MPAs oppose change of name of Gambat Institute

Assembly session was prorogued after members brought up development scheme in Hyderabad.

KARACHI: A day after liver transplantation began at Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in the Khairpur Mir district, lawmakers of the Sindh Assembly opposed the suggestion to name the institute after the late Pir Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani, Pir of Ranipur.

The institute was established with the untiring efforts of Dr Rahim Bux Bhatti but the Sindh government passed a law in August 2015 to name it after Pir of Ranipur. However, the law has yet to be notified. "We pay tribute to Dr Bhatti for transforming the facility from a two-room dispensary to a state-of art-hospital. Gambat itself is a historical town, so please don't change the institute's name," pleaded Pakistan Muslim League - Functional MPA Mehtab Akbar Rashdi said while congratulating the government and Dr Bhatti for starting liver transplantation at the institute.

Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz's lawmaker Sorath Thebo supported Rashdi's statement. "We respect Pir's services but he has nothing to do with the Gambat Institute, so credit should be given to the right person, which is Dr Bhatti," she said.

Lawmakers belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other opposition parties also lauded the Sindh government's efforts to initiate liver transplantation in Khairpur.

During the session held in the old assembly building, provincial health minister Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar informed the House that of a total Rs13 billion schemes in his department, Rs12 billion is being spent only in Karachi. "This is an eye-opener for those who every other day make hue and cry over development schemes, complaining that the incumbent government has neglected Karachi, Hyderabad and other cities," he said, adding that his department has doubled the budget of government hospitals in Karachi.

Dahar asked opposition parties leaders to stop propaganda and change their perception on this issue.

The session also discussed the issue of the Gulistan-e- Sarmast, Hyderabad housing scheme where allottees have been deprived of their plots, despite paying the amount to the Hyderabad Development Authority. "Almost all the people have paid the amount but they are not being given possession of the plots," said MQM MPA Sabir Kaimkhani, requesting the speaker to take up an adjournment motion on the issue. After a brief debate on the rules, the government opposed the adjournment motion by giving a chance to the speaker to turn it "out of order".



"This is not a current issue and the mover of the adjournment has not attached relevant documents. So, technically, this adjournment is not fit to be discussed in the session," declared the speaker. This prompted MQM lawmakers to protest but the speaker did not heed them and prorogued the session.

Prorogued session

The session summoned on January 15 was prorogued for an indefinite time. Talking to The Express Tribune, the Sindh Assembly secretary, GM Umer Farooq, said that the assembly has now completed 63 parliamentary days and has to finish 33 remaining days till the parliamentary year ending on May 16.   "Earlier, every provincial assembly had to complete 70 parliamentary days but after the 18th Amendment this number has been increased to 100. Hopefully we will finish the remaining days in April and May," he said.

Mustafa Kamal's allegations

PTI lawmakers demanded the formation of a judicial commission to prove Mustafa Kamal's allegations against MQM chief Altaf Hussain. "The commission should be formed under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge and its findings be made public as soon as possible," said PTI member Khurram Sher Zaman.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2016.