KARACHI, May 6: The Sindh Assembly on Friday met under the chairmanship of Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah. The proceedings started with the recitation of Holy Quran and Naat at 10.55am, according to an official release. Making a statement on the floor of the house, Irrigation Minister Nadir Akmal Leghari apprised the house of the provincial government’s position on the issue of release of water from Manchar Lake into River Indus.

He said that water level at Manchar Lake, at present, was 109 feet. It has to be brought down by four feet as per the recommendations put forward by experts and technical persons at their meeting on Thursday (May 5).

He said that the government intended to maintain the ratio of 1:40 and monitor the flow constantly at every level for which a sub-committee had been formed. The committee, he added, comprised the concerned officials, WHO experts and representatives of NGOs.

The minister dispelled the impression that the water discharged from Manchar was hazardous and might pose a threat to people’s life.

Leader of the opposition Nisar Ahmed Khuhro wanted to move a resolution on the demise of Pope John Paul-II. The speaker allowed him to move the same under Rule 211.

Law Minister Chaudhry Iftikhar and MPA Yakoob Ilyas Misah supported the resolution which was unanimously adopted. The house also offered fateha for some other people who died recently.

Mr Khuhro, raising a point of order, drew the attention of the house to the maltreatment meted out to journalists in Islamabad and Lahore and condemned the government’s attitude which, he said, led to the boycott of the day’s proceedings by journalists.

Members belonging to the PPP boycotted the proceedings of the house but returned after some time.

Chaudhry Iftikhar, on behalf of the government, expressed sympathy with media people and assured them that no injustice with journalists would be tolerated. He said that an inquiry into the alleged police excesses against journalists in Karachi would be conducted by the provincial government.

MMA members in the house raised slogans against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and its students wing APMSO for their alleged involvement in the killing of MMA activists over the past few months. The MMA members stood up, waved handbills and staged a walkout, declaring that they were registering their protest by boycotting the house proceedings.

Refuting the MMA allegation, MQM MPAs claimed that in fact, the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) was involved in the killing of some APMSO activists. However, they added, a code of conduct had already been agreed upon by the APMSO and IJT and the same should be followed by the student wings of all political parties.

Later, the house took up the question hour.

In reply to a question raised by Mr Khuhro about allowing MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio to attend the assembly proceedings, the speaker told the house that Chandio was in judicial custody. As such, for any facility for him, the members should seek permission from court.

Responding to a supplementary question about agriculture income tax, Senior Finance Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed said that the government had collected a sum of Rs300 million in the last fiscal year. He assured the house that all the important and valuable records of the provincial revenue department would be computerized and preserved. The exercise, he added, had already been undertaken in Hyderabad and Larkana districts.

The supplementary questions about revenue department were answered by the finance minister while those pertaining to the Auqaf department were replied by Manzoor Panhwar.

The speaker adjourned the proceedings till 9.30am on Monday.