The Sindh Assembly on Friday condemned Wednesday’s mob attack on a Hindu temple in Rahim Yar Khan. It demanded that Punjab government take action against the culprits.
Adopting a joint resolution moved by opposition and treasury members, the lawmakers called it a conspiracy to damage interfaith harmony in the country.
“It is a brutal attack and the culprits can be identified. We request the Sindh regime to approach the Punjab and federal government to take action against the culprits,” Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) MPA Nand Kumar Goklani said while moving the resolution.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Mangla Sharma, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Sanjay Gangwani and all minority MPAs, on reserved seats, also moved an identical resolution to condemn the incident.
“All members of this house, belonging to different parties, are united on the issue. Federal Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid must take action,” Mangla Sharma said.
Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani also condemned the attack and assured the movers of resolutions that their views would be conveyed to the Punjab government for further action. Soon after videos went viral, Prime Minister Imran Khan and the chief justice of Pakistan took notice of the incident.
The assembly also unanimously passed two clubbed resolutions, expressing solidarity with the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir after two years had passed since the valley’s special status was revoked by the Indian government.
Two identical resolutions - one moved by Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ghanwer Ali Khan Isran and other jointly tabled by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentary Leader Bilal Ahmed and MQM’s Muhammad Hussain Khan - were clubbed by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.
The movers vehemently criticized the Indian government for carrying out atrocities in the occupied part of the valley and its attempt to convert Kashmiris into a minority through demographic changes on their own land.
“This house reiterates its unanimous resolve to establish, uphold and preserve the right of the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir to self-determination and independence,” the PPP lawmaker’s resolution read.
It added that the assembly expressed solidarity with Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s people who were subject to a brutal show of violence, illegal detentions, media blackouts and the worst form of human rights violations.
“This house draws attention to the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions which offer the people of Kashmir an option to decide their fate through a free and fair plebiscite,” it read.
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“The assembly reaffirms our unanimous disregard for the abrogation of article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution which offers special status to the territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The house recognises the sacrifices of brave and valiant sons and daughters of Kashmir who have laid their lives for the independence, dignity and glory of Kashmir.” It added that the assembly reaffirmed that the Jammu and Kashmir issue remained unfinished and was one that continued to be on the UN Agenda since 1948.
It also rejected the grant of citizenships to people belonging to other state or provinces, saying this was a blatant violation of UN Security Council resolutions and an attempt to bring about demographic changes to the occupied territory.
The MPAs demanded the immediate withdrawal of occupying forces from the territory and the establishment of civil order. They urged that the international community focus its attention towards the blatant violations of human rights, abductions and rape cases. “The house expresses, on part of the people of Sindh, our complete resolve for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute and the implementation of UN resolutions, as per the aspirations of people of Kashmir,” the resolution read.
The provincial government urged the Centre to expedite efforts on national, regional and global forums to highlight the miseries of innocent Kashmiris and enable a speedy resolution to the issue.
Earlier, as the session started with speaker Durrani in the chair, PPP MPA and Auqaf Department Parliamentary Aecretary Heer Ismail Sohu responded to questions about facilities at shrines and recent development work carried out by the department.
During the session Muttahida Majlis e Amal MPA, on a point of order, took up the issue of mismanagement at the matric exams in Karachi. He asked why question papers reached exam centers with a delay. “There was total mismanagement. Instead of provdiing question papers early morning, the board officials handed them over to students at 7pm,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2021.
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