PA passes resolution condemning Machh killings

Lawmakers call for action against perpetrators, implementation of NAP

The Sindh Assembly passed a resolution on Wednesday, condemning that killing of 11 miners of the Hazara community in Mach, Balochistan on Sunday.

Delayed by an hour and a half, the assembly session commenced with lawmakers drawing the ire of Sindh Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani for ignoring pandemic-related standard operating procedures.

The lawmakers must follow preventive measures to ensure their and others' safety, admonished Durrani, lamenting that the contagion had already claimed the lives of many lawmakers.

Machh incident

Following that, the Pakistan Peoples Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs presented a resolution condemning the killing of miners in Mach.

The assembly unanimously passed the resolution.

Addressing the session, Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah claimed that the implementation of the National Action Plan had come to a halt since the PTI came into power, despite it being the need of the hour.

Further accusing India of perpetrating the attack, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan should have paid a visit to Mach.

He ended his speech with the remark: "It is sad incident and we will have to save our country together."

Responding to Shah's critique of the PM, PTI parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh said they too wanted the premier to visit Mach.

"We strongly condemn the brutal killing of miners in Mach," he added.

When it was her turn to speak, Sindh Women Development Minister Shehla Raza said, "Our religion doesn't even allow the unjust killing of a non-Muslim."

Moreover, MQM-P MPA Muhammad Hussain urged the federal government to take notice of the incident.

He said the miners were killed after they were identified as people from the Hazara community, and remarked that the Hazaras were not safe anywhere in the country.

Earlier, lawmakers prayed for the forgiveness of the deceased miners and people who had fallen prey to the coronavirus, and for the wellbeing of Sindh Assembly deputy speaker Rehana Leghari, who tested positive for Covid-19 few days ago, and the soldier of the Pakistan Army deployed at borders.

Vacancies in edu dept

Besides, during the question and answers session, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani confirmed there were 37,000 vacancies in the provincial education department. He assured that the vacancies would be filled on the basis of merit.

He further informed lawmakers that 3,000 ghost schools in the province had been expunged from official records.

Ghani said that schools that were not needed had been closed and more such school would be closed in the future.

Only the required number of schools in the province would be allowed to function, he added. He said that a school should have at least 30 students to remain open and the population count of a particular area was also taken into consideration when the department closed down a school.

The assembly session adjourned until 2pm today (Thursday).

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2021.