FIA plans to address these challenges through modern digital investigation tools and greater coordination between specialised teams. The new unit will work closely with the FIA’s cryptocurrency investigation unit. Both units will operate under the same facility and share technical expertise. Investigators will use blockchain forensic techniques to examine cryptocurrency transactions. These techniques can help authorities analyse transactions and potentially connect anonymous or pseudonymous digital addresses with real-world identities. Open-source intelligence will also be used to support investigations. Officials said digital evidence gathered from different sources could help strengthen criminal cases. Investigators will track aliases, usernames and pseudonyms used by suspected criminals across online marketplaces, forums and other hidden platforms. The information will be used to build detailed profiles of suspected offenders. Authorities can then use the evidence to identify suspects and pursue legal action. NC3 Director Dr Athar Waheed explained the basic structure of the internet. He said it is commonly divided into three broad layers: the surface web, deep web and dark web. The surface web includes websites that can be found through regular search engines. News websites, social media platforms, blogs and online shopping sites are examples. The deep web contains online material that search engines do not index. This includes private databases, email accounts, banking systems, academic resources and internal organisational networks. Much of the deep web is legitimate. Users normally need passwords, subscriptions or specific permissions to access such content. The dark web is a smaller and deliberately hidden section of the deep web. It uses technologies designed to provide greater anonymity. Tor is one of the technologies commonly associated with accessing dark web services. It routes internet traffic through multiple volunteer-operated relays, making it more difficult to identify the original source. The FIA’s new unit will seek to overcome these anonymity measures through digital forensics, intelligence gathering and technological investigation.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) senior leader Dr Farooq Sattar has called for the creation of more provinces, saying Pakistan cannot be effectively governed through the existing four provinces or by the influence of a few political families. Speaking after arriving at the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters in Karachi, Sattar said the country needs a more inclusive and participatory federal structure with additional provinces to ensure balanced governance and fair representation. He said the movement for administrative reforms would continue until the establishment of more provinces across the country. According to Sattar, creating new provinces is essential for improving governance, strengthening the federation and addressing regional disparities. The MQM-P leader also praised the country’s leadership for demonstrating resilience during challenging times. He commended Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the nation for showing determination and courage. Sattar reiterated that constitutional and administrative reforms are necessary to build a stronger and more representative Pakistan, adding that decentralisation would help improve public service delivery and promote national unity.