KARACHI: The provincial assembly, which resumed its session after a two-day break on Thursday, approved The Sindh Minorities Rights Commission Bill of 2015 unanimously after its third reading, paving the way to set up the commission.

After the adoption of the private bill, which was moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional parliamentary party leader Nand Kumar, Senior Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said the house deserved appreciation for unanimously adopting the private bill that paved the way to set up a commission to dispel any apprehensions of the minorities.

Expressing gratitude to Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and all other members of the house for their guidance and support, Mr Kumar said this private bill could not have got through without the majority support.

The commission will look into grievances of religious minority communities, monitor and suggest a mechanism to mitigate them and work to accelerate pace of socio-economic development and their protection, collaborate with other institutions to achieve equality of minorities at all levels.

It will act as a driving force in negating the propaganda of human rights violations of minorities in the province and will also reiterate the values of religious harmony, tolerance, respect and peace.

Earlier, the house in its last session had referred the bill to the standing committee on minorities affairs whose report was submitted by PPP lawmaker Dr Khatumal Jeewan for consideration on Thursday.

Giving his observation on the private bill, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani said this was the difference between democracy and dictatorship, as it was only democracy that minorities private bills could have got through the assembly and credit for this democratic order went to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

Another report of the standing committee on private bill 09 – The Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Bill, 2015, which was also moved by Mr Kumar, could not be taken up for consideration for want of time as soon after the passage of the commission bill, the house, which was called to order at 10.45am by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, rose for the day at 2.10pm to reassemble on Friday at 10am. Earlier on the suggestion of MQM lawmaker Syed Sardar Ahmad, whose private bill 07 — The Barret Hodgson International University at Karachi (Amendment) Bill 2016 — was referred to the standing committee on higher education with the directive to report back within a week. In the order of the day, the other business brought forward for the private members day included introduction of private bill of Syed Nadeem Razi and Syed Khalid Ahmad of the MQM. The Malir Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2016 could not be taken up for want of the presence of its mover.

Resolutions

Three of five private resolutions were carried unanimously after discussion.

By one of the two resolutions, tabled by Khurram Sherzaman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, asked the Sindh government to direct the education department to ensure the inclusion of learning to read the Holy Quran as part of school curriculum. Over a dozen speakers highlighted the need to introduce Quranic teachings with Tafseer from Class V to Class X. Education Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar said the government believed that Quranic education was imparted in every educational institution. At present teachers’ knowledge of the Arabic language was being tested before assigning them institutions. The house was also informed about a shortage of women teachers having knowledge of the Arabic language with that of the Holy Quran.

The other resolution, which was tabled by PML-F lawmaker Nusrat Sehar Abbasi, was adopted unanimously after a minor amendment. The amended resolution read: “This assembly resolves to pay tribute to Shaheed-i-Islam Pir Syed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi who sacrificed his life for the independence of Muslims and the government approach the federal government to declare March 20th every year as a public holiday.” The mover as well as Syed Sardar Ahmad and Nisar Ahmed Khuhro recalled the great sacrifices of Hur Jamaat and their spiritual leader Peer Syed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, whose resistance movement gave tough time to the British Raj since 1899 till independence.Mr Khuhro said: “Like Pir sahib, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, too, are our national heroes who laid down their lives in the defence of the country and for the sake of democracy. They all deserve acknowledgement at the national level by declaring their days a public holiday.”

The third resolution that was also carried unanimously demanded a ban on black stone, which was used as poison for committing suicide. It was moved by PML-N lawmaker Sorath Thebo.

However, the resolution to upgrade the Govt College of Technology, Wahdat Colony, Hyderabad, to university, and others that sought punishment for the illegal Jirga members who recently gave verdict to kill a freewill couple in Shah Latif Town of Malir district could not be taken up in the absence of their movers. The resolutions were moved by MQM lawmakers Mohammad Dilawar Qureshi and Muhammad Moin Aamir Pirzada.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2016