KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday witnessed a rare show of indulgence on the private members’ day as the treasury benches supported the opposition members’ business in adopting unanimously their two out of three resolutions and a private motion.

Under the rules, Tuesdays are the private members’ days during the assembly session, mainly for the opposition members who can present their private bills and resolution in the house.

In the past sessions of the present Assembly, not a single resolution of the opposition members was supported and passed by the assembly due to rejection by treasury members during the private members’ days.

Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, who rendered advice and assistance on the private members’ business in the house due to absence of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia Lanjar, fully supported the opposition members’ resolutions and a private motion.

MQM-P’s resolution adopted unanimously to instil patriotism in lawmakers

One of the resolutions tabled by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan member Dr Fouzia Hameed pertained to the playing of the national anthem at the commencement of every Sindh Assembly session to instil patriotism and national unity in lawmakers.

Welcoming and supporting the resolution, the education minister suggested that the national anthem should be played in the assembly on the occasions of national and special days.

When Speaker Awais Shah asked the minister if he was opposing the resolution, he denied and said that he was only proposing that the national anthem be played on the occasion of special and solidarity days.

Speaking on her resolution, the MQM-P members, however, insisted that the National Anthem must be played in the beginning of every sitting of the assembly.

The house unanimously resolved to play the national anthem on the commencement of assembly session.

The other resolution demanding the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who is imprisoned in the US, moved by lone Jamaat-i-Islami member Muhammad Farooq, was also adopted unanimously by the house.

In his resolution, he had demanded from the Sindh government to urge the federal government to take up Aafia Siddiqui’s ordeal to the international community and secure her release.

Sardar Shah said that the federal government had already taken up the matter and a delegation comprising doctors, lawmakers and civil rights campaigners had been formed to visit the US in this regard.

The house also unanimously adopted a resolution, tabled by Pakistan Peoples Party member Heer Soho, calling for naming a road or a building after Gul Hassan Kalmatti, who was a renowned historiographer, scholar and writer, in recognition of his services.

Question Hour

Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro informed the house that there was around 20 to 30 per cent shortage of water in the River Indus during 2019-2021.

Furnishing a statement and replies to the lawmakers’ written and oral queries during Question Hour, he said that less water was released into canals due to shortage of water in the river and the department faced water shortage problems specially in the tail systems of the off-taking main canals.

In reply to a question raised by Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi, the minister said that the irrigation department had taken effective steps to provide equitable distribution of irrigation water to all tail enders to control the shortage problem

“In order to save the water losses, the programme for lining of the channels has also been started to cope with the matter,” he added.

Mr Shoro said that Manchhar Lake had been destroyed and become poisonous due to shortage of fresh water from the river and constant inflow of effluents into it from northern parts of the province and Balochistan.

He said that the agriculture sector was also badly affected due to water shortage in the province where 70 per cent people depended on agriculture.

“Even if we get five per cent less water, the province will lose two to three billion rupees,” he added.

He said that Karachi’s major source of water was Keenjhar Lake which got water from Kotri Barrage through KB Feeder.

The minister said that the lake had also reached at dead level several times in the past which was alarming as the city got most of its water from it.

He said that there should be alternative arrangement of water and desalination plants should be set up for the city.

Later, the house was adjourned to Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2024