KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday called upon the law-enforcement agencies to deal with Taliban terrorists with an iron hand for challenging the writ of the state, saying that Pakistan and the Taliban could not go along.

This demand was made in a resolution tabled by Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker and leader of the opposition Syed Faisal Sabzwari, which was carried unanimously when put to a vote after brief endorsement speeches.

Deputy Speaker Syeda Shehla Raza, who presided over the session from its start at 11.25am until 3.55pm, adjourned it to meet on Friday at 10am, turned the private members day as the “day of resolutions” by setting a record of admitting 14 of the 16 resolutions, including the five which were on the order of the day.

One of the resolutions left out from consideration from the agenda due to the absence of its mover, Muhammad Dilawar Qureshi, pertained to the deteriorating situation of Pakistan International Airlines.

Calling for dealing with the Taliban sternly, the resolution expressed solidarity with the armed forces, Rangers and other law-enforcement agencies for the security of Pakistan and stated that in view of the threat to national security all political and religious parties which supported the Taliban should be boycotted socially.

The house condemned the suicide and bomb attacks on mosques, Imambargahs, shrines, worship places of non-Muslims, schools and bazaars and termed terrorism against the teachings of Islam.

Paying tribute to the martyrs of armed forces, Rangers, Frontier Corps, Levies and police, the house condoled with their family members and extended their sympathy and assured them that all the people in the country shared their grief.

The house also declared that Pakistan is an independent, free Islamic state and not a fiefdom of the followers of any school of thought or faith and all those settled here — Sikhs, Hindus, Christians and other non-Muslims —were equal citizens and had the same rights as its Muslim citizens. Highlighting the need to adopt the resolution, Mr Sabzwari said Pakistan was passing through its defining moments and “our collective wisdom demands that we unite” and stand up against terrorists and turn Pakistan into a Pakistan of the Quaid-i-Azam.

Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the ‘zaliman’ had created an atmosphere of fear in Pakistan where neither mosques nor Imambargahs, nor processions of Eid-i-Miladun Nabi and Ashura, schools, police, Rangers and politicians were safe. “Taliban are roots of our all ills who want to impose their evil designs at gunpoint. Time has come for entire Pakistan to rise as one voice.”

He said PPP patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was the first to challenge the Taliban who had declared that anyone who was Taliban’s friend was a traitor.

Mr Memon said the Taliban were neither Muslim nor humans but beasts and should be treated as such. He called upon the countrymen not to fear as one day everyone had to die.Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmaker Khurram Sherzaman supported the resolution and stressed the need to condemn the Taliban and those who had been involved in targeted killings, attacks on law-enforcers and shedding blood for a long time.

Irfanullah Khan Marwat, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz parliamentary party, said no one supported terrorism. The all-party conference in Islamabad was an attempt to find a peaceful solution through negotiations but its follow-up events of terrorism, including the brutal massacre of FC personnel and desecration of their bodies, had resulted in launching an operation and everyone supported it.

He demanded that if the militants failed to declare a unilateral ceasefire, a fully-fledged operation be launched against them.

National languages

Another resolution, tabled by PML-F lawmaker Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, demanded that Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi and Pushto be declared national languages. The resolution recommended to the Sindh government to approach the federal government and send the resolution to the National Assembly for making necessary legislation to declare those languages as national languages.

Khalid Ahmad of the MQM supported the resolution but stressed the inclusion of Seraiki, Hindko, Brahvi and Darri as national languages also.

Parliamentary affairs minister Dr Sikander Mandhro, Senior Minister Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, works and services minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and Imdad Ali Pitafi also supported the resolution and said that Sindh was the oldest civilisation of the world and Sindhi used to be a national language in the past. They said even after 67 years why there was a need to ask why Sindhi was not given recognition as a national language. MQM parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmad said: “We are unable to turn into a nation even after 67 years for want of giving recognition to the nationalities in the country.”

MQM MPA Bilquees Mukhtar supported the resolution and spoke in Sindhi.

In his resolution, Nisar Khuhro recommended to the Sindh government to approach the federal government to stop the unannounced load-shedding of 14 to 20 hours in the province, particularly in Larkana.

The resolution tabled by Irum Khalid of the PPP demanded the establishment of a Sindh women parliamentary caucus to carry on the mission of Benazir Bhutto.

Khurram Sherzaman through his resolution demanded that the right to information act be implemented in the province so that every citizen had the right to access public information as was in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A joint resolution read out by Khawaj Izhar-ul-Hasan condoled the death of the chairman of the ARY Group, Haji Abdul Razzaque, and praised his social services.

The resolution read out by Khairunnisa Moghal called for setting up a provincial commission to improve women’s status in Sindh.

The resolution read out by Muahmmad Hussain recommended to the provincial government to approach the federal government to enlist the MPAs and their spouses and children below 18 years to get facility of gratis passports.

Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan Kamali through a resolution he read out asked for the establishment of an engineering university in Mirpurkhas.

The resolution read out by Poonjo Mal Bheel asked for the supply of natural gas to Tharparker, Mithi and Umerkot districts.

The resolution read out by Kamran Akhtar demanded protection to worship places of all sects and religions in the province and that a policy for their registration be framed.

The other resolutions on the order of the day were also adopted unanimously. They included Naheed Begum for setting up an engineering college in Sukkur, Mehmood Abdul Razzaq for setting up a passport office in Mirpurkhas.

The two private bills tabled by of Sharmila Faruqui regarding the mandatory DNA testing and the Sindh consumer protection bills were introduced.