KARACHI: Before taking up the routine proceedings of question hour and general discussion on the fifth day of the 2014-15 budget session, the Sindh Assembly on Friday suspended the question hour to accommodate out of turn two resolutions; one related to the death of MQM federal lawmaker Tahira Asif in a gun attack in Punjab and the other regarding the 61st birth anniversary of slain PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.When the resolutions were put to the house one after the other after brief speeches by parliamentary groups representatives in the assembly, they were carried unanimously.

However, during the brief speeches on the resolution in which the Punjab government and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were held responsible for MNA Asif’s death, there was an exchange of harsh remarks between lawmakers of the MQM and the PML-N. The situation was pacified within no time by Speaker Agha Siraj Khan Durrani. Before the other resolution regarding the birth anniversary of slain PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto was put to the House, PPP lawmakers including Khairunnisa Mughal, Sharmila Faruqi Raana Ansar, MQM representative Syed Sardar Ahmad, PML-F legislator Nusrat Sehar Abbasi and PTI lawmaker Dr Seema Zia paid tribute to the former prime minister. They said that everlasting sacrifices of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto could not be ignored. The resolution reads:

Khwaja Izharul Hasan, deputy leader of the MQM parliamentary party, tabling the resolution said the Punjab administration acted irresponsibly and mishandled the case of deadly attack on MNA Asif’s car.

The authorities without properly examining her car or recording statement of her driver termed the incident ‘an attempt of snatching’ by armed robbers. He said her killing exposed the Punjab government false claims regarding good governance. “We not only condemn the fatal attack, but also demand stern and immediate action against the culprits”.

MQM legislators Mohammad Hussain, Dr Saghir Ahmad and Abdul Rauf Siddiqui accused the Punjab government of not providing security to the lawmaker and the Punjab administration indifferent attitude towards the incident responsible for her death. They said that it was the third tenure of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif dotted with cruel treatment being meted out to MQM workers and killings.

PML-Nawaz lawmaker Irfanullah Marwat also condemned the murder of the parliamentarian and said there was no justification for her killing. He said he had met the slain lawmaker twice by chance and was well aware of her personality traits.

The attack on Ms Asif was a clear case of irresponsibility at some level in the provincial administration, Mr Marwat added.

However, he said, the administration or the Punjab chief minister should not be ‘directly blamed’ for the murder.

The MQM resolution, which was read out by Mr Hasan, stated: “This House strongly condemns the dastardly attack on Mrs Tahira Asif, MNA of MQM, at Iqbal Market, Lahore on June 18 as a result of which she succumbed to her injuries on the night between June 19 and 20, 2014. May Allah keep her soul in peace.

“We not only condemn the fatal attack, but also demand stern and immediate action against the culprits.”

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani also condemned the attack and condoled the death of MNA Asif, while Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon expressed grief and sorrow over her death.

“This assembly pays tribute to Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto on her 61st birthday on June 21, 2014 and salutes her struggle and sacrifice for democratic and prosperous Pakistan.”

After the adoption of both the resolutions, MQM legislators wearing black armbands to mourn the death of the party MNA in Lahore staged a token walkout and lodged their protest against the Punjab government for not providing security to her.

Budget

On the fifth day of general discussion on the budget 2014-15 Syeda Shehla Raza, Jam Khan Shoro, Mahesh Mallani of the PPP, Abdul Rauf Siddiqui and Khwaja Izharul Hasan of the MQM and Mohammad Shafi Jamote of the PML-N and Nand Kumar of the PML-F expressed their views.

Syeda Shehla Raza of the PPP initiating discussion on the budget said that the federal government had paid less share from divisible pool to Sindh and the KPK while Punjab was given more than its due share.

Ms Raza, who is deputy speaker of the assembly, said the prime minister who had announced one billion rupees relief for drought affected Tharparker on his visit last year, which were not yet received while in Punjab Rs3 billion were announced for metro bus which were immediately paid.

The PPP lawmakers said that the Sindh government despite facing financial hardships due to not getting its full share from the federal government, managed to achieve its targets in the year 2013-14.

They contested the opposition legislators terming the budget as anti-people and anti-urban centres referring the schemes included in the ADP for the welfare of people in education, health, roads, with priority to law and order for which Rs56 billion were allocated while for the education Rs134.32 billion, Rs98 million for youth development programme, more than Rs20 billion were earmarked for energy sector.

Highlighting the need to bring agriculturalists income under the tax net, the MQM legislators quoted schemes from the ADP to prove that in the budget the urban population, which generate 90 per cent of the revenue, and 20 Karachi in particular has not only been ignored by rejecting the schemes submitted by their representatives but were burdened by bringing the owners of even 120-square-yard plots under the text net and imposing new taxes of Rs3.2 billion on services such as dry cleaners, private educational institutions and pathological labs, while the agriculturists were exempt from income tax and extended 50 per cent subsidy on purchases of tractors, tube wells, bulldozers and land leveling implements.

Haji Shafi Muhammad Jamote of PML-N said that despite allocation of billion of rupees for the development, no progress was visible any where in Sindh. He said instead selling our coastal areas and islands to foreigners be handed over to fishermen and dictatorship in fisheries cooperative society be doneaway with to bring improvement in the life of fishermen.PML-F Parliamentary Party leader Nand Kumar regretted over cut in development budget.

Fishermen and Livestock Minister Jam Khan Shoro said due to the priority to the law and order, the targeted killing were reduced by 65 per cent in Karachi but no one had mentioned this from the opposition.

He said in local bodies projects 81 schemes were for Karachi, the government had formulated a ministerial committee for implementation KCR which could not get any progress because the federal government failed to contribute its share. In Hyderabad, he said, Rs800 million were allocated for Wasa to implement water supply and sanitation schmes besides Rs24 billion package.

The Karachi K-4 and S-3 schemes which were dropped from the PSDP by the federal government were revived due to efforts of the chief minister.

Trade and Industries Minister Rauf Siddiqui said funds allocated for development of industries were not sufficient and needed to be increased and said that one snorkle and five fire tenders should be provided to the industries department immediately so that factory fire tragedy was not repeated.

MQM Deputy Parliamentary leader Khwaja Izharul Hasan said that the MQM had prepared a shadow budget after consultation with all stake holders and prepared 185 schmes costing Rs 43 billion. He said that in the Sindh budget direct taxes ratio is 9.2 per cent while indirect share is 90.7 per cent which directly burdens the common man. The House , which was called to order at 10.20am, was adjourned at 2.10pm till Monday.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2014