PA pays tribute to civilian martyrs of 1971

Offers Fateha for the martyrs of APS terrorist attack

KARACHI:

The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution paying tribute to those who sacrificed their lives alongside the Pakistan Army during the 1971 East Pakistan tragedy.

The resolution was moved by MQM-P lawmaker Ijazul Haq, who stressed the need to honour the sacrifices of the Bihari community and other civilians who supported the military during that tumultuous period. After the birth of Bangladesh, the community suffered brutal persecution in shape of mass murders, rapes, looting and lack of nationhood.

The session, chaired by Speaker Owais Qadir Shah, began with Fateha for the martyrs of the 2014 terrorist rampage at the Army Public School Peshawar and the 1971 war.

Speaking on the floor of the House, MPA Ijazul Haq urged the lawmakers to recognise the contribution of those who stood by Pakistan in its hour of need. "We must pay tribute to the martyrs who gave their lives for Pakistan," Haq said, highlighting the sacrifices made by the Biharis alongside the armed forces.

Home and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar endorsed the resolution, stating, "How could we oppose such a resolution? We salute the martyrs of East Pakistan."

However, PPP's Ghulam Qadir Chandio raised concerns, suggesting that the resolution gave the impression that only one community had made sacrifices. He objected to the inclusion of certain points in the resolution, describing them as "inappropriate."

In response, Speaker Shah ruled that Haq's additional remarks should be expunged from the record. This led to a brief protest by the MQM lawmaker, who said, "We never raised slogans against Pakistan; we gave our lives for it." Despite the controversy, the House passed the resolution unanimously.

Debates on LG, higher education

The session also saw the presentation of several resolutions, most of which were rejected or withdrawn after debate. MQM-P's Taha Ahmed moved a resolution seeking financial autonomy for local governments to strengthen democracy.

PPP Minister Jam Khan Shoro responded by clarifying that Article 140-A, introduced by the ruling party, allows provincial governments to decide on the powers of local councils. Shoro explained that municipal authorities like water boards and WASA had already been transferred to local governments, and assured the House that a committee would be formed to further deliberate on the issue. Following this, Taha Ahmed withdrew his resolution.

Another MQM-P lawmaker, Adil Askari, moved a resolution calling for the establishment of a new university in Karachi, citing the city's large population. Sindh Universities Minister Ismail Rahu opposed the resolution, stating that the provincial government had already allocated over Rs42 billion in grants for higher education.

He also pointed out that Karachi currently hosts 30 public sector universities, nine of which are new. Rahu added that an Education City was being developed on Kathore Road. As a result, the House rejected the resolution.