With a pandemonium-hit City Council session, clearly reflecting the outside make-or-break political developments, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) backed Awam Dost panel told the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) backed Haq Parast group not to worry about the dissolution of local government system.
"The PPP has vowed not to touch any of the existing systems of the country after coming on the helm of affairs as they (Haq Parast dominated treasury) fear," Jumman Darwan of Awam Dost panel assured the desk-thumbing treasury. Amid the ear-splitting slogans of 'shame, shame' from the two ever-opposing sides of the house the City Council witnessed one of the most prolonged and controversial sessions, which was held here at City Council Hall on Tuesday with Naib Nazim Nasrin Jalil as its convenor.
The Council passed five resolutions, one in the absence of opposition, which staged a walkout following two sit-ins (on ground) against what they said a discriminatory attitude of the convenor, who was as they claimed less inclined to listen to their concerns.
An important resolution unanimously condemned Denmark and her European supporters for publishing blasphemous caricatures depicting the revered Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) terming the oft-repeated act as "intellectual and civilisational terrorism".
The opposition led by Awam Dost's Saeed Ghani throughout the session's proceeding remained chanting slogans of 'loot mar bund karo' (stop looting), 'jali bhurtyan bund karo' (stop fake recruitment's) and 'UC funds bahal karo' (restore UC funds) with a Masood Mehmood led treasury continuously thumbing the desk.
Soon after the pandemonium-hit session, which twice faced brief adjournments, was resumed, Ghani lashed out at the treasury for making the house a "Rubber Stamp" by allowing fresh recruitment's in Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) through passing an unwanted resolution on February 4, 2008. Ghani backed by Sheikh Mehboob-ur-Rehman said the KWSB had decided the fate of new employees long before the resolution was brought in the Council for clearance.
Ghani also voiced concern over some irregularities in the promotions recently made in the KWSB. He said a photographer of BPS-2 Grade was illegally, unnecessarily and illogically promoted to BPS-16. The resolution on "merit" based recruitment's was okayed to continue the tradition of development in the water-thirsty metropolis and for which the KWSB had invested Rs 27 billion, Masood responded to Ghani amid repeated interruptions by the opposition and treasury shouting slogans against each other.
Ghani stressed upon a merit-based criterion for employments when Masood asked him if the opposition was opposed to the creation of more employment opportunities for unemployed citizens of Karachi. The convenor, who appeared completely helpless in controlling the house throughout the session, saw red and was outright in saying "this topic is closed" when a heated debate brought members from the two sides on their feet.
Another heating debate surfaced when Ramzan Awan raised the burning issue of unpaid union council (UC) funds amounting to Rs 9.6 million as soon as the session came to resumption after a 30-minute suspension. The convenor conceded to his point and said the non-payment was due to lack of funds and the city nazim had assured her on payment of the outstanding amount soon.
Abdul Jalil sparked an outcry from the opposition when he said some irregularities and under status projects were being undertaken in different UCs and demanded for a committee to probe into the matter. The convenor was quick in accepting his demand on formation of a committee.
The resolutions passed include name-change of some of the posts in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, increase in fares of ambulances in the city government's hospitals. The council also allowed the city nazim and city government to sign agreements with the foreign firms to complete the long awaited Solid Waste Management project.
A resolution on introduction of community policing in the city to regulate the poor and unregulated traffic system was also passed after a heated debate and consequent walkout of the opposition.
Earlier, 'fateha' was also offered for the victims of suicide bombings throughout the country particularly those died in Tuesday's suicide attack on a Navy War College. The convenor adjourned the session till March 6, 2008 at 3:30 pm with a vow to debate the issue of inflation in the city.
Comments
Comments are closed.