KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Monday rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s demand to dissolve assemblies for holding early elections in the country and declared that the call amounted to sabotaging the democratic system and was an insult to the electorate.

A resolution to this effect was tabled by Nisar Khuhro of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and the opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supported it. When put to a vote, it was passed with a majority vote as opposition PTI and PML-Functional opposed it.

It reads: “Government is effectively undertaking development works, controlling law and order situation and engaged in important foreign investment projects like CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor] ... [therefore] the demand is surprising which is totally rejected.

“The state of mind is tantamount to disregard the right of citizens of the country who elected their representatives for five years in accordance with the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”

Opposition MQM and PML-N have supported the ruling party’s resolution

Speaking on his resolution, Mr Khuhro said that the demand of the PTI for holding early elections after dissolving the democratically elected assemblies was an attack on the mandate of the people. “This demand of Imran Khan, who calls himself a leader, is an insult to the voters and a conspiracy to weaken the parliamentary system in the country.”

He pointed out that the PTI had earlier backed the controversial referendum of Gen Pervez Musharraf and said that the party wanted this “unconstitutional act” because Mr Khan had failed in his every attempt to derail the democratic system.

The PPP minister ruled out dissolution of the assembly and made it clear that there was no provision in the Constitution that allows formation of a technocrat government.

Information Minister Nasir Shah said that the PTI ought to give up daydreams of forming its government.

Another minister, Mumtaz Jakhrani, said that Mr Khan would never become the country’s prime minister.

Leader of the Opposition Khwaja Izharul Hasan and MQM’s parliamentary party leader Syed Sardar Ahmed said that the dissolution of assemblies even 10 days before the completion of their tenure would be a violation of the Constitution.

They said that the PTI’s call for holding early election was also unconstitutional.

PML-N MPA Sorath Thebo said this type of politics amounted to paving the way for a dictatorship and no one could be allowed to derail democracy in the country.

Khurram Sherzaman of the PTI opposed the resolution and said that his party was not against democracy but against the system. He said that government made “records of corruption” in its tenure.

Shaharyar Khan Mahar of the PML-F also opposed the resolution, saying: “Why don’t you respond to the issues raised by the PTI in its public meetings. You have brought the issue in the assembly only to get cheap publicity.”

The house, which reassembled after a two-day break on Monday at 11.23am, also carried another resolution with a consensus to pay tributes to Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.

The resolution, which was tabled by PPP’s Dr Sikander Shoro, said that Shah Latif professed peace, tolerance and love for humanity through his poetry, which had an everlasting universal influence.

Blood Transfusion Authority’s bill passed

The house also carried out legislative business on Monday by unanimously adopting the Sindh Safe Blood Transfusion Bill, 2017 to establish Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority.

There would be eight members of the authority, which would be headed by the provincial health minister.

Highlighting the objectives of the bill, Mr Khuhro said that the bill, after its adoption, would help regulate collection, testing, processing, storage, distribution, issuance, transfusion of human blood and blood components, ensuring health protection and prevention of transmissible diseases.

He said that with the approval of the law the Sindh Safe Blood Act 1997 would stand repealed and all blood banks had to get themselves registered with the new authority and had to acquire a new licence.

Health Minister Dr Sikander Mandhro said that use of substandard blood could endanger lives of human beings.

A violation of any provision of the new law is punishable with fine up to Rs500,000 and not less than Rs50,000 and contravening its provision shall be punishable by up to five years with fine up to Rs1 million.

Vegetable, fruits price hike

In response to the call-attention notice of MQM’s Kamran Akhtar regarding skyrocketing prices of fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, Agriculture Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal said that commissioners, deputy commissioners and mukhtiarkars were part of the price control authority.

They had magisterial powers and visited bachat bazaars to check prices and he himself paid a visit to different markets.

He said that due to rains the tomato crop had been badly damaged, but the situation was gradually improving and prices were coming down.

PML-N lawmaker Amir Haider Shirazi through his call-attention notice pointed out the delay in commencement of the sugar cane crushing season, which was causing losses to the farmers in Sindh.

The agriculture minister said that the government would soon fix the sugar cane prices in the province. He said it was the responsibility of the federal government but due to its incompetence the farmers in Sindh were suffering.

He said that the Sindh government had constituted a board comprising cultivators and the government representatives. The board would meet soon to fix the sugar cane prices.

A privilege motion of Kamran Akhtar was disposed of when the mover did not press for it since the official concerned had apologised for not attending his phone calls.

Responding to the adjournment motion of Mr Sherzaman regarding encroachment of an Edhi centre, four provincial ministers, including Senior Minister Khuhro, assured the house that no one would be allowed to take over any property of Edhi Foundation anywhere in the province and action would be taken against anyone found involved in any such attempt.

The home minister said that the government had taken serious notice of press reports in this regard and issued directives to police to take action against those involved in encroachment.

The house, which was called to order at 11.25am, rose for the day at 3pm to meet on Tuesday at 10am.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2017