HYDERABAD, Oct 29: The Hyderabad district council here on Monday strongly condemned police excesses against elected members of the council and demanded the suspension of SHO Hali Road police station, Aijaz Tareen and ASI Deen Mohammad Mughal of Tando Allahyar police station.
The council in its second session presided over by the convener Nawab Rashid Ali Khan appointed a 14-member committee to discuss ways and means for the elections of different committees and certain other procedures to be adopted for running the house in smooth manner.
The session which began one hour late against its scheduled time, faced an aggressive Dr Irfan Gul Magsi.
Backed by his close associates, Dr Magsi, at the very outset of the meeting, staged a walkout to record protest against police atrocities in Tando Allahyar taluka from where he was elected as Nazim UC-1 Chamber.
Some council members persuaded him to attend the proceedings of the house and he was brought back.
The house was informed that Nazim UC-2 Tando Allahyar Lala Zahid Pathan who was held in a case, was tortured and stripped by former SHO of Tando Allahyar police station, Aijaz Tareen who was now posted as SHO Hali Road police station.
Dr Magsi tabled a resolution against the incident in which Pathan was dishonoured. He demanded stern action against police officials concerned.
He said if the honour of the Nazim was not restored no one should attend the house in future.
He added that the SSP should tender an apology in the house.
There was a great pandemonium in the house as every member wanted to speak with or without permission of the chair. The members intended to give vent to their anger against police excesses.
They were of the view if the honour of elected members was not safe who would guarantee the protection of life and property of common man.
The members moved a number of resolutions to condemn the behaviour of police officials towards the Nazims and other elected members of the district council.
The convener tried to pacify the members by saying that he would do his utmost to ensure that such incidents do not occur in future and added that he would be working in close coordination with the elected members.
Some members proposed that the SSP should be called in the council and the production of Lala Zahid Pathan who was member of the the district council, should also be ensured, judicial probe should be conducted and police officials concerned should tender apology.
The house was adjourned for more than 30-minutes. After being reassembled the session unanimously passed a resolution, tabled by Qadeer Qazi and seconded by other members, condemning police excesses against Lala Zahid Pathan and demanding suspension of SHO and ASI who were responsible for causing disgrace and torture to him.
The council constituted a three-member committee to discuss the matter with police authorities. The members of the committee are Dr Irfan Gul Magsi, Jehangir Adil and Mohammad Yusuf Qureshi.
The convener informed the members that the house was to be run in accordance with business rules of 1979 which were available in the law book shops in the city which should be purchased by the members to know how they should conduct the proceedings.
He added that as far as the questions and resolutions of the members were concerned these ought to be submitted at least 15 days before the commencement of the session.
Then the same would be referred to the department or official concerned for reply and any answer to the query would be brought on record before the members in the council session.
Even then If the members were not satisfied they would be allowed to put the same questions to the EDOs concerned who would be available in the council meeting.
Invoking sections 42(1) of Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001 the convener appointed a 14-member house committee which would discuss ways and means for the constitution of several other committees concerning different departments.
Some members objected to the repetition of similar names in different committees.
A woman councillor, Ms Saira Naseer also staged a walkout from the session after she was made to change her seat.
Ms Naseer who arrived late in the session and sat among male members, claimed that she was being meted out such treatment because she had walked out with Dr Magsi.
The agenda of the council included endorsement of previous session’s proceedings, question-answer session, appointment of different committees, proposals of members for different development schemes of year 2002 and consideration of members’ resolutions.