KARACHI: The opposition parties in the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday expressed concerns over an alarming increase in the kidnapping of children in the metropolis and questioned the performance of the police which they said failed to provide any relief to the victim families.

Initially, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani did not allow Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan lawmaker Kanwar Naveed to raise any other issue except discussion on the budget 2018-19. But, after they staged a walkout, the chair allowed him and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Haleem Adil Shaikh later to speak on a point of order.

Speaking on the point of order, Mr Naveed said the ratio of crime had increased disturbingly.

He said robberies had become a routine feature in the city and the incidents of kidnapping of children had climbed.

The MQM-P, PTI and GDA stage their first walkout

Mr Shaikh of the PTI complained that police officers did not entertain families who lost their children to unknown kidnappers.

He said the family of a teenage boy kidnapped over a month ago could only find him when his decapitated head was found from a Karachi nullah on Wednesday.

He claimed that more than 100 children had been kidnapped in recent months.

Responding to the points of order, provincial minister Nasir Shah of the Pakistan Peoples Party said that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had taken notice of the reports of children’s kidnapping and the government was taking all-out measures to stop occurrence of such incidents.

Grand Democratic Alliance’s Nand Kumar also raised the issue of a 15-year-old Hindu girl, Varsha Shiva, who he said had been kidnapped and forcibly married off.

He said in addition to forced conversion, it was also against the early marriage law passed by the assembly in 2013.

Responding to his point of order, provincial minister Shehla Raza assured the house that the government would take every possible measure to address such a grave issue.

 Opposition parties stage first walkout 

Earlier, when the session resumed for discussing the budget 2018-19, MQM-P’s Kanwar Naveed rose and asked Speaker Durrani to discuss the general law and order situation in Sindh with specific reference to Karachi.

The chair, however, said that he would not allow any other matter as per rules since the assembly was in session to discuss the budget.

Mohammad Hussain of the same party attempted to speak as well and after he was denied approval from the chair, MQM-P lawmakers were the first to stage a walkout in protest over the speaker’s ruling.

Leader of the Opposition Firdous Shamim Naqvi of the PTI rose and tried to speak but was not allowed by the chair on similar grounds.

It prompted the PTI and members of the GDA to join the MQM-P in the first walkout of the current assembly.

However, three members of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) did not join the opposition parties in their walkout.

 19 more take part in third day of budget debate

PPP’s Shehnaz Begum was the first among total 19 members who took part in the discussion on the provincial budget 2018-19 for a third consecutive day.

She said the PPP’s prestige among the people was because it served them well. She said building of the Kalabagh dam would not be allowed at any cost.

TLP’s parliamentary party leader Mohammad Qasim also spoke.

During his speech, the Quetta-born member who won the election from a Karachi West seat, asked the lawmakers to join him in the protest against the blasphemous Dutch cartoon contest which was recently cancelled.

Speaker Durrani said everyone was with the TLP member on this issue and all lawmakers present in the house rose with their hands up as Mr Qasim said no blasphemy would be allowed.

In his speech, he said Baldia Town was Karachi’s Thar for being devoid of water supply.

PPP’s Saleem Baloch said the ruling party was serving the whole province indiscriminately.

Arsalan Taj of the PTI claimed that the Sindh budget would again fall victim to worst misappropriation and meet the same fate as such huge funds were embezzled in the past.

PPP’s Mumtaz Chandio said huge achievements had been made in the past two tenures of the ruling party, particularly in improving the infrastructure and social sector.

MQM-P’s Ali Khurshidi said things were not good as he criticised the rosy picture being painted by the PPP government. He demanded due rights for the provincial capital.

GDA’s Rafiq Banbhan was also critical of the government, claiming the government’s deeds were clearly opposite to the promises it was falsely making with the people.

PPP’s Parveen Qaimkhani’s speech invited greater uproar in the house, particularly by the members belonging to the GDA, when she referred to one of them: “People would make their children afraid of Waryam Faqir by saying he would come if they did not sleep; and children would go to sleep out of fear.”

She referred to some previous speeches in which PPP leader Asif Zardari was attacked by GDA members, saying, “I would say 100 words against those who speak one word against my leader”.

A number of members stood and some of them came close to the aisle protesting against Ms Qaimkhani’s remarks.

Mr Durrani had at that time briefly retired in his chamber and his deputy, Rehana Leghari, was in the chair. She kept asking all to restore order in the house. Mr Durrani, however, soon returned and pacified the house.

Other lawmakers including PTI’s Jamal Siddiqui, Aslam Abro and Saeed Afridi, MQM-P’s Basir Ahmed and Nadeem Siddiqui, GDA’s Ali Ghulam Nizamani and PPP’s Awais Shah, Tariq Talpur, Zulfiqar Shah, Riaz Sheerazi and Rana Hamir Singh also spoke.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2018