KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday echoed with the demand that the federal government close the illegal weapons-producing factories in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whose ‘illicit arms supplies’ added to the law and order problems of the country.

Another issue that dominated the proceedings on a private members’ day in the assembly was the need to impress on the people to ensure each member of their family was registered in the census, which will begin in the province on March 15.

The demand calling on the federal government to take special measures to curb the illegal manufacture of weapons in KP, their sale/purchase and smuggling in the country, was made in a resolution tabled by Kamran Akhtar, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker. After a brief discussion, when put to vote, it was carried by the house unopposed.

The resolution said: “The assembly resolves and recommends to the Sindh government to approach Federal Government to take special measures to control illegal manufacturing in KPK sale/purchase/ smuggling of weapons in the country, which deteriorate the law and order situation in the country”.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah recalled the initiative taken by the Sindh government at its very first Apex Committee meeting in the new year. The meeting, held on Jan 2, had taken up the issue for consideration and certain important decisions were taken, including writing a letter to the federal interior ministry regarding illegal weapons’ supply to Sindh.

He said that in his letter it was pointed out that out of the 900 illegal weapons seized by law-enforcement agencies in one of their raids, 750 weapons were made by factories in Darra Adam Khel. Therefore, we have asked the federal interior ministry for closure of illegal weapons-producing factories.

“We want to check the illegal weapons from getting into any part of the province by every possible measure,” the CM said. He said the factories which produced arms should only be meant to meet the needs of the security forces and should be beyond the access of the common man. He added that the resolution tabled by the mover pertained to an important issue and the Sindh government would not oppose it.

MQM parliamentary party leader Syed Sardar Ahmad pointed out that his party had also submitted a bill titled Arms Free Pakistan in the National Assembly over a year ago which was not taken up. However, once again MQM leader and MNA Dr Farooq Sattar would submit the same draft bill to the National Assembly for consideration.

Census awareness

The need for creating awareness of the importance of census was also highlighted through a resolution tabled by MQM MPA Naheed Begum which, after a discussion, was carried by the house unanimously.

Speaking on the resolution, Senior Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Khuhro said census, which was going to start in the province on March 15, was of extreme importance for the future of the province. Therefore, he said, it was the duty of every political party to play its role for the success of the census process. As for the government, it was fully aware of its responsibilities in that regard.

Referring to the past Mr Khuhro said that in the matter of census Sindh had always been made to suffer. The census was last held in 1998 whereas according to the law census ought to be conducted after every 10 years. But even now census was being conducted after the Supreme Court told the federal government that if it failed to conduct census, contempt of court action would be initiated against it.

The minister informed the house that in the first phase, census would be conducted from March 15 in six districts of Karachi, Hyderabad and Ghotki, while in the second phase all the remaining districts of Sindh would be covered in April. Before population census, a house count would be conducted within three days. Every enumerator would be accompanied by one army person and the census form would be filled by the enumerators themselves. The population census would be completed within 10 days.

Mr Khuhro said that for registration in population census presentation of CNIC was a must while in Sindh there were areas where 20 to 30 per cent people did not have CNICs.

PML-F lawmaker Nusrat Sahar Abbasi said it was a tragedy that the federal government carried out every good work under Supreme Court directives.

Khairunnisa Mughal of the PPP said population census was a matter of survival for Sindh and all political parties should contribute to make the process a success.

Syed Faisal Sabzwari of the MQM said it was the right of every citizen to be counted in census while Karachi had always been kept behind due to under-enumeration of population.

After the speeches the resolution, which reads “The Assembly resolves that provincial government take steps to launch [an] awareness campaign regarding registration of women in the forthcoming census”, was put to vote and was carried unanimously.

The Sindh Assembly session was called to order at 11am. Deputy Speaker Syeda Shehla Raza, who presided over the session, called it a day at 2.30pm to re-assemble on Wednesday at 10am.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2017