Despite opposition, City Council on Wednesday adopted a condemnation resolution by majority of votes forwarded by the treasury benches against the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation (KESC) for continued power breakdowns in the metropolis since last two weeks.
According to the adopted resolution, expressing concerns over the continued prolonged announced and unannounced electricity load shedding by the KESC has been causing serious problems for patients, public and students as it is effecting their preparation for exams, besides putting a negative impact on country's economy.
City Council through resolution has demanded an uninterrupted electricity supply to the consumers forthwith. Presiding over the council session, Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil resumed the adjourned session held at the city council hall, Naib Nazim Secretariat (Old KMC Building).
Treasury benches appeared filled with the members of ruling party to ensure a complete quorum to continue the session proceedings. Opposition members soon after the council session began started demanding of the convenor Nasreen Jalil to let their amended resolution table which was against the government policies pertaining to privatisation of KESC, however she turned down their demand.
She replied to the opposition that in line with the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO) 2001, council could not adopt or debate any condemnation resolution pertaining to provincial and federal governments' matters. The unconvinced opposition insisted on getting their presented resolution tabled for discussion.
Masood Mehmood, senior presiding officer from Haq Parast Panel said on a point of order that the other day, opposition members had deliberately made the required quorum incomplete to fail the resolution treasury benches had presented, in which they succeeded.
His views sparked the opposition resorted to chanting anti-treasury benches slogans, which was further intensified by the members of the treasury benches who did the same against the opposition standing on their seats.
Uproar continued in the council as both groups exchanged harsh words leaving the KESC loading shedding issue apart and were persistently accusing one another. It was observed that council was a complete political arena for them to carry out a campaign instead of resolving public problems.
Setting aside the continued uproar, Naib Nazim asked the councillors to adopt the tabled resolution by raising hands in its favour, which was overwhelmingly responded only by the members of the treasury benches. Amid the continued uproar by the opposition, Nasreen Jalil adjourned the council session till Monday, April 16.
Later, Saeed Ghani leader of the Awam Dost Panel in a press conference at the opposition chamber alleged the ruling party was not allowing them to discuss anything in the house, adding that its negative attitude was part of the deliberate policy to entangle the opposition during the session. "During last three days, ruling party's behaviour has been condemnable in the council," he maintained.