KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly session on Monday was adjourned after the proceedings were marred by hooliganism of members of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf as they chanted slogans against each other’s leadership for ‘harbouring’ corruption.

The house witnessed chaos and uproar when PPP’s Sharjeel Inam Memon, who was presiding over the proceedings as chairman, did not initially allow PTI member Arsalan Taj to make a speech on his calling-attention notice regarding reappointment of government officers involved in plea bargain or voluntary return.

“As per rules, you can just read out your calling-attention notice but a speech cannot be made,” the chair told the PTI lawmaker.

Mr Taj, however, insisted that every member used to make a speech on his calling-attention notice. “As per practice of the assembly in the last two and a half years, since we were elected as MPAs, a member moving calling-attention notice is allowed to make a speech,” he said.

The chair adjourns the sitting till 25th due to unruly attitude of PPP and PTI lawmakers

A visibly irked chairman told the PTI member that he could not change the rules as “this assembly strictly follows the rules”.

Later, on the intervention of other PTI members, the chair allowed Mr Taj to speak.

Murad accused of appointing ‘tainted’ officer

The PTI lawmaker vehemently criticized Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for appointing a person “who had voluntarily returned Rs12 million to the National Accountability Bureau” as finance secretary.

He asked the government what action was taken against the officers involved in plea bargain or voluntary return of the swindled money.

“They [government officers] had made plea bargain, which showed that they were involved in misappropriation,” he said, adding that the chief minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, had appointed a man as the finance secretary who had voluntarily returned Rs12m in 2016.

He remarked that these “blue-eyed” officers worked as “frontmen” for the government.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla rose to hit back, asking the federal government to arrest ‘cheeni chor’ (sugar thief) without mentioning any name.

“Everybody knows who are giving shelter to cheeni chor and who are the people he works for as frontman,” he retorted.

As the minister and Mr Taj were exchanging words, other legislators of the PPP and PTI kept chanting slogans and counter slogans with the chair trying to keep the members quiet but to no avail.

“Don’t behave like this. It’s not a container or D-chowk but Sindh Assembly which had passed Pakistan Resolution,” Memon told the PTI members. “You don’t want the assembly proceedings to be carried,” he observed before adjourning the house till Jan 25.

Day care for kids of women MPAs

During Question Hour, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi of the opposition Grand Democratic Alliance suggested that a day-care room could be established in the provincial assembly for female lawmakers so that they could bring their children with them.

Women Development Minister Syeda Shehla Raza, who was replying to the written and verbal questions of lawmakers, agreed with the suggestion and asked Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani to allocate a room for the purpose.

The speaker said that he did not have any issue but the house had to bring amendments in the rules.

In reply to a question, the minister said that improvement of livelihood and well-being of female home-based workers in the informal economic sector in Sindh was being executed with assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“The total cost of the project is Rs541.086 million with JICA grant of Rs435.729 million while the Sindh government’s share is Rs105.535 million,” she added.

Ms Raza said that the project would be carried out in Karachi, Sukkur, Shikarpur and Khairpur.

She said that the home-based women workers would be supported by capacity development, life management skills development, financial access improvement, income generation and formal employment.

Replying to another question, the minister said that legal aid facility was also being provided through panel of lawyers of offices of deputy directorate of women development department at Karachi, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Jacobabad.

“While in the remaining districts, lawyers and legal officers of the referral organisations and NGOs are working for rights,” she added.

The minister said that the women development department in collaboration with the Legal Aid Society was providing legal assistance to women prisoners at Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana prisons.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2021

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