KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Friday expressed solidarity with the people of India-held Kashmir on completion of two years of revocation of the valley’s special status by the Modi government by unanimously adopting resolutions of treasury and opposition members.

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani tagged two identical resolutions, one moved by Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ghanwer Ali Khan Isran and the other jointly tabled by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf parliamentary party leader Bilal Ahmed and Mohammad Hussain Khan of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan.

The movers condemned the Indian government for carrying out atrocities in the held valley and an attempt to convert Kashmiris into minority in their own land through demographic changes.

The resolution by the treasury reads: “This House reiterates its unanimous resolve to establish, uphold and preserve the right of the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir to self-determination and independence on the day marking the illegal, unconstitutional and forced annexation of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir through the use of blatant force and impunity.”

The house unanimously asks Punjab govt to arrest culprits who ransacked a temple in Rahim Yar Khan

It added that the house expressed solidarity with the people of India-held Jammu and Kashmir, who were subject to brutal violence, illegal detentions and media blackouts.

“This house draws attention to the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions which offer the people of Kashmir an option to decide their fate through a free and fair plebiscite. The Assembly reaffirms our unanimous disregard for the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution which offer special status to the territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The house recognises the sacrifices of brave and valiant sons and daughters of Kashmir who have laid their lives for the independence, dignity and glory of Kashmir. The Assembly reaffirms that Jammu & Kashmir remains as unfinished agenda of partition and that continues to be on UN Agenda since 1948,” it added.

The resolution also rejected grant of citizenships to the people belonging to other states or provinces, which was a blatant violation of UNSC resolutions and an attempt to bring about demographic changes into the occupied territory of Kashmir.

The resolution demanded that the federal government expedite the efforts at national, regional and global forums to make the miseries of innocent Kashmiris felt and the speedy resolution of Kashmir issue ensured.

Opposition’s resolution

The resolution jointly moved by the PTI and MQM-P reads: “The House unanimously condemns India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 and subsequent measures particularly pertaining to domicile rules and the land ownership laws are aimed at changing the demographic structure of IOJK and converting the Kashmiris into a minority in their own land. These measures are blatant violations of international law, including the UN Charter, the United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the 4th Geneva Convention.”

It said that Pakistani nation expressed solidarity with the people of Kashmir on Youm-i-Istehsal, August 5, and supported the resolve of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters.

PA resolution against temple desecration

The house also demanded that the Punjab government arrest the culprits involved in ransacking a Hindu temple in Rahim Yar Khan and bring them to justice by tabling a joint resolution to condemn the incident.

The resolution was moved by Nand Kumar of the Grand Democratic Alliance, Mangla Sharma of the MQM-P, Sanjay Gangwani of the PTI and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla.

It said: “This House strongly condemns the brutal attack on temple in Bhong Sharif, District Rahim Yar Khan. The said attack is a conspiracy to damage the inter-faith religious harmony in the country. This House demands to arrest the culprits involved therein.”

The joint resolution was adopted unanimously and the speaker ruled that the resolution should be forwarded to the Punjab government.

“Mosques, temples and other religious places are not a joke and this is a very serious issue,” he said.

Mismanagement in SSC exams

On a point of order, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MPA Abdul Rasheed demanded an inquiry into alleged mismanagement in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC), or matric, examination.

Saeed Ghani, who until Thursday held the portfolio of education, conceded that there was mismanagement in the examination as some examination centres were changed a couple of days before the papers.

He said that the use of unfair means in the exams was not a new phenomenon and they were prevalent in every part of the country.

Question Hour

While replying to lawmakers’ written and verbal queries during Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary for Auqaf, Zakat and Ushr Heer Soho said that the scheme for construction of lavatory blocks at Dargah Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in Matiari had been completed in 2019.

She said two washrooms, one each for males and females, were constructed and the marble work at the shrine was carried out at the cost of Rs4.6 million.

The speaker deferred a privilege motion tabled by PPP female members against Leader of the Opposition Haleem Adil Shaikh for making “derogatory remarks” against them during a media talk on June 25.

The movers were: Heer Soho, Sadia Javed, Nida Khuhro, Ghazala Sial, Farhat Seemen, Hina Dastagir, Sajeela Laghari, Sharmila Faruqui, Rehana Leghari, Tanzila Ume Habiba, Syeda Shehla Raza, Kulsoom Akhtar Chandio, Shazia Umar, Parveen Basheer Qaimkhani and Shamim Mumtaz.

The speaker fixed next Wednesday for discussion on the motion as most of the movers were not present in the house.

The sitting was adjourned to Monday.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2021