KARACHI: PA calls for urgent disaster management plan
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, Oct 17: The urgency for preparing an adequate disaster management plan and effective building control laws for Karachi was highlighted by members of the Sindh Assembly while the house deliberated upon the situation arising out of the massive earthquake in northern parts of the country.
While indicating that Karachi is on the fault line and has already experienced tremors, they said that keeping this in view, it was all the more important to prepare a disaster management plan on an urgent basis and get it approved during the current session.
In Monday’s proceedings, on the second day of the current session, four more members spoke on the post-quake situation before the Mohammad Hussain, member of the Panel of Chairmen who was presiding over the session, called it a day at 2pm.
Earlier, when the house resumed business at 11am with Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah in the chair, the house was informed that Syed Mustafa Kamal and Kanwar Naveed Jamil had tendered their resignations as members of the house as they had now been elected as nazims of Karachi and Hyderabad respectively. Both the MPAs belong to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
The speaker also administered oath to Syed Murad Ali Shah of the PML-Q who was declared elected from PS-20 Naushero Feroz on the seat previously occupied by Abdul Haq Bhurt. A notification to this effect was issued by the Chief Election Commissioner.
Leader of the Opposition Nisar Ahmad Khuhro pointed out that Mr Bhurt had moved Supreme Court through an appeal seeking a stay order. Responding to the objection, the speaker maintained that he had received only the CEC notification, and asked Mr Shah to take oath.
A PPP MPA, Syed Murad Ali Shah, speaking on a point of order, drew the chair’s attention to need for immediately preparing a disaster management plan for Sindh and enacting rules for standard construction of buildings. He told the house that he had drafted two bills — Sindh Disaster Management Bill-2005 and Sindh Designs and Construction Standards for Building & Infrastructure Bill-2005 – for consideration of the house. He sought permission to introduce the bills through relaxation in the Rule 211 so that these could be forwarded to the appropriate committee for an early report enabling the house to do legislation in this regard during the ongoing session.
However, Law Minister Chaudhry Iftikhar opposed his plea regarding relaxation in the Rule, and called for pursuing normal procedures.
The speaker fixed next Thursday as Private Members’ Day in addition to Tuesday (Oct 18) in lieu of the one due from last session as was pointed out by Syed Murad Ali Shah.
Hameedullah Khan of the MMA, referring to the swift and suiting response to the distress calls from the disaster-hit people, lauded general public for demonstrating national unity. The way the citizens, political parties and NGOs contributed towards the relief efforts without any discrimination was commendable. “It is a proof that we are a living nation.” However, he lamented certain transporters who had exploited the situation by increasing the fare for transporting the quake victims’ relatives, who wanted to see their nears and dears in distress or their devastated properties, by 100 per cent. He observed that owners of trucks and containers created hurdles in relief efforts by resorting to increase charges for transporting relief goods by 100 per cent.
He urged the government to force such transporters to desist from indulging in such practices.
Mr Hameedullah said that in view of the magnitude of tragedy, the contribution by Sindh government was not adequate. All members of the Sindh Assembly should also contribute their one-month salary towards the quake relief fund, he added.
Referring to the reports of misappropriation in relief funds and goods collected from people by some organizations, he said that the government should ensure proper delivery of relief goods to the affected people.
Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui observed that the calamity had made people to forge unity in their ranks and they were contributing their maximum possible resources towards the relief efforts.
“No doubt, it is the foremost responsibility of the government to come to the rescue of the people affected by the disaster, but the spirit demonstrated by NGOs and individuals came forward on their own deserved full appreciation.” He also paid tributes to the governments of other countries which come out with immediate response and great contributions towards the relief efforts.
Regarding overcharging by transporters, he said soon after receiving such complaints, he had directed all SHOs, CCPOs and TPOs to ensure that such practices were no more resorted to.
PPP MPA Humera Alwani citing a UN report told the house that over 3.3 million people had been rendered homeless by the quake. They are now facing harsh weather conditions in the open while snowfall had halted relief efforts.
Pointing out that Karachi, Badin and Thatta fell in the fault line where tremors had also been felt recently, she asked whether the Sindh government had any disaster management plan to cope with a situation arising out of a quake of high intensity.
Ms Alwani stressed that there should at least be a comprehensive disaster management plan and the concerned agencies should have all essential machinery and equipment to cope with such a situation. She suggested that without waiting for a calamity to hit Karachi, the KBCA should get all ‘dangerous’ buildings vacated.
She recalled that her constituency had suffered emergencies like cyclone and floods in the past, but those affected in the tragedies in 1999 and 2003 had not received any relief as yet.
Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro termed the quake a bigger tragedy than the tsunami as the quake had rocked the area most difficult to reach.
The minister also agreed with other speakers that immediate attention must be paid to the quality and standard of the construction of high-rise buildings.
Their foundations should be checked and necessary safety measures be taken, she said.
At the outset, members offered fateha for the departed soul of senior journalist Mushtaq Memon, the six soldiers who died in a helicopter crash in the quake hit areas on Sunday, and all those who lost their lives in the massive earthquake.
