Body to probe bund breaches left ‘headless’

The judges who are to head the committee have refused since Memon is going to perform Hajj and Esani is unwell.


Hafeez Tunio September 30, 2010

KARACHI: The fate of the judicial commission, formed to probe into the controversial breaches at Tori and SM Bunds, hangs in the balance even before the investigation could start because the two retired judges, nominated to head the committee, have turned down the offer.

After the assembly session finally kicked off around 12:30 pm, Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro informed the meeting that the two retired judges, Azizullah Memon and Roshan Ali Esani, nominated by the chief minister to head the commission have both refused since Memon is going to perform Hajj and Esani is unwell.

The decision to form a committee was announced in the assembly session on Tuesday but an official notification has not been issued yet.

“Now the matter has been delayed further for a few days,” said Soomro on Wednesday.

According to government legislators, they are now going to nominate other judges after consultation with their coalition partners.

Sardar Ahmed, parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), asked why the government was looking for retired judges instead of those still in service. “We can request the chief justice of the Sindh High Court to nominate any SHC judge to head the commission,” he said.

Speaker Nisar Khuhro asked the law minister to move a motion in order to form a new committee. The law minister said that they will meet the chief minister, along with members of the opposition, to discuss the matter of appointing new heads of the commission.

Once the notification of a new committee has been issued, investigation into what caused the breaches will be completed within three weeks.

However, the commission itself will take time to we finalised, especially if they decide to nominate a serving judge, warned Soomro.

PPP MPA demands inquiry into other breaches

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MPA from Khairpur Nathan Shah, Imran Zafar Leghari, demanded the government to investigate into the breaches at the MNV Drain and at the Suprio Bund, which had led to the flooding of Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar Town and adjoining areas.

He referred to a statement of one of the member of the assembly who according to him had claimed that no arrangements were made to save Khairpur Nathan Shah from the flood.

According to Leghari, he had raised concerns when there was a flood threat but nobody paid any heed to him.

“Initially some legislators of our party did not agree to divert water to Johi canal, otherwise Khairpur Nathan Shah could have been saved,” he said.

“I diverted the water to my agricultural land in order to save other villages and all my crops have been damaged but they are still saying that I have done nothing,” said Leghari, adding, “If they do not stop criticising me, I too will have many things to highlight.”

No arrangements have been made to drain out water from Khairpur Nathan Shah and there is still four to five feet of water in the town. “I request the CM and the irrigation minister to get the water drained out,” he added.

20,000 heavy vehicles unregistered in Sindh

Excise and Taxation Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla told the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday that more than 20,000 unregistered dumper trucks and other heavy vehicles in the province.

“An ordinance was issued during the era of (former president) Gen Ziaul Haq in 1985 under which duty on dumpers coming from Afghanistan was exempted,” said Chawla during the question-hour session.

“In case, an unregistered dumper is involved in an accident, the government will have no record about the vehicle.” He said that a summary has recently been moved to the chief minister to register dumpers in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2010.

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