Govt not interfering in arrest, release of suspects during targeted operations, PA told
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KARACHI: Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sikander Mandhro on Monday informed the provincial assembly that the law enforcement agencies have been given a free hand to carry out operations and investigation against criminals without any discrimination.
The targeted operation was being carried out against militants, extortionists and criminal elements, he said, adding that the government neither recommended anyone to be released nor instructed law enforcers to raid any particular place or arrest any particular person.
The minister was responding to a call attention notice given by Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker Mohammad Hussain Khan who said innocent people were being picked up during the targeted operations. He said the law enforcers particularly targeted Orangi Town where they picked up 200 people and took away jewellery, prize bonds, mobile phones, computers along with licensed weapons over the past couple of days. He said certain law enforcers received money to release the innocent people.
Also read: Army will go to any extent for Karachi peace: COAS
Dr Mandhro suggested the lawmaker lodge a complaint with the anti-corruption establishment or the area police station so that the government could initiate action against the black sheep.
The MQM lawmaker said his party had drawn attention of the authorities concerned including the inspector general of police who had assured them that he would look into the matter but the situation did not change.
He said he too had written a letter to the chief minister on Feb 12 seeking his attention to the hardship being faced by the people of Orangi Town.
The parliamentary affairs minister said the targeted operation was being carried out with the assistance of the federal government and international agencies, as militancy was the issue not only faced by Karachi but by the entire country.
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional lawmaker Nusrat Sehar Abbasi through her call attention notice sought details of measures being taken by the government to prevent road accidents involving public transport due to use of substandard gas cylinders. Sindh Transport Minister Mumtaz Hussain Jakhrani said the government was going to introduce a bill in the assembly in order to formally ban the use of substandard cylinders of compressed natural gas.
MQM lawmaker Jamal Ahmed asked if there was any plan to build an underpass near Nazimabad Board office to ease traffic congestion during the morning rush hour. In response to his call attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary Erum Khalid said that at present there was no such scheme to build an underpass there.
Meanwhile, The Sindh Commission on the Status of Women Bill, 2015 was introduced in the assembly.
Acting speaker Syed Shehla Raza, who had called the house in order at 10.30am on Monday, ruled an adjournment motion of MQM lawmaker Mohammad Hussain Khan out of order after hearing arguments on its admissibility. Mr Khan had drawn attention of the house towards non-release of funds for development in MQM strongholds for the past couple of years.
Opposing the motion, Dr Mandhro said that it was not in order because the lawmaker did not identify any particular scheme in the annual development programme.
Loadshedding
Meanwhile, the house adopted a resolution tabled by Dr Sohrab Sarki. The resolution reads: “The assembly asked the Sindh government to approach the federal government to reschedule loadshedding of electricity in rural areas of Sindh province. It has come to our knowledge that water and power ministry officially announced 22-hour load-shedding in rural areas of Sindh province.
It is injustice with people and this is a matter of survival because of agriculture and other overall business being destroyed. So electricity be provided to rural as well as urban Sindh according to its requirement to save the economy and the life of people.”
Apology sought on use of words ‘Interior Sindh’
During the question hour, ministers Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, Syed Murad Ali Shah and Sharjeel Memon lodged their protest against PML-F lawmaker Nusrat Sehar Abbasi for using words ‘interior Sindh’ in a written question. The ministers termed it an attack on the unity of Sindh.
In her written question, Ms Abbasi had asked if it was true that unhygienic water was being supplied in Sukkur and the interior (parts) of Sindh, causing spread of deadly diseases.
Mr Khuhro said Sindh was one entity and there was “no interior and exterior Sindh”.
It was regrettable, he said, that the words interior Sindh had been made part of the assembly record.
Ms Abbasi said it could be a typographical error by the assembly secretariat.
Mr Memon said the words were written in her writing and as such she ought to extend apology to the people of Sindh and the assembly secretariat for misquoting.
Mr Khuhro and Mr Shah added that if she would not extend an apology, they would move a censure motion against her. On this, there was uproar in the house with members from both the treasury and opposition benches started speaking at a time.
The chair had to order that all mikes be switched off and gave the ruling that the “words interior Sindh” be expunged from the assembly record and the lawmakers should avoid use of such words in future.
The chair called it a day at 1pm.
Published in Dawn March 3rd , 2015
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