Sindh Assembly: MPAs call for Mirza taking over home ministry again, MQM quiet
MQM stage token walkout against target killings, PAC ends sit-in outside building.
KARACHI:
Sindh Assembly members, including the opposition, demanded the return of Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Zulfiqar Mirza and appealed for him to take charge of the home ministry again. All but the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) — the ruling party’s coalition partner.
Although Tuesday’s session had been called to discuss budget proposals, law and order dominated the assembly proceedings. Lawmakers appreciated the efforts of former Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza who has been on medical leave for the past few months and demanded his return so that “the deteriorating law and order situation can be controlled”.
PPP MPA Jam Tamachi Unar, who is also the chairman of the Sindh Assembly Public Accounts Committee, lauded Mirza. “As a home minister, he worked very hard to control law and order in the province especially in Karachi. We need a full-time home minister. Therefore, he needs to come back.”
As soon as he finished his remarks, the sound of thumping desks resonated — endorsing Unar’s comments.
In agreement, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s Chetan Mal said, “We also demand Zulfiqar Mirza come forward without delay and take over the department. The chief minister cannot help in curbing the lawlessness. It is not easy for anyone to approach him either,” he said.
But Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza intervened. “The home ministry had always been with the chief minister given the significance of the department. But during Mushrraf’s tenure, a separate minister was appointed. So, the chief minister can look after matters.”
But PPP members Nadeem Bhutto and Javed Shah stood up and insisted on Mirza’s return.
During all of this, straight-faced MQM MPAs were sitting quietly on their benches.
Maybe because they had made a noise earlier. MQM lawmakers staged a token walkout soon after the session began against the spate of target killings in the city.
MQM deputy parliamentary leader Faisal Sabzwari on the point of order drew the house’s attention towards target killings and said that some ‘terrorists’ happened to be workers of the Awami National Party (ANP) who have started attacking settlements of Urdu-speaking people in Qasba Colony.
“We have identified them and informed the Rangers and police, but they are not taking any action. There seems to be someone who switches on the button and then target killings begin. Our party workers are killed.” For the last two days, these terrorists armed with automatic weapons are continuously firing in Orangi and Qasba Colony, forcing people to stay in their houses. They are land grabbers and extortionists who patronise terrorists from FATA and the tribal areas, the MQM leader said.
Sabzwari said that the ANP leadership should disown these terrorists who had earlier kidnapped MQM MPA Aleemur Rehman. “The law and order situation in Orangi is so bad that our lawmakers even cannot even attend the assembly session as they are confined to their houses. We cannot sit and listen to this post-budget session.” With this, he along with other members staged a walk out.
Budget discussion
Lawmakers discussed budget proposals for the second consecutive day and some claimed that the government had failed to achieve its targets during the last three years.
They derided projects and demanded change: the Zulfiqarabad scheme was opposed and the revival of the commissionerate system was called for. MPAs also demanded the Police Order 2002 be abolished. “The writ of the law is necessary, otherwise this budget will make no difference,” they roared in the assembly. Jam Tamachi Unar suggested the government give up its ad-hocism, re-employment and favouritism in government departments.
MQM MPA Khalid Ahmed said disparity had been created by allocating only Rs2 billion for Karachi and Rs2.2 billion for the rural outskirts, Keamari and Malir. “This is a discriminatory approach and which we should not divide the city in rural and urban areas. Rs2 billion is not enough for Karachi. This needs to be increased.”
Peoples Amn Committee sit-in
Activists of Lyari’s Peoples Amn Committee ended their sit-in in front of the Sindh Assembly against Rangers who, according to them, had killed two of their workers, Baba Ismail Baloch and Sharif Baloch a few days ago.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon assured them that their grievances and demands would be met and the culprits would be arrested. He also announced Rs1 million for the families of victims.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2011.
Sindh Assembly members, including the opposition, demanded the return of Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Zulfiqar Mirza and appealed for him to take charge of the home ministry again. All but the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) — the ruling party’s coalition partner.
Although Tuesday’s session had been called to discuss budget proposals, law and order dominated the assembly proceedings. Lawmakers appreciated the efforts of former Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza who has been on medical leave for the past few months and demanded his return so that “the deteriorating law and order situation can be controlled”.
PPP MPA Jam Tamachi Unar, who is also the chairman of the Sindh Assembly Public Accounts Committee, lauded Mirza. “As a home minister, he worked very hard to control law and order in the province especially in Karachi. We need a full-time home minister. Therefore, he needs to come back.”
As soon as he finished his remarks, the sound of thumping desks resonated — endorsing Unar’s comments.
In agreement, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s Chetan Mal said, “We also demand Zulfiqar Mirza come forward without delay and take over the department. The chief minister cannot help in curbing the lawlessness. It is not easy for anyone to approach him either,” he said.
But Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza intervened. “The home ministry had always been with the chief minister given the significance of the department. But during Mushrraf’s tenure, a separate minister was appointed. So, the chief minister can look after matters.”
But PPP members Nadeem Bhutto and Javed Shah stood up and insisted on Mirza’s return.
During all of this, straight-faced MQM MPAs were sitting quietly on their benches.
Maybe because they had made a noise earlier. MQM lawmakers staged a token walkout soon after the session began against the spate of target killings in the city.
MQM deputy parliamentary leader Faisal Sabzwari on the point of order drew the house’s attention towards target killings and said that some ‘terrorists’ happened to be workers of the Awami National Party (ANP) who have started attacking settlements of Urdu-speaking people in Qasba Colony.
“We have identified them and informed the Rangers and police, but they are not taking any action. There seems to be someone who switches on the button and then target killings begin. Our party workers are killed.” For the last two days, these terrorists armed with automatic weapons are continuously firing in Orangi and Qasba Colony, forcing people to stay in their houses. They are land grabbers and extortionists who patronise terrorists from FATA and the tribal areas, the MQM leader said.
Sabzwari said that the ANP leadership should disown these terrorists who had earlier kidnapped MQM MPA Aleemur Rehman. “The law and order situation in Orangi is so bad that our lawmakers even cannot even attend the assembly session as they are confined to their houses. We cannot sit and listen to this post-budget session.” With this, he along with other members staged a walk out.
Budget discussion
Lawmakers discussed budget proposals for the second consecutive day and some claimed that the government had failed to achieve its targets during the last three years.
They derided projects and demanded change: the Zulfiqarabad scheme was opposed and the revival of the commissionerate system was called for. MPAs also demanded the Police Order 2002 be abolished. “The writ of the law is necessary, otherwise this budget will make no difference,” they roared in the assembly. Jam Tamachi Unar suggested the government give up its ad-hocism, re-employment and favouritism in government departments.
MQM MPA Khalid Ahmed said disparity had been created by allocating only Rs2 billion for Karachi and Rs2.2 billion for the rural outskirts, Keamari and Malir. “This is a discriminatory approach and which we should not divide the city in rural and urban areas. Rs2 billion is not enough for Karachi. This needs to be increased.”
Peoples Amn Committee sit-in
Activists of Lyari’s Peoples Amn Committee ended their sit-in in front of the Sindh Assembly against Rangers who, according to them, had killed two of their workers, Baba Ismail Baloch and Sharif Baloch a few days ago.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon assured them that their grievances and demands would be met and the culprits would be arrested. He also announced Rs1 million for the families of victims.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2011.