Sindh Assembly denies debate on Gul Plaza tragedy

Parliamentary affairs minister says issue already discussed, probe committee in place

KARACHI:

The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday denied the opportunity for a debate on the tragic Gul Plaza fire incident, after a motion tabled by Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq was turned down.

Despite the magnitude of the tragedy, the House refused to discuss it, with Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ziaul Hassan Lanjhar arguing that the issue had already been addressed in prior sitting, and that a committee had been formed to investigate the matter. Farooq, however, demanded the inclusion of opposition members in the committee.

Meanwhile, the House passed a resolution aimed at tackling the growing menace of thalassemia in Sindh. MQM's MPA Najm Mirza introduced the resolution calling for the effective implementation of the Sindh Prevention and Control of Thalassemia Act 2013, which had been passed to address the increasing number of cases in the province.

MPA Mirza stressed that prior to 2013, no legislation existed to tackle the disease, and he urged for more robust enforcement of the law.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ziaul Anwar supported the motion, adding that the provincial government had already set up free thalassemia centres across the province. He assured the house that the government was committed to curbing the disease. The resolution was passed unanimously.

The House also debated a resolution put forward by PPP's Asif Musi Gillani, condemning the recent strike by transporters which had severely impacted Karachi and Port Qasim. The strike resulted in large-scale disruptions, leaving containers stranded at the ports.

However, Senior Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon dismissed the resolution, saying he failed to understand its purpose. He clarified that transporters had been victims of violence, including the burning of their vehicles, which led to the strike and subsequent disruptions. Sharjeel urged Gillani to withdraw the motion, and the PPP member complied.

Another resolution, introduced by PTI's Muhammad Shabbir Qureshi, called for the re-auctioning of coal mine allocations in Sindh at new rates. However, this motion was rejected by the House, with Ziaul Anwar opposing it on the grounds that current allotments could not be annulled without a proper process. Anwar suggested that Qureshi resubmit the resolution with more detailed documentation.

MPA Farooq also presented a resolution advocating for the extension of the BRT Red Line project from Numaish to the National Highway. Sharjeel responded positively, stating that if it were up to him, the project would be extended by an additional 150 kilometres. However, he noted that such decisions required approval from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). With Sharjeel's assurance, Farooq withdrew the resolution.

A privilege motion was also introduced by seven MQM lawmakers against District East Deputy Commissioner Nasrullah Abbasi, accusing him of inappropriate conduct. Lanjhar assured the members that the matter would be addressed by summoning the DC to hear the complaints. Following this, the members withdrew their motion.

The session was adjourned until 2.30pm on Friday.