• Drug testing for members is good proposal, says Sharjeel
• JI MPA says 18-hour outages ‘crossed all limits of cruelty’
• In his media talk, Ali Khurshidi criticises PPP govt’s performance

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly session was on Friday dominated by a heated debate over the open sale of drugs in parts of the city.

Responding to a call attention notice forwarded by the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf member Bilal Khan Jadoon, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the provincial government had launched a strict campaign against drugs and urged all members of the house to consider themselves as ministers for anti-drug efforts.

“Drugs are not just a problem for one institution or the government, but an issue affecting the entire nation and the younger generation,” he said.

“It is essential to make Sindh drug-free,” he said, citing the arrest of suspected drug dealer Anmol, alias Pinky, as proof of the government’s seriousness.

He also criticised Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi for raising the matter outside the assembly instead of on the floor, saying it could have been addressed with evidence.

The senior minister said that while drug testing for members was a good proposal and should be carried out, using the issue for political point-scoring was inappropriate.

“Naming individuals publicly, could implicate many people from different walks of life, including some well-known figures and celebrities,” he warned.

Mr Memon stressed that action would be taken against anyone involved in drug trafficking, as the government aimed to uproot the menace.

He also said that PPP leader Faryal Talpur had directed police in a meeting on the assembly premises to take strict action against drug dealers.

Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said Pinky had been arrested. “Officers who facilitated protocol for Pinky have been suspended. If an arrest is needed, I will make it,” he said.

He said a full investigation in the Pinky case was underway.

“Once the investigation is complete, I will share the findings myself. If the Speaker allows, I will name those involved,” Lanjar said.

During the proceeding, lawmakers also expressed concerns over prolonged power outages across the province, including Karachi, calling on the provincial government to take control of the power utilities.

Jamaat-i-Islami’s lone MPA Muhammad Farooq raised a point of order, stating that K-Electric had crossed all limits of cruelty by imposing up to 18 hours of unannounced loadshedding in Karachi and other parts of the province.

He said the House’s special committee on power utilities had decided that no loadshedding would take place at night. “But K-Electric officials don’t listen to anyone. Are they above the Sindh Assembly and the provincial government?” he asked.

He demanded registration of an FIR against the KE officials for imposing long hours of unannounced loadshedding in Karachi.

Speaking on the issue, Pakistan Peoples Party member and former energy minister Imtiaz Shaikh said the province’s severe loadshedding had stripped people of their basic right to live.

“The residents across Sindh, including Karachi, are enduring extreme hardship due to both scheduled and unscheduled outages, with prolonged blackouts during intense heat bringing daily life to a standstill,” he added.

The former energy minister said the provincial government had previously proposed to the federal government that HESCO and SEPCO be handed over to provincial control, so more effective strategies could be adopted to give people relief from loadshedding and high electricity costs.

He called for the immediate implementation of the agreements reached in the past.

Mr Shaikh said that Sindh had no representation on K-Electric’s Board of Directors, which was why the city’s problems were being ignored.

PTI member Sajid Hussain, through an attention notice, said that Bachat bazars were being set up in playgrounds in his constituency PS-93.

He said three grounds were being used for these markets, causing severe traffic problems.

Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Qasim Siraj Soomro replied that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had taken action against the local organiser, who then moved court. “Until the court decides the matter, no action can be taken,” he added.

In the Question Hour, Shaheena Sher Ali said that Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur had skill centres for women where 650 women had been trained.

Later, Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah adjourned the House to 12 noon on Monday.

Meanwhile, talking to media on the premises of the assembly, Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi, heavily criticised the provincial government saying that the governance in the province was in severe trouble.

He said the results of the Sindh Public Service Commission were out for everyone to see. “The Commission has become a place to collect money. When an AC officer is appointed, they pay 30 to 70 million rupees for posting,” he alleged.

He said that examination paper leaks were also mismanagement. “One official’s children are all passing the commission exams,” he claimed adding that the people were failing because of this system.

The opposition leader also alleged massive corruption in the solar projects and said the public was being looted.

“Ministers hold press conferences and say wheat hasn’t been stolen,” he added.

Mr Khurshidi said Karachi faced a severe water shortage and crisis. “People are desperate for water. In 18 years, the Sindh government hasn’t increased water supply by even a drop,” he deplored adding that 100 MGD of water from Hub Dam had not come through.

He added that a bridge linking Kashmore and Kandhkot has now collapsed. “A crippled system is running in this province,” he added.

He said that Jamaat-i-Islami was the “PPP’s B-team”.

On the Pinky case, he said it needed to be taken seriously. “Big people are involved. Families have been destroyed because of this issue. There should be a thorough investigation,” he added.

The opposition leader said that drugs could not be sold without police connivance.

“The home minister received a civil award, while the crime situation in Karachi is in front of everyone,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2026