KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Friday ended its constitutional term a day earlier, with the opposition legislators recalling the five-year span “suppressing” but the treasury extolled its rule as “serving” the people.
“The assembly is dissolving a day prior to completing its Constitutional term,” Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah told the house in his farewell address, saying that his party’s ruling mark is to serve people.
Opposition leader Rana Ansar showed concerns over the “unjust” distribution of resources from “Karachi to Kashmore”, displeasing people in the province. She also thanked the public for their electoral support.
Opposition lawmakers showed displeasure over the “suppressing” environment in the legislature and underdevelopment in their constituencies and elsewhere in the province.
However, treasury members expressed euphoria over its government tenure despite challenges like Covid-19 pandemic, floods and “conspiracies”. Murad said that he was sorry to the lawmakers for a day earlier dissolution of the legislature from its completion period, saying that his party has always served people as its trademark of governance, despite “conspiracies”.
He said that the assembly was not let to run its business, several members were arrested; bureaucracy was barred from its job while Speaker is still under arrest and attending the house to chair sessions from jail.
“Covid-19 pandemic was a big challenge but we overcame it better than all,” he claimed, saying that floods affected people with ravaging crops on about three million acres of field.
He lauded his party’s chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and ministers for making efforts to drain out acculturated floodwater, as a result the province produced a record wheat crop. On merit, he said, the PPP government appointed teachers in its tenure. Despite, water shortages, he told the assembly that the province’s agriculture produce is growing. Some 110 dams, he said his government has built. The province is generating 3, 240 megawatts of electricity with first energy plant in Thar coal field was opened February 2019. “People’s economy has improved,” he claimed.
He enumerated his government’s uplift projects in Karachi, including developing Shahra-e-Faisal into three lanes, constructing Shaheed-e-Millat underpass, two bridges in Korangi, besides opening the Peoples and Pink Bus Services. He criticized those who attained a stay-order from the court against the government’s plan to provide the public with jobs. He expressed displeasure over the bar on jobs provisions and questioned “hostility” towards the public.
He also appreciated Speaker Aga Siraj Khan Durrani for his services to the legislature during the entire term. He said that the Sindh Assembly carried out a record legislation over the past five years.
About Haleem Adil Sheikh, a former opposition leader from the PTI, he said that he began “quarrel” with the treasury from the first day of the assembly. “I will also pray for him,” Murad said.
The Chief Minister Sindh also informed the house that a summary to dissolve the assembly is being sent on the eve of August 11 for the Sindh Governor’s signature to approve the process formally.
Rana Ansar said that the people are unpleased with the government’s policy on unjust distribution of resources. She questioned whether financial aid to affectees is a solution to their long-term sufferings.
She observed that people in Sindh failed to reap the benefits of 18th Constitutional Amendment, saying that there is still a chance for the political parties to cone together for a “charter of people”.
Unemployment is fast growing along with street crimes, she said. She added that there should be efforts to produce better jobs for the public. She said that Sindh is faced with “numerous” problems since many kids are out of schools because of poverty.
She appreciated Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho for her services to the medical sector of the province, saying that “whatever work she did in the public interest is commendable”.
She said that another democratic term in the assembly has ended and appreciated the female legislators for their active role in the lawmaking process throughout the term.
MMA’s Syed Abdul Rasheed thanked the people of Lyari for electing him to the assembly, saying that he represented the public under the oath as possibly as he could do. He called himself “voice” of Lyari.
He appreciated Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Sindh Local Government Minister, Syed Nasir Hussain for their help. He said that he has no vendetta against anyone.
He claimed that he earned Rs9.4 million from the assembly salaries and spent the money on the development of Lyari’s people in the last five years.
MQM’s parliamentary leader Ali Khurshidi said that the opposition voice was suppressed in the assembly with no permission for them to speak out on adjournment motions.
He said that the MQM’s legislators were beaten up in front of the CM Sindh House during a protest. Under the present administration and bureaucracy, he said that a fair and transparent election is “impossible”.
TLP’s Mufti Qasim Fakhri said that he did not saw a democratic trait over his five years in the assembly, adding that the PPP government never did uplift work in the opposition constituencies.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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