Sindh Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a bill to regularise all the contract and ad-hoc employees of provincial government departments amid rumpus and concerns by the opposition. Opposition leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the provincial assembly, Syed Sardar Ahmed, despite supporting the bill to regularise the contract and ad hoc based government employees, feared the law may provide a "blanket" cover to underserved workers.
The bill on the request of PPP lawmaker, Aga Siraj Khan Durrani was presented in the house out of turn as the treasury members began beating up desk and chanted "Jaey Bhutto" slogans. Ayaz Soomro tabled the (Regularisation of Ad hoc and Contract Employees) bill, 2013, but opposition particularly MQM insisted on its consideration should be deferred till Friday session. "We [opposition] have no objection to the regularisation of the contract employees," said Sardar Ahmed, adding that the adopted procedure aided at passing the bill is "illegal".
The bill will give a blanket cover to a number of employees, which is illegal, he said, claiming he could prove the regularisation of employees through bill is unjustified. He said the opposition is in favour of the bill whether it covers regularisation of agriculture, irrigation or any other departments but doubted at the procedures. He said the bill can be introduced by now as opposition has no objection to it but its consideration should be made on Friday. He said his party, PPP and everyone wanted to provide jobs to the people but the bill lacks category, number and other such things to legislation.
Ayaz Soomro said the treasury is open for accommodating any amendments after the bill is passed into law. He said the PPP government had pledged to the people of Sindh to provide them jobs and this bill will help contract employees get permanent. He said people lost jobs during General Musharraf's, Zia-ul-Haq's regime and Nawaz Sharif period of government in the past, adding that the PPP wanted to provide everyone with employment. Citing the Supreme Court of Pakistan's decision, he said the bill just covers contract and ad hoc based employees and not the daily wage labourers of Sindh government. He requested the house to vote the bill to pass it unanimously.
Speaker Sindh Assembly, Nisar Khuhro informed the house that the bill has been introduced and now its consideration is required to pass. Ayaz Soomro said the cabinet in its meeting had decided to pass it, adding that bill will cover employees of KMC, Local Government, Health, Law, Irrigation, Information and other departments. "None has been spared. All are Sindhis for us," he said, adding that whenever the opposition wants, it could bring amendments to the law. Aga Siraj Durrani said the bill is aimed to help the poor of the province find permanent jobs. Sindh Information Minister, Sharjeel Memon attributed the bill passage to the democratic government's political struggle against the dictatorship. He said in the past dictators deprived the people of their jobs.
After the bill passed into law, former Sindh Health Minister, Dr Sagheer Ahmed of MQM congratulated the ruling PPP government, opposition parties including National Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League Likeminded, PML-Functional and Awami National Party for their support to the law. He urged the government to consider the regularisation of daily wage and work charge labourers. He said the poor have supported the political parties to reach the corridor of powers and now it in return they should be provided with relief.
Ayaz Soomro, in reply to the Sagheer Ahmed proposition, said the government would like to consider the regularization of daily wage labourers but it depends on the financial strength of the provincial government. He said the contract and ad hoc employees were regularised on the advice of the Sindh Finance Department that the government can afford to have permanent employees. He said the government will look into the proposal.
Lady legislators of PML-F despite crying hard to find the Speaker attention to say their views on the bill but failed to attain recognition. They were, however, not allowed to utter their views till debate on law was wrapped up. The house also passed three other bills into law unanimously: The Sindh Compulsory Iodization of Salt Bill, 2013, The Sindh Civil Servants (second amendment) bill, 2013 and the Sindh Tenancy (amendment) bill 2013. The house will meet on Friday morning.
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