Law makers assemble: Assembly vows to ensure full enrolment

Nisar Khuhro claims action is being taken against unfair appointments.

KARACHI: With Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in chair, all provincial assembly members passed a unanimous resolution on Friday to ensure 100 per cent school enrolment and to dramatically improve the quality of education in Sindh. 

The resolution was moved by education minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro following a charter signed on Thursday by all major political parties of the province to achieve the two goals.

“We are committed to ensuring 100 per cent enrolment in the province, which is in keeping with Article 25-A of the Constitution and the Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2013,” said the resolution.

The resolution was adopted with a standing ovation that expressed the assembly’s commitment to the cause. “We are determined, notwithstanding our political and ideological differences, to support each other in making sure that our collective commitment to ensuring 100 per cent enrolment in Sindh is owned by our parties,” said the leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F). “We may disagree on many issues but we are united in the pursuit of this goal.”

The resolution further said, “We believe that Sindh cannot progress without literacy and numeracy. We are committed to dramatically improving the quality of education our children receive, particularly in Sindhi, Urdu and Mathematics. We will come together through parliamentary and extra- parliamentary measures to revisit the state of educational affairs and to assess its progress at least once every three months.”

During his speech, Khuhro urged all lawmakers to commit to the cause. “Let us put aside our differences and play a role in helping our future generations,” he said before quoting some worrying statistics. “Out of a total of 43,000 schools in the province, only 38,000 are working. Around six million children in the province do not go to school.”

‘Fake’ teachers

Khuhro also accepted that more than 3,000 teachers have been appointed in the last PPP government. Responding to a call-to-attention notice by PML-F MPA Nusrat Seher Abbasi, he said that orders were issued in various districts of the province and added that he has suspended all the officers involved. “Twelve officers, including directors of schools and district education officers are involved. However, soon after we took action against these officers, they approached the court and obtained stay orders,” he said, adding that these officers would not be given the postings until the court reaches a decision.

“We reinvestigated the credentials of the teachers who have been appointed beyond their sanctioned posts,” he clarified. “Since there is no budget for these posts, the salaries are not released to these teachers.”

Staying sober

PTI MPA Khurram Sher Zaman diverted the attention of the house towards consumption of alcohol at restaurants in Clifton and asked the excise and taxation minister, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, if any action is being taken against these restaurant owners.

“I raised this issue three months ago but it was all in vain,” said Zaman. “The restaurant owners in Clifton and Defence offer red wine in their menus.  We are in a Muslim country and strict action should be taken against such activities.” Zaman pointed out that alcohol is also being served in cafeterias of colleges and universities.

Chawla denied these claims. “We have investigated the matter and this is mere speculation,” he said, requesting Zaman to name the restaurants so that his officials can take action against them.

An adjournment motioned was moved by Imtiaz Shaikh and Nusrat Seher Abbasi to defer the debate on law and order in Sindh till Monday. Meanwhile, the house unanimously adopted the resolution to take over two government barracks adjacent to the MPA Hostel for the residence of the MPAs.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2014.