KARACHI, Nov 4: Opposition lawmakers expressed their concern over the worsening law and order situation in Hyderabad during the Sindh Assembly session on Monday, asking the provincial government to protect the life and property of the people and restore peace to the second largest city of the province before it is too late.

The house, which resumed after a two-day break, took up an adjournment motion on the worsening law and order situation in Hyderabad for discussion.

The motion was jointly moved by Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmakers Heer Soho, Sumita Afzal and Naira Munir and it was specific to Hyderabad.

However, MPAs also referred to the law and order situation from Karachi to Kashmore and called upon the government to hold law-enforcers accountable for deterioration in law and order.

However, some MPAs from the treasury benches pointed out to the supporter of the motion that the law and order problem was not one city specific as it was the issue of entire Pakistan.

Responding to the points raised by the lawmakers during discussion on the motion, Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said that deterioration in law and order was the outcome of Kalashnikov culture introduced by former military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq which was further promoted by Gen Pervez Musharraf.

He said the situation was not restricted to Hyderabad and Karachi only. He highlighted a large number of kidnapping for ransom incidents in Punjab.

Mr Memon said there were some reasons behind the worsening situation in Hyderabad and among them was the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi, as criminals were running away to other cities.

The minister said now an operation had also been launched in Hyderabad and action was being taken not only against criminals but also against police officials involved.

He said that the government had removed certain police officers in Hyderabad for failing to discharge their duties properly.

He said that the recruitment for the Rapid Response Force had been made.

He said that 100 cameras of the command and control system were found defective.

He said that a woman lawmaker who criticised the chief minister for keeping a few departments with him forgot that the chief minister of Punjab with whom her party had formed a coalition was holding 17 departments with him.

Referring to an objection regarding a wedding ceremony [of the speaker’s nephew] held on the premises of the Sindh Assembly, the minister said he remembered that singing and dance parties used to be held in the Presidency during the tenure of Gen Musharraf.The minister said that the Sindh government had written to the federal government about illegal SIMs and except one cellular firm all others had closed such SIMS.

He said issuance of a number of SIMs in one name was a serious problem.

He said six SIMs had been issued in his name despite the fact that he had only two SIMs.

He said that Hyderabad would not be left at the mercy of criminal elements.

He assured the lawmakers that the government had initiated steps to check political intervention in the transfer and postings of SHOs.MQM Lawmakers Naila Munir, Naheed Begum, Khalid Ahmed, Zubair Ahmed Khan, Raana Ansar Begum, Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani, Ayesha Khatoon, Ashfaq Mangi, Muhammad Hussain, Muhammad Dilwar Qureshi and Khawaja Izahrul Hasan said that the law and order situation in Hyderabad had deteriorated to an extent that the people were taking their own security arrangements.They said that the police failed to take any action against extortionists in Hyderabad despite the fact that the owner of a private hospital in Qasimabad had identified them.

They said that an area SHO was immediately suspended following an incident in which robbers took away cash and jewellery from the house of a sessions judge. However, no action was ever taken if a common man met the same fate.

They said that the crime rate in Hyderabad had increased drastically.

They said that besides the entire system in Hyderabad had failed, as no one was paying attention to the water and sewerage, traffic, transport issues in the city.

The people of Hyderabad were being punished for electing Haq Parast candidates since 1987, they said.

MPAs Nusart Sehar Abbasi and Mehtab Rashdi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional said after every heinous crime one could hear that the chief minister had taken notice but nothing happened afterwards.

Irfanullah Marwat of the PML-N said that the situation in Hyderabad should not be seen in isolation and an operation should be initiated elsewhere to control the situation.

Samar Ali Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf said there was a need to stop using police as a personal force and they should be given a free hand without any political influence.

Syeda Shehla Raza, Jam Khan Shoro and Imdad Pitafi of the Pakistan Peoples Party said the situation was not as bad as it had been during past governments. However, the government was taking necessary steps to improve the law and order situation and would not hesitate to launch a Karachi-like operation if necessary.

The Monday session was called to order at 11.45am by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the chair. The discussion on the motion was continued for two hours followed by legislation of the Gorakh Hills Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and formation of a nine-member special house committee to which two identical bills on restricting child marriages were referred with the directives to submit its report in the next session of the assembly.

After completion of the order of the day, the chair wanted to take up some points of order but Mr Marwat of the PML-N and Hafeezuddin of the PTI stood from their seats to draw attention of the chair towards their resolutions pertaining to drone attacks submitted to the assembly’s secretary for their out-of-turn consideration.

The speaker expressed his ignorance and the lawmakers tried to submit the receipt of his secretariat. However, the speaker read out the order of Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and the session was prorogued at 3pm.