KARACHI, Jan 27: Amid mounting incidents of kidnapping for ransom and dacoity and killings in the province, the Sindh Assembly on Monday initiated a debate on the law and order situation, which the treasury benches also admitted was not satisfactory.

During the debate, the speakers also pointed out closure of 55 rice mills in Kandhkot and Kashmor owing to kidnappings and dacoities.

Much against expectations, the recent killings in Karachi in clashes between the activists of the MQM and the MMA were played down, though some references were made to the FIRs against the MMA leaders and the agony of the families of those MQM activists who were killed in the clashes.

But before Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah allowed Syed Sardar Ahmed, the provincial home minister, to move a motion to discuss law and order situation, leader of the opposition Nisar Khuhro raised the issue that why the requisitioned session, for which a notice had been given in time, had not been convened.

The opposition had sought to discuss the law and order situation, water issue, unemployment, Thal canal issue, NFC award and a host of other problems being faced by the people of Sindh.

Speaker Muzaffar Hussain Shah admitted that the opposition had filed an application on Jan 18 to requisition the session and it had been planned to convene the session on Jan 30. However, in the meantime the governor convened the session on Jan 27, he said, adding that the requisition became infructuous because two sessions could not be convened at one time.

Muzaffar Hussain Shah said that every effort would be made to accommodate the opposition and the points raised by it.

He said for the current session there was a motion on law and order from the home minister and all those who wanted to express their views on the subject would be heard.

Taking the floor, Syed Qaim Ali Shah invoked Article 54(3) of the Constitution, claiming that the rules of procedures of the assembly were subservient to the Constitution and the Speaker was bound to convene a requisitioned session.

If the opposition request was not given the treatment it deserved then what was the need for such constitutional provisions, he said.

Syed Murad Ali Shah of the PPP said the matter had also been raised in the Senate during 1999 when the Senate chairman had summoned the requisitioned session after the conclusion of the session summoned by the president. He also provided a copy of that ruling to the Speaker.

Finally, when the opposition agreed to discuss the law and order situation, an adjournment motion of Nasreen Chandio, which related to the same subject, was clubbed with that of the home minister’s motion.

Initiating the debate, Syed Sardar Ahmed pointed out that although the present government had completed only a month in the office, it felt it necessary to discuss the problem threadbare because law and order was the concern of the whole country, specially Sindh.

“Our government will have no justification to stay in power, if we are not able to provide protection to the life and property of people,” Mr Ahmad said.

He promised action against those found involved in creating a law and order problem. He emphasized that the debate was necessary because the Police Act of 1861 had been completely changed and a new Local Government Ordinance was in vogue.

“How we can maintain law, if the police is not properly organized and its structure improved,” Sardar Ahmad said and added: “We will discuss the pros and cons along with the opposition and find out a solution.”

Taking the floor, an opposition MPA, Dr Sikandar Mahendro, called for removing the causes which led to law and order situation.

He said the law and order situation had been caused by growing unemployment, frustration and a sense of deprivation as Sindh’s resources were controlled by the people from outside the province.

Dr Sikandar alleged that Sindh’s share of water in the river Indus was being consumed by Punjab which had created water shortage in Sindh.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Anwar Alam was of the view that illegal immigrants were responsible for the law and order. His target was also the MMA.

The parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was quick to respond in his usual way by saying that “we know who were responsible for putting up banners on behalf of the people of Karachi and Sindh to incite sentiments of the people and plunge the city into another spiral of bloodbath.”

Dr Arbab Rahim also conceded that the law and order situation was not good. He said not only Sindh, this problem was also affecting Balochistan and Punjab because of tribal conflicts between the Bugtis and the Mazaris, the Jatois and the Mahars.

In the context of tribal clashes, he hoped that the Sindh chief minister, Ali Mohammad Mahar, would use his influence to find a solution.

About kidnapping for ransom and dacoity, he called for involving the area people along with either the border force, or the police or rangers.

He called for further strengthening of police force mobility and equipment. He suggested that the condition of police stations should be improved and more efficient officers should be inducted.

He said deficiencies in the police force should be removed and the local community be involved in policing. He emphasized that the FIR registration system should be improved and these should not be registered unnecessarily and without prior investigation.

While discussion was continuing, the Speaker adjourned the session for Tuesday when private business will be taken up.

Muzaffar Hussain Shah, who presided over the session, said that further discussion on law and order would be held on Wednesday.

The House also set up a nine-member committee to deal with the privilege motions to be submitted by the members.

In the absence of the House Privilege Committee, the special committee will examine and determine the breach of privilege submitted and, if so, the circumstances leading to the breach of privilege and make such recommendations thereof as deemed necessary by the next session. The committee was formed in the backdrop of Dec 16 incident in which an MPA of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement Yunus Khan was dragged from within the assembly premises and other members were also manhandled.

The committee will comprise opposition’s Ayaz Soomro, Murad Ali Shah, Hameedullah Khan advocate, Farheen Mughal and Home Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed, Law Minister Chaudhry Iftikhar, Population Welfare Minister Dr Saeeda Malik, Education Minister Irfanullah Marwat and Naseer Khan Khoso from the treasury benches.

Earlier, an opposition MPA, Aziz Jatoi, wanted to move a privilege motion against the highhandedness of a police SHO Rajab Soomro who misbehaved with him and MPA Ayaz Soomro when they went to a court in Larkana in connection with the bail of Ibrahim Jatoi and where the SHO arrested Ibrahim on the court premises.

Speaking on his privilege motion, the law minister held out the assurance that a report in this regard would be prepared in two days and said that action would be taken in the matter after proper inquiry.

The five newly elected members of Sindh Assembly also took oath when the session commenced. The included Imtiaz Shaikh, Syed Sarfraz Shah Sherazi, Faiz Mohammad Mahar, Abid Hussain Jatoi and Ehsan Jatoi.