Opposition questions government writ over bloody tribal feuds: 7-8 people die daily, Sindh Assembly told

Opposition in the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday questioned writ of the government in rural Sindh, where bloody tribal feuds are taking a heavy toll of human life, almost on daily basis. "Tribal feuds among Mehers, Jatois, Solangis, Kalhoros... are rampant and are killing seven to eight people almost daily," Nusrat Seher Abbasi of PML-F said on a point of order as the provincial assembly met here on Tuesday, which is private members' day.
Treasury members like Sharjeel Memon, Kulsoom Chandio and Bachal Laghari were on their feet when the PML-F lawmaker said she wondered if there was government's writ to curb the traditional menace. She also questioned the role of the government-backed 'Peace Committee' comprising, among others, Local Government Minister Siraj Durrani, in resolving the bloody feuds.
While others, including Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza, criticised Abbasi for delivering a speech on a point of order, Durrani dubbed her point as "important", saying that the committee was working well to eliminate the criminal elements, who had flourished over the years on the back of previous government.
Later, Abbasi told Business Recorder that Ghotki, Kashmor and Khairpur were the areas hit hard by the tribal clashes with heavily armed groups wandering on the roads thus challenging writ of the government. Fed up with present government's years-long repetitiveness with blaming the previous government, the PML-F leader said she had moved a resolution in the assembly.
She claimed that the time was ripe for the government's action against the criminals who seemed to have established "state within a state". On another point of order, Ali Ghulam Nizamani told the house that there was shortage of "bardana" (gunnysacks) in District Sanghar, where the growers were compelled to buy each 100 kg bag at Rs 35. He said so far only 30,000 bags were provided to the district whereas the demand was there for further 80,000 gunnysacks.
Minority MPA Saleem Khursheed Khokhar drew the attention of the house towards the government's lukewarm response towards the High Court's order for demolishing Mela Restaurant, illegally established on the amenity plot. Local Government Minister Durrani, vowing to do the needful, said the court decree was directed at the KBCA for examination of the 'disputed' site.
Bilqees Mukhtar of MQM voiced her concern over "an open violation" of government's order by public and private sector companies with regard to payment of minimum Rs 6,000 salary to the workers. The opposition members resisted when the chair called it a day after the question hour during which ministers for sports and fisheries Dr Muhammad Ali Shah and Zahid Bhurgari responded to various supplementary questions of the members.
The deputy speaker even did not bother to declare other agenda items of the day, which included introduction and consideration of four private bills, five resolutions and three motions, as deferred and prorogued the session. During Question Hour, Fisheries Minister Zahid Bhurgari told the house that the government was planning to develop a 400-house model village for fishermen in Thatta, Jamshoro, Badin and Karachi districts.