Appointments for two heirs of govt employees killed combating terrorism

They will not be inducted on technical side, clarifies Nisar Khuhro

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly passed on Wednesday a law to appoint two heirs of martyred government employees who rendered their lives while combating terrorism in the line of duty.

During the session, Parliamentary Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro presented the Sindh Shaheed Recognition and Compensation (Amendment) Bill, saying that in addition to the financial compensation, the government will appoint two legal heirs from a family. Khuhro referred to the targeted killings of government employees, including policemen in Karachi and other districts of the province, while explaining the people to whom the law applies.

“We have already passed the law to provide medical cover to the dependents of shaheed [martyred] persons, financial aid or any welfare grant, including allotment of plot,” said Khuhro. “The government will take further steps for the welfare of families of shaheed persons or members of Sindh police in the form of national and international scholarship to their children.”



He added that they are complying with the Supreme Court directives to not directly appoint the people in grade 16 and above because these positions are filled through competitive exams. “We can relax the conditions of qualification and age but cannot appoint the people directly in senior grade,” he said.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) parliamentary leader, Syed Sardar Ahmed, pointed out that people must be appointed on merit.  Clarifying the government’s decision, Khuhro said these people will not be inducted on the technical side.

Heated debate on revenue generation

Meanwhile, the debate over the generation of revenue dominated the session. The issue was raised when Khuhro presented an amendment to the Sindh Revenue Board to ‘ensure its smooth functioning’, after which emotionally charged leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and MQM exchanged heated arguments and counter-arguments.



Former chief minister, Qaim Ali Shah, briefed the house about how the Sindh government collected the sales tax on services despite federal government’s resistance on the issue. “We set up the Sindh Revenue Board and the first year generated Rs25 billion,” he said, adding that in the following year, the provincial government achieved a target of around Rs60 billion and now it can recover Rs100 billion through the board. “The federal government used to collect billions of rupees from the province, giving only a minute amount to Sindh,” he added.

Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly, Khawaja Izharul Hasan, said that most of the tax is collected from Karachi but government is utilising a meagre amount on the development of the city. “The former chief minister has informed us about a chapter of history,” he remarked. “But he must know that it is no longer Sindh Revenue Board. Rather, it is Karachi Revenue Board because majority of the tax is collected from the city.” He added that his party will no longer tolerate the government’s discriminatory policies.



“We know your intention behind this speech but what you think will never happen,” remarked Khuhro in response to Hasan. Responding to the opposition leader, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the MQM is laughing at the same Sindh government that always saves them from the ‘elements’ who hurt them, in a veiled reference to the crackdown against the party.

“I will request you to please give up this biased approach,” the CM continued. He added that the MQM used to criticise the mentioned elements but are now mum on this issue. “Why don’t you criticise them and why are you silent on it?” he said, adding that instead of criticising others, the opposition leader and his party members have started targeting the PPP-led government.

The session was adjourned till Friday.