KARACHI: PA passes 13 bills amid opposition protest
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, Nov 15: Treasury benches passed as many as 10 bills into law within 25 minutes amid boycott of the session by the opposition. The house had already adopted three other bills rejecting the opposition’s reservations before the boycott.
It was for the first time in four years that the assembly had passed bills in a large number. Only one bill was deferred to the next session.
The other business transacted during the day’s deliberations included adopting of two resolutions, nomination of four members to different standing committees and a half-an-hour discussion on an adjournment motion moved by leader of the opposition Nisar Ahmed Khuhro regarding anomalies in the preparation of new electoral rolls.
As the house passed three bills – Bill No.14 and 15 of 2005, and Bill No. 3 of 2006 – on the basis of majority vote, the opposition boycotted the rest of the proceedings in protest against treasury benches’ attitude of not considering its reservations and proposed amendments.
Before staging the boycott, Mr Khuhro and MMA’s Nasrullah Shaji spoke briefly to complain that the treasury benches were totally ignoring the opposition in the legislation business.
“Therefore, we won’t like to be part of such legislation,” they declared. They also condemned imposition of ban on pillion riding and an earlier ban on the Sindh TV transmissions. All opposition members then left the house at around 2.25 pm raising slogans of “shame… shame…” The treasury benches kept accusing them of running away from the legislation business while the opposition members were leaving the house.
Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, who was chairing the session, called it a day at 3.30pm giving his ruling that the question hour, which was scheduled for the day, would be taken up on Thursday.
All amendment bills were passed after deleting the clause pertaining to repealing the law, while the Bill No 14 of 2005 (The Sindh Essential Commodities Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Bill-2005) was adopted after incorporating an amendment submitted by Shazia Marri of PPP, making it obligatory on the manufacturers of food and edible items to print manufacturing and expiry dates on the pack.
The other bills adopted on Wednesday are: The Sindh Disposal of Urban Land (Repeal) Bill-2006; The Sindh Regional Plan Organisation (Repeal) Bill-2006; The Liaquat and Dow Medical and Health Sciences Universities (Amendment) Bill-2006; The Sindh Prohibition of Manufacture, Sale and Use of Polythene Bags Bill-2006; The Sukkur Institute of Business Administration Bill-2005, the Sindh Province Pension Fund (Amendment) Bill-2006; The NED University of Engineering and Technology (Amendment) Bill-2006; The Coastal Development Authority (Amendment) Bill-2006; The Sindh Vocational Training Council Bill-2006; The Sindh Freedom of Information Bill-2006; and The Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences, Gambat, Bill-2005.
However, The Sindh Criminal Prosecution Service (Constitution, Functions and Powers) Bill-2006 was deferred to the next session on the request of Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed.
Earlier, when the bills were taken up for consideration, Syed Murad Ali Shah and Shazia Marri of PPP proposed some amendments and called for circulating the bills among elicited people to seek public opinion or be referred to the relevant select committee.
Law Minister Chaudhry Iftikhar opposed the amendments, saying that the house had already sent eight bills to standing and select committees and all but one had been pending finalisation for the past four or six months. He accused the opposition of blocking the legislation business.
The House, which inadvertently had referred the Consumer Protection Bill to the Standing Committee on Local Government on Nov 28, 2005, reviewed its decision and referred it to the Standing Committee on Food and Agriculture.
On a request made by Minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat, the speaker issued directives to the standing committees on services, education, food and health to finalise their reports and submit them before the next session.
The house also adopted a resolution, moved by Jam Mehtab Dahar of PPP, regarding non-availability of DAP and NAP fertiliser at subsidised rates.
Earlier, Initiating the debate on an adjournment motion, moved by opposition leader Nisar Khuhro on voters’ list, Law Minister Chaudhry Iftikhar said that computerised voters lists were being prepared by the Election Commission and the government had already extended the date to complete the exercise to Oct 15.
Mir Ali Nawaz Talpur said that that due to the recent rains, a large number of eligible voters cold not get their names registered.
Syed Murad Ali Shah of PML-Q said either the government should make law to make it obligatory on every citizen to get computerised identity card or people should be motivated to acquire the same.
Talib Imam of MQM said that under the new system, it was not possible for anyone to get his name entered in the voters’ list at two places.
Education Minister Dr Hameeda Khuhro said that in rural areas, 75 per cent women did not posses ID cards and, as a result, their names could not be entered in the voters’ list.
When the chair called it a day, five members had already spoken on the motion.
KARACHI, Nov 15: Treasury benches passed as many as 10 bills into law within 25 minutes amid boycott of the session by the opposition. The house had already adopted three other bills rejecting the opposition’s reservations before the boycott.
