KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly witnessed uproar on Monday when the issue of provincial government’s interference in the affairs of the local government institutions was raised, triggering an exchange of unpleasant remarks between leader of the opposition and local government minister before the session was prorogued sine die.

Referring to a government notification about handing over public parks to national and multi-national companies and non-governmental organizations for maintenance purpose, leader of the opposition Khwaja Izharul Hassan of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement drew attention of the house on a point of order after the completion of the agenda and said the move amounted to usurping the powers of local government. He said the decision was taken without taking the KMC and DMCs on board, as the Sindh government instead of devolving powers to the elected local government representatives was involved in centralizing the power. The provincial government attempts to keep the KMC and DMC power of maintaining parks were increasing the sense of deprivation among the local government institutions, he added.

Justifying the government decision, Sindh Minister for Local Government Jam Khan Shoro said the government had no intention to take over any powers of the local government as work was progressing with the mutual cooperation of the elected members. As far as the issue of public parks was concerned, different companies had approached the government for their maintenance, he said. “If an NGO comes and offers to take the responsibility of maintaining a specific park without any commercial activity, what is harm in it?” he asked. As condition of parks in the city was not very good, if anyone offered to maintain a park free of cost, there was no point in raising an objection to it, he added.

The opposition leader said for around four years before the local bodies elections, all the 18 departments had been with the provincial government which despite having millions of rupees for parks failed to maintain them. Even the Shaheed Benazir Bhuto Park in Clifton had been devastated by the PPP government yet the team of elected local representatives was not being allowed to work as the provincial government was interested in handing over the parks to non-governmental and business organizations.

MQM Parliamentary Party leader Syed Sardar Ahmad said the ruling party made sweeping law to own city parks although law for maintenance of the parks was on the statues book. This was contrary to participatory democracy, setting bad traditions by centralizing powers, he said, adding that if the PPP government did not stop this practice, the MQM would be compelled to approach courts to get relief.

Minister Shoro said that all the city parks had been under the MQM control until 2012. “The parks were occupied and used for China-cutting,” he said. His remarks caused uproar in the house and some unpleasant remarks and slogans of “shame, shame” were exchanged between the local government minister and leader of opposition. Also accusations were hurled against one another before Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in a bid to pacify the tense situation drew attention of the opposition benches towards willingness of the local government minister to sit with them and sort out the issue amicably.

Mr Durrani then read out the order of Sindh Governor Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui to prorogue the assembly session sine die after conclusion of the business at 12.22pm.

Mr Hassan earlier recalling the resolution of the Sindh Assembly against KE move to revise its tariff the Nepra’s decision to reduce power tariff across the country by Rs2.6 per unit except Karachi, its anti-Karachi attitude is open to all. He said Nepra announced this decision on the same day when the Sindh Assembly by its consensus resolution demanded that the Sindh government approach the federal government to direct Nepra not to allow the KE an increase in power tariff or taxes for the consumers in Karachi.

Mr Hassan said that despite reports about the resolution in media as well as on social media, Nepra did not pay any heed to the voice of the Sindh Assembly, which amounted to violation of the privilege of the assembly and the speaker ought to take up the issue.

On Monday when the house reassembled after a two-day break at 10.50am, Speaker Durrani in response to the call attention notice of MQM lawmaker Mehfoozyar Khan assured the house that he would ask the deputy commissioner to carry out action against the land grabbers and extortionists in front of Sindh Govt Hospital, Liaquatabad, where illegal birds/pets market was organized every Sunday creating hardships and difficulties for persons and vehicles passing through the area.

Responding to the notice of PML-N lawmaker Syed Amir Hyder Shah Shirazi about the violation of the government directive to start crushing season from Nov 1 by four sugar mills, one in Thatta and three in Sujawal, Agriculture Minister Sohail Anwar Sial said the millers had informed the government that the mills could not start crushing season on time as farmers were reluctant to sale their sugarcane to them at the fixed rate.

The call notice of MQM lawmaker Dr Zafar Kamali was related to theft of drinking water by agriculturalists for land cultivation causing drinking water shortage in Mirpurkhas, Senior Minister Nisar Khuhro assured the lawmaker that he would ask the deputy commissioner to initiate action against all those involved in water theft from the pipeline.

In reply to the notice of MQM lawmaker Saleem Rajput about the costly scanning and MRI machineries lying unutilized in Civil Hospital Sukkur for want of paramedical staff and doctors, Sindh Health Minister Dr Sikander Mandhro assured the house that there was no shortage of staff though it was correct that the machineries had not been utilised for want of space. He expressed the hope that the newly built block would be handed over to the hospital administration within the next two weeks and machinery would become operational for treatment.

In response to the call attention notice of MQM lawmaker Qamar Abbas Rizvi about inattention of police towards increasing activities of Jehadi elements and criminals in PIB Colony, senior minister Nisar Khuhro compared the two-year statistics of crime indicating that a drop in heinous crimes. He said street crimes had increased which required strong intelligence network and coordination. He expressed the hope that the police were initiating action in this regard.

The adjournment motion of PTI lawmaker Khurram Sherzaman about funding requirement of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation by the Sindh government was opposed by Mr Khuhro explaining that the government had been spending billion of rupees on Karachi uplift projects in addition to allocating huge budget for the KMC. The motion was not specific and for this reason did not merit to be taken up, he said. Subsequently, Speaker Durrani termed it not maintainable and ruled out the motion out of order.

The government bill — The Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhuuto University of Law, Karachi (Amendment) Bill, 2016 — was deferred to the next session on the motion of senior minister Mr Khuhro.

Published in Dawn November 29th, 2016