KARACHI: All parliamentary parties in the Sindh Assembly on Friday resolved that they would ensure 100 per cent enrolment in schools of Sindh to provide free education to every child of the province.

A resolution tabled by Senior Education Minister Nisar Ahmad Khuhro and adopted unanimously by the house reads: “The Assembly resolves that political parties of Pakistan together committed to ensuring 100 per cent enrolment in Sindh so that every child between the ages of five and 16 is in school, according to Article 25-A of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2013”.

The resolution was brought out of turn after relaxing the rules as it was not included in the order of the day.

The minister said that all the parties were also committed to improving the quality of education in the public schools of the province.

The house, through another resolution, unanimously recommended to the Sindh government to approach the federal government for getting its three barracks vacated for the extension of its MPAs’ Hostel in Karachi. The resolution was moved by MPA Syed Nasir Hussain Shah of the Pakistan Peoples Party.

Responding to the call-attention notice of MPA Nusrat Sehar Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, Mr Khuhro said that 12 senior officials were found involved in 3,000 fake appointments made in the education department in an inquiry ordered by the government. While they were suspended, they got stay orders from the Sindh High Court, he added.

He said that Attaullah Bhutto, Shamsuddin Dal, Ahmad Nawaz Niazi, Bashir Ahmad Abbasi, Fernaz Riaz, Mumtaz Ali Shaikh, Abdul Latif Moghal, Abdul Jabbar Dayo, Liaqaut Solangi, Imran Ali Solangi and Naveed Ahmad were the officials found involved in the scam.

He said they got stay orders against their suspension but the government had so far not posted them anywhere.

Mr Khuhro said that the issuance of fake appointment orders without budget allocation was not limited to Karachi but in other districts as well. However, the government had asked the officials concerned to prepare a report to get verified the credentials of those appointed and see whether codal formalities were met.

1,171 policemen suspended

Responding to the call attention notice of Muttahida Qaumi Movement legislator Kamran Akhtar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro informed the house that 1,171 police personnel, including SSP and DSPs, had been placed under suspension for their alleged involvement in criminal activities.

He said that instruction had been issued to Rangers to scrutinise the performance of their personnel.

The MQM lawmakers asked the home minister to inform the house about the number of policemen against whom criminal cases were registered and what action the government had taken against them.

Dr Mandhro said that the government had taken actions against these personnel and show-cause notices had been served to them.

He said that the Sindh police were doing its best to maintain law and order in Karachi and that the entire department could not be blamed for delinquency for certain elements.

The deputy parliamentary party leader of the MQM in the Sindh Assembly, Khwaja Izhar-ul-Hassan, said that the entire police force was not blamed but the MPA concerned had pinpointed anti-social elements.

He said that his party appreciated the services of slain police officer SP Chaudhary Aslam and recognised the sacrifice he made.Other call attention notices were of Khurram Sher Zaman of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf about consumption of alcohol in restaurants in Clifton. However, Excise Minister Mukesh Chawla denied the allegation.

Responding to the call attention notice of MQM’s Khalid Ahmed, Information Minister Sherjeel Memon said that the Sindh government would hold the local government election on whatever date to be given by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

During the proceeding Irfanullah Khan Marwat of the PML-Nawaz was allowed to present the report of a special house committee on the Sindh Health Care Commission Bill, 2013.

The house admitted the privilege motion of MQM’s Khwaja Izhar and Abdul Haseeb and referred it to a special committee formed by the house comprising Syed Sardar Ahmad, Mr Khuhro, Dr Mandhro, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and Mr Marwat. The committee was asked to submit its recommendation in the next session whether privilege of the movers was breached.

The adjournment motion of Ms Abbasi and Imtiaz Shaikh of the PML-F regarding law and order deterioration in Khairpur and Shikarpur was not admitted as it did no meet the conditions of the motion and the movers were asked by the parliamentary affairs minister that if they rephrased the motion and met the rules it could be taken up on Monday.

TV journalist’s ‘arrest’

Earlier, on a point of order, MQM’s Khwaja Izhar drew the attention of the house towards an incident in which some personnel in plain clothes picked up a television journalist, Muhammad Imran of DawnNews, from his house.

He said that people were being taken into custody by plain-clothes personnel despite assurances given by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan as well as a government pledge made in court that no one would be arrested by personnel in plain clothes.

He demanded that police stations concerned be authorised to register a kidnapping case against such personnel.

Responding to the point of order, Information Minister Memon said so far it was not known which agency had picked up the journalist. However, the government would make every effort to find out facts in the matter and duly informed the house, he promised.

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani asked the government to take notice of the incident and make efforts for the recovery of the journalist.

The assembly session, which was called to order at 11.30am by Speaker Durrani, was adjourned till Monday at 2.15pm.