KARACHI, Feb 8: The opposition People’s Party Parliamentarians submitted on Saturday an application for requisitioning the Sindh assembly session to discuss matters of vital public importance.

Signed by 57 members, the requisition, under article 54 (3) read with article 127 of the Constitution, was submitted by Nisar Khuhro, the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly.

According to rules, Sindh assembly speaker has to summon a session upon receiving a requisition notice.

The opposition wants to discuss and decide the stoppage of the construction of Thal Canal.

Its agenda also includes discussion on the alleged undue interference by the provincial government in the affairs and administration of the recently- introduced system of district government.

Some other matters on the agenda are discussion on compulsory teaching of Sindhi language in private schools in the province, grant of total remission of all the provincial taxes to Abadgars holding up to 25 acres of agricultural land, debate on reconsideration and modification of Lyari Expressway and on steps for stopping mass migration of fishermen from Manchhar Lake.

The PPP also wants the Sindh assembly to decide on chlorination of water supplied for drinking purpose, exemption of electricity charges on tube-wells installed for agricultural purpose in the Kacha areas of the province.

There is skepticism about the fate of the application, as some of the PPP members are of the view that once such a move is made, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-dominated provincial government is likely initiate its own agenda to scuttle “real debate on crunch issues” to take credit, as it did in the case of law and order, the NFC and other issues.

The leader of the opposition had earlier on Jan 18 requisitioned the session to discuss the NFC award, law and order, increasing unemployment, the continuing ban on employment in Sindh, effects of the Thal canal project, its consequences and the steps taken by the provincial government.

After submitting the requisition the Leader of the Opposition, Nisar Khuhro, said that “statements on the construction of dams on the River Indus given by the Sindh governor during his recent visit to Lahore have exposed his concern for the welfare of the people of Sindh.”