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Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Wednesday linked formation of a judicial commission to the PIA joint action committee's request to probe protesting employees' killings, besides asking the federal government to scrape its privation plan without any further loss of time. But the joint opposition blamed the federal and Sindh government for the violence, which the protesting PIA employees and newsmen suffered at the hands of rangers and police. The opposition asked the provincial and central governments to investigate the killings.
Speaking at a joint resolution, which the Sindh Assembly house passed unanimously to condemn violence against the PIA protesting employees and newsmen, he warned the PML-N's federal government that in Sindh government would join the protest if Islamabad failed to scrap its plan to privatise the national airline. He said that the Sindh government was ready to form a judicial commission to investigate the PIA employees killed the other day during a protest at the airport.
The chief minister exonerated the Sindh government from the deadly violence inflicted on the PIA's employees and newsmen, saying that the opposition's criticism was unjust. He said the joint action committee delegation had met him and never complained about anything against the Sindh government in relation to their protest. "They came to us and we assured them of solving their issues," he told the house.
Qaim shrugged off the violence blame and rather told the house that he had ordered the police to show restraint at the protest. He said that his government was supportive to the sit-in protest of the employees but had warned them not to enter the restricted area of airport like. Extolling his party - PPP - for supportive to the labour class of the country, he opposed the PIA privatisation.
"It is the first ever incident that shows that federal and provincial governments are alleging each other for the killings, although both are responsible and hence subject to investigation," opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hasan told the house and questioned why violence had hit only Karachi while PIA employees were protesting across the country.
He also slammed the Sindh government for not yet forming a judicial commission. "A provincial minister in the resolution is demanding for a judicial commission; rather he should have announced that a judicial commission has been formed," he maintained, saying that blaming 'politics' was a double game, which should end. Criticising both governments for taking credit of the Karachi operation, he said that they immediately shrugged off responsibility of killings and started a blame-game. "If it was a conspiracy then it is also the Sindh government's responsibility to investigate the killings and expose the conspirators," he said.
PML-N's woman lawmaker, Surath Thebo, indirectly blamed the past PPP government for destroying the PIA with overstaffing and corruption. PTI's Khurram Sher Zaman Khan blamed the Sindh government for use of force against the protesting employees by police. "Sindh police shot tear gas at the employees and carried out baton charge," he said.
MQM's Syed Sardar Ahmed asked the provincial government to form a judicial commission of serving judges to carry out investigation into each of its aspect to expose the perpetrators. He condemned the use of forces against PIA employees. He held the Sindh government responsible for maintaining law and order, saying that "it should not have happened".
Sindh Senior Education Minister, Nisar Khuhro, opposed the privatisation of national entities, saying that the move would yield nothing better for the labor class in the country. He said the PPP would leave no stone unturned to resist the privatisation of PIA, Pakistan Steels and other national institutions. He said that his party would support the employees' demand and their anti-privatisation drive.
Sindh Finance Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, again assured the house that his party's government would not spare police official from punishment if found involved in killings. He slammed Federal Information Minister, Pervaiz Rasheed, for his stiff toned threats to deprive the protesting employees of their jobs and send them to jail if they did not bow down to his government's orders.
Sindh Home Minister, Sohail Anwar Siyal, assured the house that he would investigate the killings of PIA employees and violence during the protest to unveil the perpetrators. He said he had asked the police chief to keep his personnel calm during the protest and avoid use of force. Deputy Speaker, Shehla Raza likened the airport violence to that of May 12, 2007, when public had come out to welcome then Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry and suffered the worst kind of violence that left at least 45 dead.
PML-F's Jam Madad Ali Khan blamed the PPP government for use of force against the PIA employees, saying that such action should not have occurred. He said that the police was responsible for the deadly violence. PML-F woman lawmaker, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi, accused the PPP government of killing PIA employees and carrying out destruction of PIA to succeed Indus Air.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2016

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