Sindh Assembly’s proceedings: Opposition assails rising crimes, incomplete uplift projects

KARACHI: Opposition lawmakers on Thursday rattled the Sindh Assembly with concerns over crimes by drugs addicts, incomplete uplift projects and non-compliance by the private schools on 10 percent free enrollment for poor students.

MQM's Mangla Sharma said private schools are not complying with the laws to enroll 10 percent poor students.

In a call attention notice, she blamed the private schools for their "arbitrary policy" when it comes to the enrollment and fee. Sardar Shah, Sindh Education Minister agreed that these complaints about the private schools are common.

The government has made it mandatory for the private schools at the time of registration to comply with its 10 percent free enrollment law. The government lacks financial resources to take all the burden alone, he said.

Students between the age of 6 and 16 will be given a free education, he cited the country's Constitution. He also stressed about Urdu and Sindhi languages are compulsory in the schools syllabus. "We are also developing an app," he added.

Syed Abdul Rasheed of the MMA asked the government about what holds back the development of Gorakh Hill and a completion of a chair lift project there. He quoted an audit report, saying that the authority has failed to achieve its goals.

Sardar Shah replied that the development and chair lift project could not take off because of an allocated land could not be transferred to the Gorakh Hill on the apex court's orders. He agreed the hill station with 25 Celsius temperature needs more development.

MQM's Rabia Khatoon in her call attention notice showed concerns over growing crimes by the drug addicts in the metropolis, saying that these abusers have now grown into a mafia, stealing car batteries and pipelines outside houses.

Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mukesh Kumar Chawla responded that the drug users do commit crimes but there are also rehabilitation centers where they are normalized to quit narcotics.

Lawmakers from either side of the house opened up with their feelings and observations about the treasury, the government and the Speaker during their time in the assembly over the past five years.

PPP's Sharmila Sahebah Faruqui lauded her party leadership and the Chief Minister Sindh for serving the province. She said that the CM Sindh had done a great job in difficult time of Covid-19 pandemic.

MQM's Ghulam Jilani gave Speaker Aga Siraj Khan Durrani a title of "Takur," complaining that the chair never permit him speak out on a point of order to raise issues. Opposition members are only allowed to speak in budget sessions, he said.

Not a single bill of the opposition was passed into law, he said and slammed the PPP for not developing Karachi despite a budget of Rs10,000 billion over the past 15 years.

MQM's Nasir Qureshi said that the Sindh government failed to build Benazir flyover in Hyderabad even in five years. The ministers should let the house know if the government executed any uplift work in his city, he asked.

MQM's Mangla Sharma admired her party for alleviating her from the lower social and political stature to the provincial legislature. "I dint have political family roots," she said.

She criticized the CM Sindh for not considering the opposition suggestions, saying that he always escaped from decentralization of powers to the grass roots level.

Shehryar Shar, a defective member of the PTI criticized his former party and admired his association with the ruling PPP. He lauded the PPP for the uplift work in his locality. The house now stands adjourned till Friday afternoon.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023