KARACHI: Parliamentary party leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Syed Sardar Ahmad on Monday criticised the provincial government in the Sindh Assembly for the release of Rs40 million development funds to each legislator belonging to the government and ignoring those sitting on the opposition benches.

He asked if the Sindh government was facing a financial crunch and was unable to release the funds to each legislator for executing development projects under the Tameer-i-Pakistan programme, how the over 60 lawmakers of the ruling party got the entire amount while none of the MPAs belonging to the opposition were given anything for implementing the approved schemes in their respective constituencies.

He said the opposition had not demanded the funds but when the planning and development department asked them to furnish development schemes of their constituencies for approval as the government had approved Rs40 million development fund for each constituency, and when they completed all formalities and it took four months to get the schemes approved, they were informed that all funds had been exhausted.

The MQM leader was responding to a statement of minister for parliamentary affairs Dr Sikander Mandhro on a privilege motion of Khurrum Sherzaman on the subject of an arranged meeting of leaders of the parliamentary parties in the opposition with Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah. He said that during the meeting it was agreed that Rs20 million would be released immediately for initiating development schemes and the remaining Rs20 million would be released after the government position stabilised with the flow of cash, but the ACS (P&D) informed him that they were instructed to release only Rs10 million for each constituency.

PML-F parliamentary leader Nanad Kumar also said why the funds were available only to others and not to the opposition members.

Earlier after the privilege motion was read out by Khurrum Sherzaman informing the house that after they carried out all the procedure in the light of the letters of Nov 18, 2013 the department concerned informed him that they did not have funds for the scheme.

The minister said it was not in his knowledge that the government had issued instructions for the release only Rs10 million to each lawmaker.

Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hasan, whose privilege motion was also on the same issue, said if there was a funds problem and they were released only to MPAs from the rural areas, how come some of the ruling party lawmakers from Karachi were given the funds. He said the government should reduce its non-development expenditure and provide funds to the opposition lawmakers for implementing uplift schemes in their areas also.

The chair said the chief minister was with the prime minister, who was in the city, and might give a briefing to the MPAs on that account.

Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said the letters should not have been issued to the lawmakers by the P& D department and in the light of the letters the objection of opposition members was justified.

After the arguments, the mover did not press his privilege motion saying that in view of the assurance given by the minister for parliamentary affairs that he would take up the issue with the chief minister and duly inform the house about his point of view on the subject.

Earlier, after the session was called to order leader of the opposition Syed Faisal Sabzwari on a point of order drew the attention of the house to the five workers of the MQM who were picked up last Monday by armed men who had come in vehicles without number plates and so far there was no clue to their whereabouts.

He said that dozens of their party workers were kidnapped in the same manner.

The leader of the opposition added that only last Monday the list of their missing persons provided to the government in the house included the name of Muhammad Ali Khan, who was arrested in Azad Kashmir over a month back, but his body was found near Qayyumabad recently.

He said even if the police and the Rangers were denying their involvement, it was their responsibility to find out who were kidnapping people.

After the questions hour, Speaker Durrani gave the floor to parliamentary affairs minister Dr Sikander Mandhro, who laid in the house last nine months budget releases and their utilisation for general discussion under Rule 144 of the rules of procedure of the Sindh Assembly.

Information Minister Sherjeel Inam Memon said that the police and the Rangers were not involved in the kidnapping and the inspector general of police had formed an inquiry committee which would report about those arrested by the police and the Rangers.

Regarding a point of order of Nanad Kumar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional that in Mirpurkhas some miscreants were printing ‘Om’, a sacred word of their religion, on slippers which was a matter of concern for the minority community, the minister assured him that the Mirpurkhas DIG had been given instructions to take action against those involved in spreading religious hatred.

Resolution on Hamid Mir

The Sindh Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the murderous attack on renowned journalist Hamid Mir, which they said not only posed a serious threat to the freedom of the press, but also jeopardised democracy.

Through the resolution, jointly tabled by information minister Sherjeel Memon, parliamentary party leaders Syed Sardar Ahmad of the MQM, Nand Kumar Goklani of the PML-F and Syed Hafeezuddin of the PTI and others, his services to journalism and democracy were highly appreciated.

The house, which was called to order at 10.10am with Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the chair, finally elected its 37 standing committees, including the public accounts committee and the finance committee, each comprising over seven members. The rest of the 35 standing committees consisted of 11 members each.

After the introduction of the two government bills — the Sindh Criminal Prosecution Service (Constitution, functions and powers) (amendment) Bill, 2014 and The Sindh Shaheed Recognition and Compensation Bill, 2014 — the session was adjourned by the speaker at around 2pm till Tuesday at 10am.