In session: MPAs demand restoration of ‘local’ train services

Another resolution passed to establish breast cancer diagnostic centres in the province

KARACHI: Sindh's lawmakers are annoyed with the transport cartel that has destroyed the railway system. Members of the opposition and treasury benches adopted a resolution, demanding the Sindh government to revive the inter-district train services without further delay.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MPA Dr Zafar Khan, while moving the resolution said: "The inter-district train service was once the most-favoured form of transport at Rs10 per ticket." There were the Shah Abdul Latif Express, Mehran Express, Sukkur Express and Thar Express that ran from Karachi to various districts such as Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Sanghar and Tharparkar. In their haste to pass the resolution, the lawmakers failed to realise that the latter two, the Sukkur Express and Thar Express, are running regularly.

For their part, the MPAs believe that the services had been deliberately suspended through a 'nexus' between the transport mafia and the railway authorities. They stressed that the services that ran between smaller districts such as Larkana and Qamber-Shahdadkot also be revived immediately.

The talk of trains drove most of them into a reverie of childhood days when they would travel from Karachi to other districts of the province. "Since the train service has been suspended, people have removed the railway tracks and encroached upon the stations," said Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) Nusrat Seher Abbasi, adding that the Pakistan Peoples Party government had also failed to revive the service. "We have been hearing about Karachi circular railway for the last several years, but there has been no progress," she lamented.

Some MPAs from the opposition claimed that the harshest blow was dealt at the time of the assassination of Benaizr Bhutto in 2007, when enraged mobs further damaged the railway system.

Meanwhile, Shamim Mumtaz of the PPP diverted the attention of the house towards railway accidents and suggested to build overhead bridges near railway crossings.  "Every day, we witness fatal accidents on these tracks and it is the school-going children who are most vulnerable to such mishaps," she said, adding that steps must be taken to remove the settlements around the railway tracks.

Nasir Shah of PPP compared the Pakistan's railway system with that in India, China and other developed countries where bullet trains have now been introduced. "We have the funds, but they are not being utilised properly." Shah claimed that billions of rupees were spent during General (retd) Musharraf's regime, but substandard locomotives were purchased,  that were now lying non-functional.

Breast cancer

The assembly unanimously passed a resolution to establish a breast cancer diagnostic centre in each district of the province. The resolution, which was moved by PPP MPA Khairunisa Mughul, dominated the proceedings as lawmakers termed it a need of the hour.  Moghul, in her brief speech, lamented that no effort had been made to spread awareness about this terminal disease, which could easily be treated in the early stages. She added that Pakistan had the highest rate of breast cancer cases in Asia and the establishment of diagnostic centres could save the lives of thousands of women.

Mehtab Akbar Rashdi of the PML-F painted a ghastly picture of the condition of public hospitals, a majority of which have now taken the appearance of garbage dumps that lack even the most basic facilities. "It is high time that the government takes this resolution seriously by implementing it in letter and spirit."

Naheed Begum of the MQM told the house that even the larger public hospitals in the provinces lacked mammography machines for the diagnosis of breast cancer. "We should also commemorate pink ribbon day to educate women about breast cancer," she said.

Syed Sardar Ahmed, the parliamentary leader of MQM, said that such facilities should be provided at the tehsil level because chemotherapy and vaccination was very expensive and the poorer people cannot afford treatment at private hospitals.

Dr Sikandar Mandhro, the minister for parliamentary affairs, unveiled the government's plan and to deal with the situation.

PPP avoids resolution condemning MQM’s black-day

Some senior PPP leaders averted another fight with the MQM on Tuesday. As the session started with speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the chair, the PPP leaders started deliberating whether to defer their MPA’s resolution against MQM’s ‘black day’.  Kulsoom Chandio, of the ruling party, had moved a resolution to condemn the black day observed by MQM on October 26 against the leader of the opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah.  Nisar Khuhro, Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Sharjeel Inam Memon held a meeting to make a strategy on the issue.

Later, they repeatedly approached the speaker and convinced him to prolong the session so that the resolution (which was the last item on the agenda) could be run off. The speaker nodding his head at the senior PPP leaders took up other resolutions giving a chance to almost all the MPAs to speak on the other resolutions. He abruptly adjourned the session before Chandio’s turn.  “We have almost finished the session time, therefore I adjourn the session to meet again after Ashura,” he announced.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2014.