KARACHI, Feb 21: The City Council has urged the government to provide passport facilities to the families passengers affected in the Samjhota Express blast at the earliest. In a unanimously adopted resolution on Wednesday, the council members expressed deep grief over the loss of lives in the tragic incident.

The resolution noted with a serious concern that while the Indian government had promised to issue visa at Panipat, Dehli and Ambala at a short notice of two hours, while in Pakistan, the director-general passports was still awaiting the government’s policy. The council urged the government to announce the immigration policy immediately and provide all assistance to the affected families.

The council session was chaired by Convener Ms Nasreen Jalil who is also the City Naib Nazim.

In another unanimously adopted resolution, the house expressed its concern over reports that industrial waste from Kotri was being channelled to the KB Feeder which provides water to Karachi. This would cause an outbreak of gastroenteritis diseases in the city. The council urged the provincial government to take immediate preventive measures in this regard and protect the lives of citizens.

The house adjourned the debate on iodine salt report for reconsideration of the committee.

While the session was in progress, Opposition Leader Saeed Ghani tried to draw the attention of the chair towards the transfer orders which were issued on Wednesday of secretaries of four opposition union councils in Jamshed Town. He described the action as victimisation and pressurising the Opposition to give up its principled stand against the land grabbing scam.

Upon this, the Treasury leaders, Asif Siddiqui and Masood Mehmud, stood up and told the convenor that the transfer of secretaries had nothing to do with the council as it was a matter between the UC nazims and town nazim. If the house member had any complaint against the town nazim, the issue could be raised at the proper forum, they argued. They pointed out that the proper forum was the local government commission.

Mr Saeed was then joined by other Opposition leaders including Rafiq Ahmed of Al-Khidmat, and they insisted that the issue was related to the elected representatives of Karachi. They warned if the transfer orders were not withdrawn immediately, they would seal the union council offices on Thursday and stage a sit-in in front the town nazim’s office.

At this point, there was an uproar in the house for a while when the opposition announced it was boycotting the session. The house convenor expressed concern over “the negative attitude” of the Opposition, saying it had become their habit of boycotting the session.

The house resumed its normal business and adopted some other resolutions in the Opposition’s absence.

A resolution called for giving the office of naib nazim as speaker of the assembly and stressed the need for taking suitable amendments for this purpose to further strengthen the system.

The council also urged the federal government to restore the previous system of attestation and empowering the attestation powers to elected representatives of local bodies. The house also adopted a resolution on providing medical facilities to UC nazims, and members elected on women and minorities special seats. The house was then adjourned.

Speaking at a joint press conference later, Opposition leaders Saeed Ghani and Rafiq Ahmed alleged that under a systematic plan, attempts were being made to subjugate the Opposition UC nazims and other elected representatives so that they could not raise their voice against land corruption cases.

They reiterated their threat that if the transfer orders of the UC secretaries were not withdrawn, they would stage a sit-in in front of the town nazim tomorrow. —Staff Reporter