KARACHI: A Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker in the Friday session of the assembly called for carving out a separate province to be called Muhajir Sooba for Urdu-speaking people after raising certain issues being faced by urban population.

However, the MQM was advised by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party not to raise controversial issues in the house to gain political mileage. The “division of Sindh is out of the question”, said a minister.

Besides, the house adopted three out of five government bills — The Sindh Injured Persons (Medical Aid) Bill, making it obligatory on hospitals to offer medical aid to injured persons over and above medico-legal formalities; The Sindh Special Development Board Bill to establish a board to facilitate and undertake low-cost housing scheme and rehabilitation of kutchi abadis; and The Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill to give status to civil servants working in departments devolved from the federal government under the 18th Amendment to the 1973 Constitution.

The house also carried four resolutions, reiterating commitment to polio eradication on World Polio Day, recruitment of doctors against vacancies in Thar, measures to stop poisonous water entering Sindh from Punjab and paying tribute to the late Nusrat Bhutto for her services to democracy and the country.

Responding to the points raised by the MQM, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that message of the PPP was clear, “Marsoon Marsoon, Sindh Na Desoon”. He asked the MQM not to vitiate the atmosphere in the province by raising controversial issues in the house for political mileage.

Speaking on his call attention notice, MQM lawmaker Kamran Akhtar said Urdu-speaking people living in Sindh were subject to discrimination and being pushed to the wall. Even the quota system criteria, which itself was a violation of merit, was not honoured, the lawmaker said, seeking a list of those who passed the Sindh Public Service Commission examination and the number of candidates posted in different departments since 2008 and also those awaiting posting.

He claimed that Urdu-speaking people were being subject to discrimination, atrocities and injustices, resulting in an mounting sense of deprivation among them. “Therefore, we demand a separate province to end discrimination,” he said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sikander Mandhro offered facts and figures. He said the quota system was being implemented in letter and spirit. He said the SAG&CD had sought recruitment on 43 and 64 vacancies in 17 and 16 grades, respectively, which were filled as per merit and quota system. Of the 43 vacancies, 26 were rural and 17 urban, he said. Of the 64 vacancies, 39 were made from rural areas and 25 from urban areas, while only one officer was awaiting posting, he added.

The house also approved unanimously the resolution, tabled by PPP lawmaker Khairunisa Mughal and others, to pay tribute to the late Nusrat Bhutto on her third death anniversary, recalling her sacrifices and struggle for the restoration of democracy in the country.

MQM lawmaker Syed Khalid Ahmad wanted to know about the K-IV water project route and time frame of its completion. Minister Sharjeel Memon said the project cost was Rs25.5 billion being shared by the federal and provincial governments. He dispelled the impression that the project got delayed due to a change of the route. He said the Sindh government had already approved 13,000 acres for the project and work on it would be inaugurated shortly.

MQM legislator Heer Soho asked if all powers related to Thar coal were with the federal government, because the federation fixed the rate of electricity producing from Thar coal.

Dr Mandhro said that after 18th Amendment, the Sindh government owned Thar coal where work on projects to produce electricity from coal was in progress. He said power generation from the Thar coal would begin within a year or so.

Out of the five government bills tabled by the parliamentary affairs minister, The Sindh Employees Old-Age Benefits bill was introduced while the Sindh Consumer Protection Bill was referred to the standing committee on law to consider it along with a previous bill on the same subject and report back within a week.

The Sindh Special Development Board Bill-2014, which was adopted, provides for the establishment of a board to facilitate low-cost housing scheme, rehabilitation of kutchi abadis, slum areas as well as high-rise buildings in the province.

Speaking on the admissibility of The Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, the minister said it was aimed at giving status of civil servants to the regular employees of departments devolved from the federal government who were transferred on a deputation basis in the wake of the 18th Amendment.

Dr Mandhro, who tabled “The Sindh Injured Persons (Medical Aid) Bill”, said the law was aimed at making it obligatory on every hospital to provide medical aid and treatment to injured persons without delay over and above medico-legal formalities. Violation of the law will be punishable with imprisonment up to three years or with fine not less than Rs20,000 or with both, in addition to any other penalty to which may be liable under any other law.

After including a minor amendment suggested by MQM lawmaker Khalid Ahmad when the bill was put to the house, it was carried unanimously.

The resolution moved by PML(F) legislator Nusrat Sehar Abbasi and others called on the Sindh government to take steps to fill 187 vacancies of doctors in Tharparkar at the earliest.

Another resolution passed by the house stated, “This assembly resolves to show the importance and our commitment on World Polio Day. World Polio Day being observed around the world, provides an opportunity to join the polio eradication community to renew our promises of polio-free world.”

The resolution presented by Ms Soho was also adopted, which asked the government to take steps to stop poisonous water entering Sindh from Punjab, because lands of Ghotki and Sukkur were being affected.

When Khalid Ahmed of the MQM asked about allotment of seats on opposition benches, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani said he could not pay attention to their application due to his preoccupation and assured him that he would consider the same in the light of the rules on Monday.

The house also carried a question hour related to the public health engineering department. The session was adjourned till Monday morning after the completion of agenda.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2014

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