KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday rejected by majority vote an amendment to the Sindh Provincial Assembly (Members) Privileges Bill 2018, seeking display of official plates by the provincial lawmakers on their vehicles to distinguish them from the rest as is authorised by some other legislatures in the country.

The private bill was moved by the Grand Democratic Alliance’s Arif Mustafa Jatoi on a private members’ day of the house, in which he said members of the Sindh Assembly were currently not legally authorised to display any kind of distinctive plates on their vehicles indicating they were members of the Sindh legislature.

“Other members of assemblies such as the Senate and the National Assembly and Punjab Assembly have the legal right to place such plates on their vehicles,” said Mr Jatoi.

Private resolution condemns attack on a Ghotki temple

He added that an amendment would bring the Sindh Provincial Assembly (Members) Privileges Act 1975 at par with members of other assemblies with regards to official plates for members, and would enforce a standard format to be used by all members.

The bill said the official plate would be exhibited only when the member himself/herself was present in the vehicle, and in all other cases “it shall be covered by a jacket, which must conceal the entire plate from public view”.

And, it added, when an individual no longer remained a member of the assembly, one should surrender the official plate to the assembly secretariat within a week.

While moving the bill, the GDA lawmaker said the piece of legislation would at least legitimise and standardise the use of such plates, which were still being used by a number of lawmakers.

“You can go in the assembly’s parking area and see how many such vehicles are adorned with colourful plates already,” said Mr Jatoi.

He said instead of violating the existing laws, it was wise to make a law that, while allowing the members using such plates, make it uniform for everyone.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Chawla opposed the private bill, saying it would be discriminatory towards the rest of the people of Sindh.

“All rights of the people of Sindh and its lawmakers are equal and the same. This law would be utterly discriminatory, which, for all the reasons, is incongruous,” said Minister Chawla.

He said the provincial government was not in favour of such laws and would look into it if there were any members from either side of the aisle using such plates.

Speaker Siraj Durrani put the bill before the house, which rejected it by majority vote.

The house referred to another private bill titled The Sindh Education Standards and Curriculum (Amendment) Act, 2018, proposed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s Ra’ana Ansar, to a select committee for further debate.

The bill primarily suggested that the curriculum wing would be headed by a three-person group, which included an officer of proven academic and professional ability, a child psychologist, expert in child psychology and mental development and learning; and a special education expert.

All those members should have significant contribution to policy, research, curriculum, assessment and education as a whole.

It stated: “A comprehensive and up-to-date curriculum is significant to ensure that education standards are maintained; hence, it is imperative that curriculum is designed to fulfil the needs of present times and enables our children to compete at international levels.”

The house, meanwhile, rejected another private bill tabled by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Omar Omari by majority vote.

The Sindh MPA Accessibility Bill, 2018 sought “additional powers of the house” to facilitate the provincial government.

“While the provincial government strives for betterment of [the] province and its departments provide for effective management, there is need for additional powers of the house to facilitate the setup,” said the private bill.

It elaborated: “Such powers would only help the government in establishing more effective control over its facilities especially those in the rural areas.

“Such empowerment would also help the members of the assembly in providing immediate relief for his constituents by ensuring that government facilities in his [or her] constituency are functioning as required.”

The private bill further said: “Every member [of Sindh] Assembly shall have the right to inspect the muster rolls and books of accounts of schools, health facilities and local body [municipal] facilities located in his [or her] constituency.”

The lawmakers were also authorised to question employees of those government facilities. However, they would not pass orders or intervene in the operations of such facilities.

Besides, it suggested that no development scheme in a constituency be launched without the relevant lawmaker’s recommendations. The lawmaker concerned should be “consultant general” on all ongoing projects in his or her constituency. However, the lawmakers would not have a say in the financial matters of the provincial development projects.

The parliamentary affairs minister opposed the bill at which the chair put the bill before the house, which rejected it by majority vote.

Resolution on temple attack

GDA’s Nand Kumar moved a private resolution condemning the attack on a temple in Ghotki.

“This house condemns the attack on SSD Dham, Ghotki where culprits ransacked the temple, damaged sacred books, and pictures and committed [a] blasphemy act,” said the resolution.

It added: “During the [violent] incident, the attackers chanted slogans; [and] threatened and harassed Hindu community.

“This house resolves that [the] provincial government arrests the culprits involved and get them trialed into the court.

“This house also resolves that the provincial government takes solid measures to ensure safety and security of minorities living in the province and their worship places to avoid any [recurrence of such] untoward incidents in future.”

The resolution was passed unanimously.

The house allowed a debate on an adjournment motion tabled by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s Abdul Rasheed on Friday. The motion is to discuss issues of Pakistan Steel Mills and its employees.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2019