ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) said that the “biggest success” of the Wednesday’s joint sitting of the parliament was the passage of the bill for holding fresh census across the country.
MQM senior leader Faisal Sabzwari flanked by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem and Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, while talking to media outside the Parliament House said that they succeeded in achieving the first point of the written agreement signed with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI),- related to the correction of the census.
“This was made possible as a result of the MQM effort that Prime Minister Imran Khan took a courageous decision and announced to hold fresh census.
He further said that Rs5 billion has been allocated in the budget for 20221-22 for the new census.
Sabzwari said that best global technical practices would be adopted for fresh census and a committee has also been constituted.
He said that correct census is also important because the share from divisible pool of the National Finance Commission (NFC), job quota, admissions, resources, seats in the National Assembly and the provincial assembly are all based on population.
The citizens of Sindh especially, Karachi were disenfranchised in the way because half of their population was not counted, so their seats in the National Assembly and the provincial assembly were not granted.
“We think the day corrected census was conducted where technology is used and best global practices were adopted, this complaint of the citizens of Sindh, Karachi, and Hyderabad cities would be removed and they would get representation, and the system through which they were disenfranchised would be removed,” he added.
He further said that certainly there is bad governance, malpractices and bias, because rulers in Sindh are those, who lack sensitivity related to the citizens.
After the correct census all these results would be achieved, he added.
Maqbool Sidiqqui said that they have learnt how to live without offices. If they get offices returned, it would be giving respect to the government that an ally gets their right and if they do not get it, it does not matter as they have learnt to live without it.
In a separate chat with a private TV channel, PTI MNA Aamir Liaqat Hussain who had earlier tendered his resignation, stated that he was “brought” to attend the joint sitting of the parliament. “I didn’t come on my own will, but was brought [to the session] with great pomp,” he said in response to a question by a journalist.
When asked as to who had brought him, he said: “By those who used to do it”.
Although, Liaquat did not mention any, yet the statement was in a clear validation of the opposition’s alleged stance that the lawmakers were forced by the powers that be to ensure support for the passage of the government’s legislation from the joint sitting of the parliament.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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