KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Friday echoed with lawmakers’ concern over increasing incidents of street crime and drug use in educational institutions in the metropolis.

They asked the provincial government to take urgent measures to control the security situation.

Speaking on her call attention notice, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Adeeba Hassan said that the people of Karachi felt unsafe nowadays while travelling in streets.

She said that the law and order situation in the city was getting worse day by day and shocked the house members by informing them that she herself had been robbed in front of her house.

“Police are nowhere to be seen, extortion is on the rise in the city and street crime is a big concern,” she deplored and inquired the provincial government as to what steps had taken to curb street crimes.

PTI MPA tells Sindh Assembly she was robbed at gunpoint on doorstep; Ghani promises action

Shah Nawaz Jadoon, another PTI MPA from Keamari, said that incidents of robberies were rampant in his constituency as well.

“Illegal internet cafes and drug trafficking are also on the rise in the area,” he added and asked what measures were being taken to eradicate these curses.

On a point of order, Grand Democratic Alliance lawmaker Shaharyar Mahar came down heavily on the provincial government for what he described as a complete failure to contain crime, particularly street robberies, in Sukkur and Shikarpur.

He said that the law and order situation in the two districts was worst as there was no security on roads for houses and businesses.

“Mugging incidents have become an order of the day on main Shikarpur Road,” he said adding that the provincial government should abolish the police department if it was not capable of controlling crimes.

Drugs in schools

Muhammad Hussain of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan on a point of order drew attention of the house towards an alarming increase in sale and use of drugs in educational institutions, including schools and colleges.

He alleged that deadly drugs such as ‘ice’, cocaine and heroin were being sold in schools, colleges and universities openly under the ‘patronage of police’ and drug mafia.

The lawmaker said that he knew several bright students who had scored straight ‘As’ in Cambridge exams had fallen prey to drugs, adding that the curse had put the future of the young generation at stake.

He urged the provincial government to take strict and effective measures against the drug mafia.

‘Govt taking action’

Responding to the lawmakers’ concerns over growing street crimes and use of drugs in educational institutions, Labour Minister Saeed Ghani said that the police had been asked by the provincial government to show its presence on the roads of Karachi to prevent street crime incidents.

He said that police had mobile vans and motorcycles to keep a check on criminal activities in the city.

The minister informed the house that Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had held meetings with the provincial and city police chiefs on the issue of street crimes in the metropolis.

He told the concerned lawmakers that the law and order situation in Karachi had worsened to a great extent in the past and the provincial authorities overcame major crime incidents in the city, though the incidents of motorcycle theft and other such crimes were continuing in Karachi.

“Police and other law enforcement agencies have been working to tackle this issue,” he said.

As for the alarming increase in use of drugs in educational institutions, he said that collective efforts were required by all the stakeholders concerned to get rid of the issue of use of narcotics by students in schools, colleges, and universities in Karachi.

He said the provincial authorities would take up the issue with the administration of the educational institutions from where such complaints were received. “The provincial government also takes necessary action after receiving such complaints,” he said.

Wheat price

Responding to another call-attention notice, the labour minister said that the provincial government had issued the notification of fixing Rs4,000 per 40kg as the procurement price of wheat in the province for the new crop season.

He said the provincial government had set target of procuring 1.4 million tonnes of wheat in the present year.

He said that Pakistan had been importing wheat for the past many years. He said growers would be encouraged to grow more wheat by offering them attractive procurement price by the government.

Legislation

The assembly passed ‘The Sindh Prohibition of Interest on Private Loans Bill’ into a law.

Giving details of the new law, the labour minister said that it was aimed at eradicating exploitation of poor people at the hands of private money lenders.

When asked by PTI’s Parliamentary Leader Khurrum Sher Zaman, he said that banks were not in the ambit of law as they were in regulatory authority of the Centre.

Later, Agha Siraj Durrani adjourned the house to Monday.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2023