KARACHI, Nov 26: Services of ad-hoc lecturers will not be terminated provided they appear before the Sindh Public Service Commission in a test whose date has been specifically extended.

The assurance was held out by Senior Minister for Education Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq on the floor of the house on Wednesday while making a statement under Rule 215 on the issue agitated by opposition members in the previous two sessions.

The Pir soon after entering the house during the question-hour session sought permission from Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro to make a statement on the matter of public importance. He said the ad-hoc lecturers were still in service as the chief minister had extended the date of test to be conducted by the commission to fill 700 vacancies.

In reply to a question of Arif Mustafa Jatoi of the NPP, the minister expressed his optimism about the likelihood of ad-hoc lecturers getting through the commission test as they had been in the profession for the last three years.

Mr Jatoi wanted to raise a point of order but the chair did not allow and reminded him that it was the question-hour session and he had allowed the minister only to make the statement.

After completion of the question-hour session, the chair adjourned the session at 1.25pm till 10am on Thursday, as there was no more business on the order of the day.

Earlier, the house was called to order at 11.25am. Khalid Ahmad of the Muttahida Quami Movement drew the chair’s attention towards a notification issued for reduction of transport fares in the backdrop of a steep fall in oil prices in the world. He said the notification mentioned reduction of 35 paisas and 50 paisas in transport fares for various distances, which appeared to be a joke as five-paisa coins were not in use anymore while passengers were never returned 50 paisas.

Transport Minister Akhtar Jadoon said a committee would be formed to review the fares and better transport would be provided at a reduced fare with the arrival of CNG buses in December. There would be no more monopoly of 50-seat vehicles. Besides, he said the oil purchase agreement made with companies on a six-month basis would expire by December, after which new oil rates would be effective and then the fares could be reduced even by 50 per cent.

Jam Tamachi of the PPP highlighted the need of teaching Sindhi and Urdu to students in the schools of Karachi, saying that the programme introduced during the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government should be properly implemented.

MQM’s Moeen Amir suggested that Sindhi should be made compulsory up to matriculation, which would contribute to bringing harmony among people.

The speaker said a resolution in this regard was already adopted and was on record. “The question here is of its implementation.”

When MQM’s Heer Soho raised the issue of CNG prices, the speaker pointed out that it was not a provincial subject as the prices were being fixed by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority which was a federal body.

PML-F’s Marvi Rashdi drew the chair’s attention towards attitude of certain members who interrupted women opposition members by passing remarks whenever they raised an issue. Referring to the Rule 206 (b), she asked the speaker to take note of it. The speaker said the rule equally applied to all members.

Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Jam Madad Ali said despite agreement almost all sugar mills, except five or six, had so far not paid the difference of Rs6 a maund which was outstanding against them since the last sugarcane crushing season. Likewise, many sugar mills had not yet started sugarcane crushing season while others had stopped after a few days operation.

Agriculture Minister Ali Nawaz said action would be initiated against defaulting sugar mills.

Nusrat Abbasi of the PML-F on her point of order drew the chair’s attention towards non-payment of allowance to those recruited for the Benazir Bhutto Youth programme. Law Minister Ayaz Soomro and Works and Services Minister Manzoor Wasan denied non-payment of the allowance, saying that this only happened in cases of short of attendance or failure of youths to open bank accounts.