KARACHI, Aug 12: The much hyped resolution to call upon President Pervez Musharraf to get a vote of confidence from the elected assemblies did not materialize in Tuesday’s session of the Sindh Assembly, while much mystery surrounds the fact whether it would be taken up in Wednesday’s session, as it does not feature anywhere in the 12 items of the order of the day.
However, as the assembly, which was called on Tuesday by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, will stay in session for two days only, the statements of Law Minister Ayaz Soomro and Information Minister Shazia Marri indicate that the ruling Pakistan People’s Party is set to move the resolution under Rule 211 by relaxation of all relevant rules in the house on Wednesday.
The proceedings in Tuesday’s session – except for a 30 minute spat between Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Jam Madad Ali and PPP’s parliamentary party leader and Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq and Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza – remained largely listless.
Speaker Nisar Khuhro’s timely and judicious ruling that explanations should be given in a responsible manner without getting personal cooled things down before the spat could take a serious turn. The matter was raised through a point of order by Abdul Razzaq Rahimoon of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q.
The other business carried out during the three hour proceedings from 4pm to 7pm was question hour on culture and tourism and the adoption of three resolutions. Of the two other resolutions, out of the five which were on the agenda, Nadeem Bhutto withdrew his resolution with the permission of the house following assurance from Law Minister Ayaz Soomro that the investigation would be reopened and carried out thoroughly in the case of theft of artefacts and jewellery from Moenjodaro, while the culprits would be brought to book.
Dr Sikander Mandhro, who had given the notice to move the other resolution, regarding the exploration, utilization and production of power from Thar coal reserves, declined to move the resolution under Rule 106 saying that he was satisfied with the measures taken by the Sindh government for the use of Thar coal reserves.
Out of the three resolutions, which were adopted unanimously by the house, two pertain to the violation of the concession agreements signed by multinational oil and gas exploration and producing companies. The resolutions were moved by Nadeem Bhutto and Dr Sikander Mandhro.
Both resolutions were endorsed by Manzoor Wasan, Shazia Marri, Saleem Khurshid Khokhar, Humera Alwani, Sardar Ahmad Pitafi, Shamim Ara Panhwar, Najmuddin Abro, Sherjeel Memon, Bachal Shah, Anwar Mehar, Muzaffar Shujra, Ferheen Mughal and Saifullah Dharejo of the PPP, Syed Sardar Ahmad and Heer Soho of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Arif Mustafa Jatoi of the National People’s Party and Rafique Bhanbhan of the Pakistan Muslim League-F.
On the suggestion of Shazia Marri, backed by Syed Sardar Ahmad, Anwar Mehar and Syed Murad Ali Shah, instead of clubbing the resolutions together, they were put to the vote jointly and were unanimously adopted.
Oil and gas sector
Nadeem Bhutto’s resolution read: “This assembly resolves and recommends to the government of Sindh to approach the federal government to ensure the appointment of local people of Sindh in multinational oil and gas companies in accordance with the agreement executed in this regard.”
The contents of Dr Sikander Mandhro’s resolution read: “This assembly resolves and recommends to the government of Sindh to approach the federal government to direct all the oil and gas exploration and producing companies operating in the province to abide by all the clauses of petroleum concession agreements and employ the local people and spend the amounts on socio-economic welfare of local population as contemplated in the agreements.”
The speakers pointed out that in violation of the agreements, the oil companies had not been recruiting local people and also failed to set up institutes to provide technical training to local people, nor were they spending 14 to 15 per cent on the collective social welfare of the area people.
They lamented that even the local villages where the gas was being produced were not supplied gas. Demanding free gas supply to the local people, they said Sindh’s share in gas and oil production was 69 per cent of the total production in the country.
Humera Alwani said under the agreement, the companies were supposed to pay between $0.5 million to $5 million as welfare bonus. “Had the companies been implementing the agreements, there would not have been unemployment and poverty in Sindh,” she said.
Demanding the involvement of the Sindh government in the implementation of the agreements, Dr Mandhro said that during the last 30 years since the companies were producing gas and oil in Sindh, a major source of income from Sindh was being kept secret and now was the time to demand a share in the NFC along with the last three years’ accounts.
