KARACHI, Oct 20: The City district government’s 255-member council on Saturday unanimously adopted a resolution, seeking a ban on liquor shops and cancellation of liquor permits in the metropolis.

The council in its second session, which met here with Naib Nazim Tariq Hassan in the chair, asked the electronic and the print media to avoid promoting obscenity.

“The TV should bring to an end the element of vulgarity in its programmes and telecast only those programmes in which women are properly dressed, besides the print media should also desist from printing obscene photos,” another resolution said.

The members criticized the KWSB management for its failure to ensure regular water supply to Karachi and said the city was faced with artificial water shortage because of their negligence.

Tariq Hasan in his ruling said in the next meeting of the council, the KWSB MD and other concerned officers would be called and the members would be given an opportunity to present their grievances.

Expressing concern over the inordinate delay in preparing the Sindh Councils’ conduct of business rules of the SLGO-2001, the members urged the government to expedite the procedure of framing such rules so that the proceedings of the house could be run smoothly.

Through another resolution, the council approved the procedure for setting up as many as 32 committees of the house for monitoring the performance of different departments of the city district government.

With regard to the holding of elections of presiding officers for the City Council sessions, the meeting decided that since the SLGO-2001 was silent over the issue, the Sindh Councils (Conduct of Business) Rules-1980 will be adopted for the purpose as same had been saved under SLGO-2001.

On a suggestion the council decided that the members of such committees will range between seven and 11 so that every member of the house could be accommodated in its committees.

Speaking on his resolution that related to ban on liquor shops and its permits, the Liaquatabad Union council’s Nazim, Siddiq Rathore, said it was strange that the Punjab where a maximum number of minority community resides has only seven liquor shops, but in Sindh which has a minimum population of minority there were more than 155 liquor shops.

Supporting the resolution, the House unanimously adopted it.

Earlier, tabling a resolution pertaining to Conduct of Business Rules, 2001, a member of the Council, Saeed Ghani, said there was dire need to prepare the Sindh Councils (Conduct of Business) Rules-2001 at the earliest, otherwise the current proceedings of the House which are being carried out under the Sindh Councils (Conduct of Business) Rules-1980 could create some technical and legal hitches.

Taking part in the discussion, Nazim of UC-8 (Jamshed Town), Mehfooz-un-Nabi, said the Business Rules must be in conformity with the devolution of powers.

Referring the Clause 39 (Q) of the SLGO-2001 which relates to privileges, honorarium and allowances of Nazims and councillors, he supported the demand raised by several other members of the Council for their privileges.

At the outset of his speech, he regretted that the City Nazim, by not placing wreath on the Mazar of Quaid-i-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan on the occasion of his death anniversary, had deviated from the 53-year old tradition.

A lady councillor demanded of the convener to ensure maximum representation of women members in the committees relating to health and education.

The session was adjourned for an indefinite period when a councillor drew the attention of the convener towards the lack of quorum in the second session of the House.