Provincial legislators of ruling coalition, Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Thursday staged a protest walkout against the continued unrest in the city during the Sindh Assembly session, while a lady lawmaker of Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F) asked the government to present its report on poor law and order in the house. With Speaker Nisar Khuhro in the chair, the house began its budget session with passing two laws:
The Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (Amendment) Bill 2012 and the Habib University Bill 2012 unanimously. The house echoed with hue and cry by the lawmakers of ruling coalition parties over the unabated city's unrest, as MQM held a protest walkout from the assembly hall to accentuate their concerns. But, Pakistan People's Party's (PPP), Muhammad Rafiq Engineer gave a different voice to the issue of target killings, saying Baloch and Sindhis were being the prime victims of the unrest. However, he showed regrets over the killings of Urdu speaking citizens.
He said Sindhis and Baloch were being exterminated on the basis of their ethnicities and origins, adding that the government was deeply concerned over the killings of innocent citizens irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds. Sindh Auqaf Minister of MQM, Haseeb Khan said the city had been left at the mercy of terrorists, adding that since June 1, this year about 10 activists till date while from January this year some 100 workers of his party fell victims to the menace of target killing.
On which Rafiq said in the ethnic violent clashes, members of other communities have also been killed. MQM's Tahir Qureshi said entire country was undergoing unrest including Karachi, adding that the metropolis was being destabilised through a planned conspiracy.
He said between 10 and 12 people are killed on average basis daily in the city while extortionists are openly handing ransom chits to traders, whom are facing threats to their lives as well. Traders are not being allowed to carry out their businesses, he said, adding that some 20 businessmen have so far been abducted for ransom while the country's largest auto spareparts markets is shut because of violence fears.
Criticising the government, he said those departments receiving million of rupees from national treasury have failed to stem violence in the city and clamp down on terrorists. Casting doubts, Tahir Qureshi said the terrorists were being supported by the hidden hands in the violence. He vowed his party would restore peace in the city. He demanded of the government to arrest the terrorists.
The deputy parliamentary leader of MQM, Faisal Sabzwari said his party lawmakers are staging a protest walkout to invite the government's attention towards the killings, as all members went out of the hall. Sindh Fisheries Minister of PPP, Zahid Bhurgari and the senior lawmaker, Anwar Khan Maher went out of the assembly to convince the protesting MQM legislators to return to the session. The MQM members came back to the house after 30 minutes.
The PML-F lawmaker, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi asked the government to present its report on continued unrest in the city and police operation in Lyari in the house. She said if Chief Minister Sindh is holding the office of Home Minister, then he should come to the house and present the government's report on the law and orders issues to dispel the lawmakers' reservations.
Showing concerns, she said the poor law and order has gripped the city now for several years and innocent people are being targeted to killing on a daily basis. Slamming the government's police action in Lyari, she said the city's oldest area had remained besieged for a week and law enforcers conducted a clampdown operation there but no results of the whole exercise have so far been made public nor discussed in the assembly.
No police actions have been seen in other localities of the city to clamp down on anti-social forces, despite the Chief Minister Sindh had made a public announcement to carry out such operations soon after the government ended its Lyari venture, she said.The house unanimously approved two bills into law:
The Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (Amendment) Bill 2012 and the Habib University Bill 2012. Besides, the lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution about the fresh authorisation for legislation on plant breeders' rights. However some lawmakers showed concerns over the non-admission to students of rural Sindh in Karachi University which created bitterness in the assembly environment. The Speaker latter adjourned the house till Friday morning.
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