KARACHI: The private members’ day in the Sindh Assembly was on Tuesday marred for the umpteenth time as the members of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf boycotted the proceedings in protest against the rejection of their member’s privilege motion by the chair.

Majority of the private members’ business including bills and resolutions were not taken up due to the PTI’s boycott, depriving themselves to introduce seven private bills of their members in the house.

PTI’ Rabistan Khan had tabled a privilege motion against Gulshan-i-Maymar police for ‘raiding’ his residence three times on May 23 and 24 and then on July 24. “My privilege was breached with the raids and my privilege motion be referred to the committee,” Mr Khan demanded.

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla opposed the privilege motion saying that the police was on routine patrolling those days. “It is the duty of the police to patrol in the areas,” the minister added.

House rejects two private bills of GDA lawmaker; 33 child labour cases registered in 2021, PA told

The chair, Deputy Speaker Rehana Leghari, rejected the privilege motion ruling it out of order. This enraged PTI members who lodged a strong protest and started shouting.

“Why are you people shouting. I have already given my ruling [to reject the privilege motion],” she said, while trying to calm down the protesting members but they boycotted the proceedings.

The private bills, submitted by PTI members Dr Seema Zia, Firdaus Shamim Naqvi, Rabia Azfar Nizami, Arsalan Taj and Omer Omari could not be taken up as all the movers were called absent by the chair.

Two private bills — The Sindh Marriage Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious Displays and Wasteful Expenses) Bill, 2020 and The Sindh Fair Representation of Women Bill, 2018 — moved by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s Rana Ansar were introduced and sent to the standing committees concerned for further deliberations.

The house also rejected two bills of Grand Democratic Alliance’s Arif Mustafa Jatoi.

The rejected bills were the Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Sindh Provincial Assembly (Members) Privileges (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

Collection of sales tax via power bills opposed

MQM-P MPA Muhammad Hussain Khan while speaking on a point of order said that there was great resentment and concerns among the traders’ community on the imposition of the sales tax on non-filer traders and its collection through electricity bills of K-Electric.

He demanded that the federal government immediately withdraw the tax on traders through the power utility, suggesting that the tax might be collected by the Federal Board of Revenue after taking all stakeholders on board.

Labour Minister Saeed Ghani seconded the proposal of the MQM-P lawmaker and said that the traders had reservations on the way the tax was proposed to be collected. “If it [tax] is imposed forcibly, it will lead to problems,” he said.

Question Hour

Earlier, while furnishing replies and statement to the written and verbal questions of lawmakers during Question Hour, the labour minister said that employing children under age of 14 was an offence.

He said that 33 cases were registered against child labour in the last year.

The provincial minister said that a drive would be soon launched against child labour in the province.

The sitting was adjourned to Wednesday (today).

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2022