No one listens to Sindh govt, not even itself

Most of the legislations have been been limited to paper, with no steps being taken towards their implementation

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has taken the lead in drafting legislations and issuing notifications over the last couple of years. Most of these have, however, been limited to paper, with no steps being taken towards their implementation.

A recent example of one such notification is the provincial government's ban on private guards in plainclothes, who roam the city's streets in clear view of law enforcers. The notification, issued by the home department, said: "The ban will be enforced on the display of arms and guards wearing civil clothes except that of law enforcement agencies. It will be prohibited for security guards to wear uniforms that resemble the uniforms of law enforcement agencies."

A week after the notification was issued, no tangible result has come out of it and guards in plainclothes are still seen roaming the city, harassing the public.

Read: Money matters: When it comes to development, Sindh is in chaos

Dr Sikandar Mandhro, the law and parliamentary affairs minister of the Sindh government, said that implementation takes time. The provincial government has been implementing the law and notifications it issues, he insisted. "Please don't judge the performance in a week. Give us time and you will see the results."

Somehow, his words don't quite ring true. The fate of dozens of other notifications hangs in the balance as there has been no action for their implementation.

Around two years ago, the Sindh government had banned the manufacture and sale of gutka and mainpuri throughout the province. According to a revised notification last year, police officers were authorised to register complaints under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code against those violating the ban. Unfortunately, the business is still flourishing under the very nose of the police officials.

Similarly, the government issued a notification, banning the movement of heavy vehicles in Karachi before 11pm. After these orders, it was assumed that no heavy vehicles could ply the city's roads before the stipulated time. As time has passed, however, the drivers and owners of these vehicles have openly violated the orders.

In the wake of several blasts involving CNG cylinders in public transport vehicles, the provincial transport department issued two separate notifications, banning CNG fuel in inter-city buses and in school vans plying in Karachi. There has been limited follow-up action on both these orders.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Syed Hafeezuddin is now compiling a list of assembly bills and notifications that have been passed and issued in Sindh. He said that the people sitting in the Pakistan Peoples Party government are the biggest obstacle in the implementation of their own government's orders.

"How can a feudal lord, lawmaker or minister, who is availing VVIP protocol with two dozen private guards in Vigo jeeps, surrender his security merely in light of this notification? He knows no one can stop him on the road in his own government," lamented the lawmaker.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2015.