Deputy Speaker Sindh Assembly Shehla Raza on Monday overruled an opposition backed adjournment motion, demanding Sindh government "to make urgent arrangements to provide DAP (Dai Ammonium Phosphate), urea and other fertiliser to the farmers in sufficient quantities and at affordable prices".
The provincial legislature, during a 105-minute session, which started late by two hours at 11 am at the Assembly Building with Shehla Raza in the chair, also unanimously adopted a resolution calling for renaming of Ziaul Haq Colony in Gulshan Iqbal Town as "Shaheed Munawar Hussain Soharwardi" Colony.
The resolution, which was tabled by Kutchi Abadies Minister Rafique Engineer of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was passed after a brief debate with opposition member Arif Mustafa Jatoi demanding a copy of the document.
The adjournment motion, which was moved by Jatoi of National People's Party (NPP) under Rule 71 of the Rules of Procedure, said the prevailing "critical shortage and huge price inflation" of fertiliser were threatening the agrarian economy of Sindh, thus putting food security of the country at stake. Jatoi, backed by party member Masroor Ahmed Khan Jatoi, urged the legislators to hold a debate on the issue, the importance of which was well known to all members of the house.
Minister for Agriculture Ali Nawaz Shah, terming the debate a repetition and therefore contrary to the Rules of Procedure, requested the chair to overrule the motion. The minister said that he had already given his statement on the issue before the house during its August 22nd session.
Jatoi argued that his motion was not an anti-government statement and the members being representatives of the masses could at least come up with some useful suggestions to curb blackmarketeering of the essential commodity. The agriculture minister, rejecting the blackmarketeering charge, said district-level monitoring and distribution committees were already working in this regard and no fertiliser shortage was there in the province. He said the problem was arising only due to an improper distribution of fertilisers.
Referring to a newspaper report saying that currently Punjab was facing fertiliser shortage of 0.6 million tonnes, Jatoi said in such circumstances how could it be possible that Sindh province could escape a shortage.
Revenue Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said the opposition member should come up with a substantial motion or resolution in the next sitting if he was of the opinion that the house had not done enough to address the issue. Masroor Ahmed Khan Jatoi also urged the PPP dominated house to devise a proper policy to keep a check on the prices and blackmarketeering of the agricultural commodity.
Contradicting Jatoi's point on fertiliser shortage, the agriculture minister said if there was a shortage how black-marketing could take place. Information Minister Shazia Marri intervened and said arguments and counter-arguments from the two sides would be a mere wastage of time and the opposition member should follow the rules and bring a proper resolution.
On this the Deputy Speaker, declaring the motion as "out of order" overruled it and turned to the other schedule of electing standing and other committees. She, however, had to defer the business until next sitting to be held on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 9:30 am when Shoaib Bukhari of MQM drew attention of the house towards the absence of two senior members, Pir Mazharul Haque and Syed Sardar Ahmed.
QUESTION HOUR Sindh government would soon resume inspection of factories located in different industrial areas of the province and the labour department in this regard had already issued a notification. Labour Minister Amir Nawab of Awami National Party (ANP) said this while responding to a supplementary question during the question hour. He said the watchdog activity had been annulled by the previous government in 2000 but the present government would revive it.
To a query directed at Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who is also Planning and Development Minister and was not present in the house, Law Minister Ayaz Soomro said the house would approve developmental schemes worth Rs 10 million annually from all the members without any discrimination.
He also urged the opposition members to go to their respective constituencies and prepare developmental schemes as per the needs of the people instead of criticising the government. The law minister promised inquiry into the irregularities committed by the chairmen of Zakat and Ushr Committees during the previous government when Leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali questioned Minister of Zakat and Ushr Muhammad Sajid Jokhio on the appointment of committee chiefs during the caretaker set up.
Soomro said laws would be made flexible to provide maximum relief to the poor. Jokhio, however, clarified that Sindh Zakat Council, which is headed by a judge, had nominated the said committee chairmen. He said while no changes had been made in the 1980 laws, recommendations had been sent to the federal government for introducing the legislative reforms.
Earlier, the house offered Fateha for late PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, three relatives of ANP's MPA Waqar Ahmed and their five bodyguards who had fallen victim to rocket attacks in Swat. Marri, expressing her grief over the killing of the five women in Balochistan province and one Christian woman in Korangi area of Karachi as condemnable, demanded of the two provincial governments to look into the matter and bring the culprits to justice.