Sindh Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution unanimously asking NADRA to reverse decision on 100 percent increase in identity cards fee as the provincial legislature apprehended the move may reduce voters' participation in next general election. Heer Ismail Soho, the woman MPA who defected from MQM to the ruling PPP, tabled the resolution on private members' day.
"This House resolves and recommends to the Government of Sindh to approach Federal Government to withdraw recent increase in charges for CNIC registration by NADRA," states the resolution. It further said that exorbitant charges related to NADRA registration would make difficult for citizens to have CNIC and to vote. Therefore, it urged that to make it sure that voting is accessible to everyone, free CNICs should be issued and number of Mobile Registration Vans (MRVs) should be increased. It said all these initiatives, would definitely increase the representation of citizens in upcoming elections.
Earlier, Sindh Information and Transport Minister, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, told the house during question-answer session that no transporter is ready to run new buses in the metropolis. "We are trying to ply new buses as we have taken responsibility of their insurances," he said, adding that "despite the big offer and facilities no transporter is willing to invest in this sector".
He said transport business in not lucrative, but government would allocate at least 600 buses for Karachi under intercity communication system. He said intercity transport service would begin soon. Shah said government would also run pink-bus service exclusively for women commuters in the metropolis. He said infrastructure of green line bus service would take more time to complete; hence, commuting system cannot start anytime soon. To a question, he said, 10 buses in the public sector transport system on a route are just beginning and the number of vehicles would grow with the passage of time. He said it is first drop of rain as more buses would be introduced.
"There are 110 different commuting routes for buses in the city," he said, adding that government has selected just 30 of them on a priority basis.
The house again witnessed tumult when the treasury voted against an adjournment motion of PTI's legislator, Khurrum Sher Zaman Khan, on water issue. The entire opposition joined the PTI in protest against the government.
Irum Azeem Farouqi, who defected from MQM to the PSP, submitted a resolution in the assembly secretariat asking the speaker to form a committee of the house to probe the alleged data theft by Careem-taxi service. The house was adjourned till 3 pm on Friday.