KARACHI, Feb 28: The Sindh Assembly on Monday started a debate on law and order in the province. Women MPAs belonging to the PPP contested the government's claims of an improvement in the situation.
They also staged a token walkout after Rafiq Ahmed of the PPP, speaking on point of order, drew attention of Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah to an incident in which MPA Humaira Alwani was booked by Dhabeji police for participating in a sit-in staged by workers. Rafiq Ahmed alleged that was that this act was aimed at preventing the member from raising her voice against government policies.
He told the house that the police also raided her house and arrested her uncle. He described the incident as beginning of the government's anti-PPP operation. The chair said that if the member's privilege had been breached, then a motion should be moved accordingly.
Ms Alwani stood up and sought the chair's permission for giving a personal explanation. However, the speaker did not allow her and asked her to move a motion because rules did not permit personal explanations. When Ms Alwani insisted on personal explanation, the speaker warned that she would be the loser if she did not follow his directive.
Many PPP MPAs rose from their seats to protest against the attitude of the speaker who, in the mean time, served a warning on Ms Sassui Palejo of PPP. This prompted a token walkout by women MPAs. At this point, opposition leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro informed the speaker that the FIR against Ms Alwani had been registered at 2.30am.
The chair maintained that she was asked to move a motion out of turn. Mr Khuhro argued that on Friday, when he (Mr Khuhro) had sought a permission to move his own motion out of turn, the session had been adjourned abruptly. He recalled that his motion pertained to the row between chief minister and the sacked revenue minister.
The Speaker then put Mr Khuhro's request to the house. However, the house rejected the same 62:42. Later, Minister for Law Chaudhry Iftekhar moved a motion about starting a debate on law and order.
Kicking off the debate, Mohammad Hussain of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement pointed out that crime in many parts of the world was on the increase. In Karachi, he maintained, that situation was influenced by circumstances.
He said that the government had taken some important measures towards improving performance of police through better training and arming them with better and modern weapons and equipment. He mentioned reorganization of the CID and other intelligence agencies as another such step.
Mr Hussain said that strict vigilance was being maintained against terrorist groups and their patrons, as well as religious extremists. As a result of these efforts, 192 terrorist have been arrested and 98 of them have already been convicted.
No terrorist act has taken place in the province since Aug 8. The KSE index is improving and stood at 8,000 points, which shows economic growth, new investment and industrial stability in Sindh.
According to Mr Hussain, development activities are at its peak and construction industry is flourishing and land prices have gone up manifold. It was bedlam at the house once again when Ms Alwani and Ms Palejo started speaking simultaneously on some subject and Mr Khuhro also joined them. Nothing was, however, audible.
Law minister reminded Mr Khuhro that he (the latter) had assured the treasury side that he would not disturb the proceedings, and alleged that the opposition members were trying to score points. If the opposition talked about Dr Arbab, it would lose, the minister remarked.
Taking part in the debate, Sardar Jam Tamachi of PPP chided the government for describing law and order as 'ideal', and said how could one expect any reasonable approach by the government in such a situation.
He alleged that Sindh was being managed by intelligence agencies that were deliberately imposing on people the figures that could be manipulated at will. In this context, he cited the examples of Ali Mohammad Maher and Dr Arbab Rahim.
He also pointed out that prior to the elections, Imtiaz Shaikh, chief of the SDA, had remained 'top favourite' of the agencies. He alleged that the chief minister was now settling his scores and damaging Sindh. He warned that if such politics of vengeance continued, this might lead to the demise of the assemblies.
DEMOLITION ISSUE: Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah reserved ruling on a privilege motion moved by the MMA's Mohammad Yunus Barai, who had complained against the attitude of the KBCA chief Brig Nasir when he tried to seek the latter's indulgence in the demolition of a school where 250 children were present and got trapped. According to Mr Barai, he wanted to ensure safety of the trapped children, but the KBCA chief refused to listen to him.
Law minister opposed the motion on the premise that the school had been set up in a private building without any permission. He said that extension work had also been carried out in the building illegally.
The minister maintained that a notice had been served in advance. He told the house that during demolition work, the main structure was not affected and no harm was caused to the students. He stressed that no member of the assembly could obstruct any legal work.
HOUSE COMMITTEE: Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah on Monday constituted a House Business Committee for regulating the house business. He announced the names of 10 MPAs, five each from the treasury and the opposition benches, as members of the committee when the house resumed the proceedings of the current requisitioned session.
The committee members are Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed, Law Minister Chaudhry Iftekhar, Mines Minister Irfanullah Marwat, Irrigation Minister Nadir Akmal Leghari and Kanwar Naveed from the treasury side; and Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Dr Sikandar Mehendro, Haji Munawar Ali Abbasi, Syed Murad Ali Shah and Nasrullah Shaji from the opposition side. The house will now meet on Tuesday morning.