Opposition leader highlights plight of students in Shikarpur

Govt assures MQM lawmaker of following up on issue; IG directed to probe matter

KARACHI: Encroachment by law enforcers was highlighted on Friday when Sindh Assembly's opposition leader revealed during the session the housing of a police station inside a school in Shikarpur district.

In the stormy session of the House, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)'s Khawaja Izharul Hasan said, "I have written a letter to the chief minister (CM) on this issue, but unfortunately he has yet to give any response." He added that police share the school ground and classes with students.



"After arresting the [suspected] criminals, policemen torture them in front of students," he alleged, asking what psychological affect this must have on the students. "This is not a rumour or speculation. The deputy commissioner and local SSP have confirmed the matter," Hasan claimed, as he showed letters he has written to the chief minister on various issues. "Today, the CM is not present in the House. So, I am leaving copies of my letters and relevant material at his desk," he said.

Responding to the issue, senior minister for education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said, "You should have informed me about this matter. I will now look into it," he said.

Later, Khuhro told the media he has directed the police to remove the encroachment inside the school and take action against those involved.  "I have also directed the Larkana director schools to probe the matter and submit a report within a week. We will not let anyone indulge in such activity inside a school," the minister said.

Earlier, as the session started with deputy speaker Shehla Raza in chair, members moved call-attention notices on various issues.  MQM lawmaker Mohammad Hussain Khan raised the issue of private schools enhancing tuition fee regularly. "Why has the government failed to control private schools? Why does it not give a subsidy to private schools ensuring that they don't increase the fees," he asked.



In his reply, the education minister said that drastic measures have already been taken on the issue, but he did not explain those measures.  When MQM's Kamran Akthar objected to the supply of poisonous water to citizens, local government minister Jam Khan Shoro denied the allegation and said five filtration plants have been set up to purify water before it reaches consumers.

Privilege motion

The assembly has passed numerous resolutions, but lack of implementation on those resolutions compelled a lawmaker to move a privilege motion in the House.  According to Mohammad Hussain of MQM, this practice has breached the privilege of all 168 members and even the speaker and deputy speaker who directly or indirectly are part of these resolutions.  "After the passage of these resolutions, the government considers them unusable and puts them in the dustbin. No one takes cares of it. I request this House to seriously consider this serious issue," he said.  Khuhro who is also minister for parliamentary affairs, opposed the privilege motion on technical grounds saying, "[The] assembly can only request the governments to take action. In many cases, the federal government does not give us a response."

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2016.