KARACHI: Parking fee exemption after office hours sought: PA proceedings
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, April 22: Charged parking should be applicable during office hours only, after which there should be no parking fee.
Besides, there should be no charged parking on public holidays.
This demand was made by Farheen Ambreen of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement during the assembly proceedings on a point of order. Today when the house started business at 11.10am, Mohammad Hussain, a member of the panel of chairmen, who was in the chair, allowed the members from both treasury and the opposition benches to raise pressing issues in the house.
The chair reserved ruling on two point of orders raised by Syed Murad Ali Shah of Pakistan People's Party. The PPP MPA had pointed out that Tuesday is a private members' day, and according to rules, if there is a holiday on that day, whenever the assembly resumes session, private members business can be taken up.
He also drew the attention of the chair towards the inordinate delay in election of the chairmen of the house committees. Although, committees have been set up, these are not functioning because there are no chairmen.
Law Minister Iftikhar Chaudhry termed it an important matter and said that there was a consensus on the names of the chairman between the opposition and the government, but unfortunately they have not been elected yet. He assured that meetings of the committees would be held soon.
Jam Saifullah Dharejo of the PPP said that house committees are very powerful in democratic setups. Had the house committees been functioning here, these could have taken up the matter about reported corruption of Rs 50 to 60 million in the education department.
Education minister Irfanullah Marwat, protested over the remarks, and denied that there was any corruption in the education department. "If this matter is taken up, many faces would be exposed," he said.
Begum Gulzar Unnar of PML-F proposed setting up of shelter homes for destitute women and men to end the menace of beggary by providing them respectable sources of income.
Shamim Ara Panhwar on a point of order said there was a water shortage in the Nara Canal and influentials had closed supply of tail-enders. On this, the law minister said that the matter would be investigated thoroughly to rectify the situation.
Rafique Engineer of the PPP on a point of order drew the attention of the house towards the deteriorating law and order situation in Lyari where so far 60 persons have been killed. On this the law minister, gave an assurance that after the session, he would hold a meeting with the IGP.
The chairman asked the law minister that he should take a briefing about the matter from the IGP in the presence of Rafique Engineer. Rafique also raised the issue of removal of 25 computers from a Lyari college and pointed out that computers have been given to another college in Malir on the orders of the minister for planning, Shoaib Bokhari.
The minister explained that because there was no computer lab at the Lyari Technical College, the computers have been given to another college. However, when computers would be received next time, the college can be provided even 50 computers.
On a point of order by Poonjomal Bheel of the MQM about flour crisis in Tharparker where maize and wheat could not be produced due to rains, the law minister said the food department would be directed to overcome flour crisis.
Mr Poonjomal also drew the attention of the house towards an on-going hunger strike by one Munnoo Bheel at Hyderabad Press Club, who has been protesting over abduction of his children and demanded steps for their release.
Sajid Jokhyo of the PPP termed the educational city plan, spreading over 9,000 acres in Malir, a conspiracy to turn the local population into a minority. He called for sparing the fertile land and said that the scheme be shifted to somewhere else.
Religious and Auqaf Affairs Minister Dr Irfan Gul Magsi agreed with a suggestion by Nuzhat Pathan of the PPP that the closure of the gate at the shrine of Syed Juman Shah Bokhari at Sharea Faisal was causing inconvenience to people.
Even the advisor on home affairs was stopped by the Naval personnel. However, the minister said the shrine was not under the control of the Auqaf department, and a case was still pending in the court and talks were continuing.
Fareeda Baloch of the MQM said that the Lyari Town Nazim had failed to discharge his duties and funds worth millions of rupees have remained unutilised and an influential man was caught for water theft in Lyari.
Nasreen Chandio of the PPP pointed out that the man arrested for water theft was not a resident of Lyari. When Rafique Engineer tried to explain, he was not allowed by the chair.
Hameedullah of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal raised the issue of hardships being faced by the people in Orangi Town in acquiring computerised national identity card as NADRA people were asked for documents prior to 1972.
The law minister said that NADRA was under the control of the federal government, and the matter could be taken up with the federal government. The chair proposed that a resolution be moved in the house for removing hardships of the people.
Maulana Ahsanullah Hazarvi demanded that the problems of the employees of the Prince Glass be resolved as they are sitting outside the Karachi Press Club for many weeks. He also demanded that the Ismail Goth should not be demolished.
WALKOUT: Journalists covering the Sindh Assembly session on Thursday staged a token walkout against the arrest of Zulfiqar Khaskheli, a district correspondent who was tortured also.
