Assembly session resumes today

KARACHI, March 30: The Sindh Assembly will meet again on Thursday to continue its session which started on Tuesday.

The Wednesday sitting of the provincial assembly was adjourned because of the public holiday declared by the Sindh government.

Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro issued the order of adjourning the Wednesday sitting late on Tuesday night.

The order issued by the speaker on Wednesday says: “In exercise of powers [conferred] upon me under Rule of the Rules of Procedure of Provincial Assembly of Sindh, I, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Sindh, do, hereby adjourn the sitting of the house which was being held on March 30, 2011 now it will be held on Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 10:00 am.”The assembly business and agenda shall remain the same as was prepared and published on March 30, 2011.— Staff Reporter

‘No move for ban on SPLA’SENIOR Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq categorically stated on Wednesday that there would be no ban on the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) and he had issued instructions to his department clarifying that the association had just violated the registration and rules of conduct.

“The present government firmly believes in democracy and has no objection against the SPLA. However, it is deplorable that the officers of Grades 17, 18 and 19 have violated the rules by taking part in politics. Therefore, the registration authority would take action,” the minister said in a statement.

“The present democratic government will never impose a ban on any organisation,” he added.— PPI

‘Arms suppliers’ arrestedTHE Crime Investigation Department (CID) has busted a suspected gang of arms suppliers and seized a huge cache of weapons, ammunition and fake licence books.

The suspected gang was involved in providing illegal weapons to different gangsters with the assistance of some legal arms dealers in Karachi, disclosed SSP of the CID Mazhar Mashwani in a press conference at his office on Wednesday.

He said that the arrested suspects had been identified as Shahzado Bhalkani and Dhabani alias Rabbani.

The SSP said that the gang was busted in a raid conducted at the Cantt Station near the Mehran Hotel. The police recovered seven rifles of 12 bore, seven fake arms licence books and several rounds.

The gang had links with different ethnic, political, sectarian and terrorist groups in Karachi, the police officer said.—PPI

UK diplomat’s farewell visitBRITISH deputy high commissioner Robert W. Jason paid a farewell visit to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Wednesday at the Chief Minister’s House.

Different issues of mutual interest were discussed during their meeting. The chief minister praised the services of Mr Jason and said that he had played his role in strengthening the relations between the two countries.—PPI