Dept under scrutiny in Sindh Assembly

No appointments have been made in the provincial women development department (WDD) in the past seven years, said Sindh Women Development Minister Syeda Shehla Raza addressing the provincial assembly on Monday.

The department came under scrutiny during the question-answer session in the house, which also raised concerns over the lack of daycare facilities available for working mothers.

The department provides legal and consular access to women across the province, said Raza responding to the queries put forth in the house. Despite a number of vacancies, appointments have not been made, she added.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Seema Zia noted, however, that the department lacks lawyers and psychiatrists despite having the budget for it. Similarly, PTI lawmaker Sidra Imran asked how the department would provide assistance to women when its women crisis centres are without the required manpower.

Raza informed the house that medical officials for the WDD are Grade 17 officers, who are appointed after they clear the Sindh Public Service Commission examination. Whereas, drivers and sanitary staff for the daycare centres comprise of Grade IV officers, who are appointed at Grade I seats, added the minister.

She further apprised the house that the provincial government has allowed appointments on vacant seats in accordance with the government’s recruitment rules.

The questions persisted, however, with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan lawmaker Rana Ansar asking why resource centres have not been made operational yet.

To this, Raza replied that the centres will be made operational in the near future. She maintained that the office of resource centres was established across the Chief Minister’s House but people would not frequent it. Therefore, it was closed in 2015, said Raza.

The department is trying to open a new display centre now to provide women craftsmen opportunity to exhibit their handicrafts and products, she told the house.

With regards to WDD daycare centres in Karachi, Raza said that there are two that currently exist - one at the University of Karachi and the other one in the State Life Office building. Raza said told that department plans on closing the second one and instead intends to open a daycare centre in the Sindh Secretariat building.

At this, MQM-P lawmaker Javed Hanif observed that the number of working women is increasing hence the government should legislate and set up daycare centres in every government department.

Similarly, Grand Democratic Alliance MPA Nusrat Sehar Abbasi proposed that a daycare centre be opened at the provincial assembly building as well.

On this, Raza said she would put forth the request for a daycare centre at the assembly before Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani. The Speaker remarked that the centre could be established if the house moves a resolution in this regard.

Tainted officials

Meanwhile, PTI lawmaker Arsalan Taj stated in his speech that government officials who entered plea bargains with the National Accountability Bureau have been restored on their posts. Isn’t it leniency that these officials have been reappointed on their posts, he asked.

According to Taj, the provincial finance secretary, Hassan Naqvi, entered a plea bargain over corruption of Rs12 million. Naqvi returned the money so he got away with it, said Taj, adding that nearly 80 per cent of the finances are in Naqvi’s hands. Taj further alleged that Naqvi was the front man for Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

PPP stalwart Sharjeel Inam Memon, however, expunged the comments made by Taj with regards to the CM.

Taj’s speech led to a ruckus in the house with treasury benches and the opposition aisle pointing fingers at each other. “Why doesn’t your government put sugar thieves behind bars,” asked provincial minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla.

The session that had begun with a delay of one and a half hour was adjourned till January 25 after sloganeering from both sides echoed in the house.

Earlier, lawmaker Bilal Ahmed Ghaffar was appointed as the PTI’s parliamentary leader as Haleem Adil Shaikh took up the role of opposition leader in the house, following Firdous Shamim Naqvi’s resignation.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2021.