Mirza derides media for ‘incorrect’ reporting on blast

Mirza criticised the media for incorrectly quoting the number of casualties, amount of explosives used.

KARACHI: During the Sindh Assembly session on Friday, Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza criticised the media for reporting incorrectly following the CID bomb blast a day earlier.

The session started at 10:10 am with Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro in the chair.

The adjournment motion was tabled by Leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali on behalf of National Peoples Party’s Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Faisal Subzwari and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s Shahryar Mahar.  All legislators condemned the terrorist attack on the CID police headquarters on Thursday evening and unanimously passed an adjournment motion against it.

During his speech, Mirza said that the government would report to the judiciary against false reporting and sensationalism in the media. He accused news channels of creating panic among residents.

Mirza also criticised the media for incorrectly quoting the number of casualties. He insisted that 14 people were killed and around 30 were injured and admitted to hospital.

Giving an example of incorrect reporting, Mirza said that a news channel claimed that around 1,000 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the blast even though no official confirmed that. “Did the terrorists inform the media houses directly or do they have laboratories where they can find out the force of the blast?” he questioned.

The police and Frontier Corps (FC) fought bravely with the terrorists before the attack and there was an exchange of fire from both sides, Mirza said, as he paid tribute to the security personnel who lost their lives. Mirza said he is proud of Sindh Police and believed that it was working hard to control terrorism in Karachi.

At the end of his speech, he thanked the Karachi Electric Supply Company, City District Government Karachi and rescue services for helping the government. Several legislators of the Pakistan Peoples Party shouted slogans against the media during the home minister’s speech.

Jam Madad Ali accused those behind the attack of being enemies of Pakistan. He said that they do not want to see the country develop. He also expressed his sympathies with the families of the victims.

Terrorists are playing with the sovereignty of the country and the Pakistan Army, Rangers, Frontier Corps and the police are fighting them bravely, added Subzwari.

Government Servants Benevolent Fund Bill

The Sindh Assembly unanimously passed the Government Servants Benevolent Fund (Amendment) Bill 2010. According to the bill, the beneficiaries’ list of the Government Services Benevolent Fund will now include parents, minor brothers, unmarried daughters and sisters, and legally adopted step children below 21 years of age, who are completely dependent upon a government servant.

The bill was tabled by Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro. He said that the PPP has always benefited women during its tenure and this bill is a continuation of this trend. Provincial ministers Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto and Rafique Engineer and MPAs Rukhsana Shah, Shama Mithani, Farheen Mughal, Rashida Panhwar, Bachal Shah, Rai Naz Bozdar, Heer Soho and Rafique Banbhan endorsed the bill and took part in the debate.

They suggested that the word “male” should be replaced with “children” in the bill so that it covers both male and female offspring. After the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir, the trend of adoption has increased in society, they said.

After the debate, Soomro tabled the amendments in the house that legally adopted and step children would be added in clause No. 2 and the word “male children” will be replaced with children. The amendment bill was passed unanimously.

MQM walks out of session

Earlier, MQM legislators continued their walkout from the session on the second consecutive day as they were protesting the one-time flood tax issue. They left the house at the start of the session but PPP’s Rafique Engineer and Minister for Fisheries Zahid Bhurgari persuaded them to return and take part in the proceedings.

The speaker adjourned the session till the 10 am on Monday, November 15.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2010.