Sindh government has no intention of reducing arms licence fees or issuing licences indiscriminately.
Sindh Finance Minister, while replying to supplementary question on behalf of the chief minister who holds charge of the home department, said there would be no reduction in arms licence fees and at the same time only a limited number of licences would be issued, where necessary.
The assembly session began about two hours late. Speaker Muzaffar Hussain Shah was in the chair.
In his written reply to a question from Humera Alwani the Sindh Chief Minister, Dr Ghulam Rahim, said that there was no proposal under consideration of the government to reduce arms licence fee.
In response to another question from Nasreen Chandio, the chief minister in his written reply said that there is a separate jail for women in Karachi, which had, on average, 290 prisoners in 2003.
He said that there was no provision for keeping women prisoners in Landhi Jail.
He said that there was no fixed number of vehicles for the transportation of women prisoners from the jail to courts and back.
He said that last year vehicles were purchased for jails. In the next year's budget allocation has been made for 100 more vehicles for jails in Sindh. A major portion of the vehicles purchased would be given to Karachi jails. A few would be exclusively for women prisoners.
In response to a question from Nuzhat Pathan, the chief minister in his written reply said that 243 married women, 11 unmarried and 55 widows were in different jails in Sindh. Out of 243 women prisoners, 203 are in Karachi Women Jail, 21 in women jail Hyderabad and 19 in women jail in Larkana.
He said that there are nine unmarried women in women jail Karachi, and two in women jail Hyderabad. Among 55 widows, 27 are in women jail Karachi, 21 in Hyderabad and seven in Larkana. There are 41 women confined with their children in these jails.
To another question from Humera Alwani, the chief minister said that during the financial year 1999, an announcement was made to enhance allowance up to Rs 1000 to constables and head constables. In this regard Sindh Government had increased the pay and allowances with effect from July 1, 2002, by up to Rs 430 while the matter regarding increase in remaining amount of Rs 570 was referred to finance department.
Replying to a supplementary question Sardar Ahmed said that increasing the allowances further was under consideration.
He said that the government had increased the salaries and allowances last year and this year at 15 percent. Ahmed said that to increase it further to the level of the announced relief, payment of difference at the rate of Rs 570, the government would need Rs 440 million.
He said that there was no resolution to bring at par salaries of constable and head constables with that of Punjab police department.