Syed Sardar Ahmad said that Sindh had always demanded during the NFC Award that the gas development surcharge be passed on to the province.
Ramsar sites
The third resolution, which was also adopted unanimously, was moved by Dr Sikander Mandhro which reads: “This assembly resolves and recommends to the government of Sindh to approach the federal government for rehabilitation of Ramsar sites in the province and protect worst condition of lakes and lagoons in the coastal area of Badin and Thatta districts.”
The mover, highlighting the importance, said that out of 19 sites selected by an international organisation in its survey in the country, 10 were in Sindh and seven of them in Thatta and Badin.
He said the organisation, which works for the protection of natural beauty spots in the world, was providing millions to the federal government, but due to improper use of the funds, the lakes and lagoons had become victims of neglect. He demanded proper use of the funds to protect such spots in Sindh.
After three hours’ deliberation, the session, which began one hour behind the scheduled time of 3pm, was adjourned by the chair till 9.30am Wednesday.
Question hour
The state of the province’s tourism industry, antiquities as well as its libraries came under the spotlight during Tuesday’s session of the provincial assembly as Sindh Culture and Tourism Minister Sassui Palejo faced a barrage of questions – mostly asked by opposition member and National People’s Party legislator Arif Mustafa Jatoi – during the protracted question hour.
Combining a question with a comment, Mr Jatoi asked the tourism minister what was the number of foreign tourists visiting Sindh between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008, adding that if the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation could not answer the question, what was the use of the department.
Ms Palejo told the house that the actual number of tourists visiting Sindh could not be ascertained as there were “many grey areas,” referring to the overlapping of the jurisdictions of the STDC and the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation. However, she said a proposal had been sent to the federal government to separate the domains of the STDC and PTDC, while a board had been formed to look after Sindh’s tourism affairs, with Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah in the chair.
She said a master plan was being prepared for Keenjhar Lake. She added that the only resorts that came within the purview of the STDC were the Keenjhar Lake Resort in Thatta, Sambara Inn, Larkana and Lal Shahbaz Rest House in Sehwan. All other tourist sites came under the PTDC and the federal archaeology department’s control.
When Mr Jatoi commented that according to the federal government, 2,000 foreign tourists had visited Sindh during the period under discussion, Ms Palejo said that this was not her responsibility and that the tourism board did not even exist during the previous government’s tenure.
In a supplementary question, the NPP legislator asked the tourism minister what was being done to prevent robberies at the historic Makli necropolis.
Replying that it was another “grey area,” Ms Palejo again heaped scorn on the previous government, inferring that the problem had become aggravated due to the Pakistan Muslim League (Q)-led set-up. She said even though it was the archaeology department’s responsibility, she had recently visited Makli and informed the house that a master plan for the historical site was being prepared.
“The federal government should provide weapons and motorcycles to the security guards. I will take up the issue when I go to Islamabad,” said the minister, adding that she would also raise the issue of taking back Sindh’s 130 historical sites from the federal government’s control.
While answering another question, Ms Palejo said that if the Punjab government could regain control of the Lahore Fort without an amendment in the relevant act, there was no reason why Sindh could not follow the precedent.
Commenting on the fact that there were only 11 public libraries in the 23 districts of Sindh, Arif Jatoi asked what the criteria for building a library were. Ms Palejo replied that a library should have at least a few thousand books and be in easy reach of the public, adding that at least 20 libraries would be constructed.
Asked how many books were added yearly, the culture minister said her department spends Rs5 million annually on books for libraries.
When Heer Soho of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement asked why Karachi’s Liaquat Memorial Library was in such bad shape, Ms Palejo said that the previous government did not focus on education and libraries. She added that there would be a noticeable difference at the library within a month.
The MQM’s senior parliamentarian Sardar Ahmed suggested that as archaeological sites are in the concurrent list, the Sindh government could get them transferred if the case is pursued. He said that a lot of priceless manuscripts relating to Sindh’s history are lying in foreign museums, which should be retrieved.
When Industries Minister Rauf Siddiqui was asked by the Pakistan People’s Party’s Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto what the breakdown of the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate Karachi’s board of governors was with regard to government and private members, he replied that there were 15 members, though he did not remember the exact division.
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