Taking for a spin: Vehicles in use of govt officials ‘untraceable’

PTI’s Seema Zia moves call-attention notice on 66 missing vehicles issued to officials

KARACHI:

The Sindh Assembly was informed on Monday that some government vehicles in the use of different officials are "untraceable".

Senior minister for education and parliamentary affairs, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, acknowledged that "some bureaucrats are transferred to federal government and other departments and they don't return the government vehicles in their use."



He was responding to a call-attention notice moved by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Dr Seema Zia. A total of 66 government vehicles were missing, of them 35 have been recovered, he said, adding that the government has ordered the chief secretary to probe into the matter.

He also informed the House that 82 other vehicles given to various people and government employees against the rules have also been taken back.

‘CM facilitating kidnappers’

During the session, the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) has alleged that Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah's relatives are involved in kidnapping for ransom activities and that the Jillani House in Khairpur Mirs, the CM's home town, is the focal point of all kidnapping-related activities in the area.

Moving a call attention notice during the session, PML-F lawmaker Mohammad Rashid Shah, son of Pir Pagara, asked home minister Sohail Anwar Siyal about action taken against people involved in kidnapping for ransom incidents in the district.

Siyal claimed no such incidents occur in Sindh, including in Khairpur Mirs. "We have now eliminated kidnapping for ransom from the entire province. Not a single case of kidnapping is pending. Most of the dacoits have been killed and some have managed to flee," he claimed.

The PML-F MPA then sat back as a debate is not allowed on a call attention notice, but speaking to the media outside the assembly, he criticised the CM and his family members, and termed the CM House a "safe haven" for criminals.

"During the ongoing targetted operation, the army and law enforcement agencies had announced to take action against criminals as well as their facilitators. I want to ask why action has not been taken against the CM's nephews and cousins who play the role of facilitators in kidnapping for ransom incidents in their district," he remarked.

Reacting to the allegations, the CM's spokesperson refuted the allegation, saying "It was nothing but political gimmick to defame the Jillani family of Khairpur."

Constitution's commemoration

During the session, presided over by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, the assembly adopted a resolution to commemorate the 1973 Constitution. Lawmakers paid tribute to Pakistan Peoples Party's founding leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for convincing all opposition parties to evolve consensus on the Constitution.

No country for rich people

The resolution was moved by senior minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro in connection with the day when the then president had given assent to the Constitution on April 12, 1973.

The CM, who was part of the Parliament that had passed the law, said it was Bhutto's vision that led to a consensus Constitution after 26 years of the country's creation.

Briefing about the Constitution, Shah said it was democratic, Islamic and federal parliamentary republic document, which gives basic fundamental rights to all citizens irrespective of their religion, caste and creed.

Opposition MPAs from the PML-Nawaz and PML-F appreciated Bhutto for giving the country a Constitution, but criticised the PPP government for failing to implement it in letter and spirit.

Later, a resolution was unanimously adopted praising Bhutto and the Constitution.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2016.