In its last session, Sindh Assembly grants Hindu widows right to remarry

House also passes bill to regularise contractual doctors, adopts resolution to reinstate SBCA workers

KARACHI: In the last working session of its current tenure, the Sindh Assembly passed on Friday a law allowing Hindu widows to remarry of their own freewill provided that a period of six months has lapsed after their husbands' deaths. Hindu women were also granted the right to file a petition for the termination of their marriages.

The bill, titled the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act, 2016 (Amendment) Bill, 2018, was moved by Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) parliamentary leader Nand Kumar Goklani. "The Hindu community, especially their widows, suffer a lot because of outdated customs and traditions that don't allow them to remarry in our society," said Goklani. Parliamentary Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Law Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar supported the law, which was passed unanimously.

Call attention notices

A heated exchange of words took place between Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - Pakistan MPA Kamran Akhtar when the latter brought up the issue of the quota system in the province in a call attention notice.

Akhtar inquired about the number of people appointed on the quota system during the tenure of the current government. He termed the quota system a 'mass killing of educated youth'. He also alleged that jobs were being sold in the province and people with fake domiciles were being appointed.



The MQM-Pakistan MPA quoted the chief minister, who had claimed that thousands of jobs had been created in Sindh. Akhtar asked whether those jobs were given on merit. As he continued his speech during the call attention notice, the deputy speaker turned his microphone off.

Khuhro informed the House that 69 people were appointed in the services and general administration department in a year on the quota for deceased employees' family members, adding that appointments in other departments had been made separately.

Akhtar, however, was not satisfied with Khuhro's reply. He continued speaking to which Khuhro remarked, "Maybe he will learn", prompting the deputy speaker to add that the MPA would not be elected next time.

Raza's remarks irked MQM-Pakistan MPA Faisal Subzwari, who demanded that they be retracted.



PML-F MPA Nusrat Sehar Abbasi spoke on another call attention notice about the torture of women sitting outside the Karachi Press Club to protest against missing persons. Responding to the notice, Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal said the police and other institutions concerned were investigating the matter.

"Efforts are being made to recover missing persons," Siyal informed the assembly, adding that many persons who had gone missing had now been allowed to meet their relatives. The home minister explained that the police had also appointed a focal person on the issue of missing persons. The cases of some missing people are being heard in the high court, he said, adding that an inquiry committee had also been formed to investigate missing persons.

Contractual doctors

The assembly also approved three bills, including one that aimed to make contractual or ad hoc doctors' appointments permanent. The bill had been passed by the House earlier as well, however, the governor objected to it and did not give his consent, upon which it was returned to the assembly. After its second approval from the House, it made into an Act.

After the bill's enactment, as many as 400 doctors hired on a contractual or ad hoc basis will be made permanent employees. This includes 59 doctors of Tharparkar, 216 doctors of the health department, 76 doctors of the trauma centre in Karachi and others.



The assembly also approved another bill for the restoration of the Sindh Institute of Traumatology, Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation. It was passed unanimously.

The House adopted a resolution against the removal of 1,145 employees from the Sindh Building Control Authority. Employees who had been working on different posts were removed citing various reasons.  The issue of the employees was raised by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Nadir Magsi. "Are we going to end our tenure by removing these employees who are protesting in Karachi?" he asked.

Khuhro and Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hasan said they had no any objections if the government reinstated the SBCA employees. Later, PPP MPA Bahadur Dahri moved a resolution on the issue that demanded the restoration of the employees and formation of a committee under the supervision of the law minister.

The House also allowed an adjournment motion of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Khurrum Sher Zaman against load-shedding in Karachi with a majority vote. The PTI lawmaker had blamed the Sindh government for not exercising its influence over K-Electric (K-E).



"The worst form of load-shedding continues to this day while I have been raising my voice about this for the past five years. Load-shedding is a serious issue in Karachi and it continues during sehri and iftar times," Zaman said.

He accused K-E of being indifferent to the miseries of the residents of Karachi. The PTI MPA criticised the chief minister for not playing his due role in improving the affairs of K-E. When the PTI government comes into power in 2018, it will improve K-E, he said.

An adjournment motion moved by MQM-Pakistan MPA Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani was also allowed by the speaker. The motion pertained to the shortage of water in Sindh. "The farmers will not receive water for the kharif crop," the MPA lamented.

After the agenda was completed, the session was adjourned till Monday where a photo session has been scheduled for assembly members. The MPAs will also be given certificates based on their performance.