KARACHI, Nov 11: The City Council Karachi on Saturday condemned the suicide bombing in Dargai that left more than 40 army soldiers dead and many more injured recently.
However, the house did not take up the opposition resolution calling for further discussion on the military raid in Bajaur Agency that had resulted in the death of more than 80 students of a religious seminary.
Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the council called for immediate arrest and public hanging of the terrorists behind the Dargai suicide bombing.
The session was chaired by the council’s convenor and Naib Nazim Ms Nasreen Jalil.
At the outset, treasury member Masood Mehmood sought the chair’s permission to move the resolution on Dargai incident and insisted on voting on it. Upon this, leader of the Al-Khidmat Group Rafiq Ahmed pointed out that the opposition had also submitted its own resolution on both Dargai and Bajaur incidents. Seemingly annoyed, Ms Jalil ruled that the opposition had been allocated sufficient time to speak on Bajaur issue.
She pointed out that the opposition’s resolution on Bajaur issue was now a part of the council’s record and, as such, there was no need for further debating. She ruled that the house would vote on the resolution pertaining to Dargai incident only.
Expressing her displeasure over the attitude of certain members, she reminded them that council was a forum where members were supposed to find ways to solve the problems being faced by the city and its citizens. However, she regretted, this house had now turned into a political battleground.
She noted that the members were trying to raise national and other issues instead of seeking debate on pressing issues, like price-hike, that had become a constant source of concern for citizens.
Awam Dost Group leader Saeed Ghani, speaking on a point of order, told the house that what happened in Bajaur Agency was a tragic incident as those who had been killed there were Pakistani citizens. He asserted that it would be great injustice with the victims if this house did not even pass a resolution on the tragedy.
Haq Parast member Masood Mehmood criticised the opposition for its attitude, alleging that it was trying to get political mileage out of the incident. He pointed out that MQM chief Altaf Hussain was the first political leader to condemn the Bajaur raid.
The treasury benches’ resolution on Dargai suicide bombing was then presented in the house and put to vote. Disappointed by the treasury side’s attitude, the opposition members neither supported nor rejected the resolution.
The chair, announcing result of the vote, declared that the resolution stood adopted unanimously.
