The Parliamentary Affairs Minister says the issue has already been discussed and an inquiry committee has been set up.
Sindh Assembly Session. PHOTO: NNI/ARCHIVE
KARACHI:
The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday denied an opportunity to hold a debate on the tragic Gul Plaza fire incident after a motion moved by Jamaat-e-Islami MP Muhammad Farooq was rejected.
Despite the magnitude of the tragedy, the House refused to discuss it, with Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjhar arguing that the issue had already been taken up in the previous session and that a committee had been formed to investigate the matter. Farooq, however, demanded inclusion of opposition members in the committee.
Meanwhile, the House passed a resolution aimed at addressing the growing menace of thalassemia in Sindh. MQM MPA Najm Mirza moved the resolution calling for effective implementation of the Sindh Thalassemia Prevention and Control Act, 2013, which had been passed to address the rising number of cases in the province.
MPA Mirza highlighted that before 2013 there was no legislation to combat the disease and urged stricter enforcement of the law.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Anwar supported the motion, adding that the provincial government had already set up free thalassemia centers across the province. He assured the house that the government was committed to curbing the disease. The resolution was approved unanimously.
The House also debated a resolution moved by PPP’s Asif Musi Gillani, condemning the recent transporters’ strike that had badly affected Karachi and Port Qasim. The strike caused large-scale disruption and left containers stranded at ports.
However, Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon dismissed the resolution, saying he did not understand its purpose. He clarified that the transporters had been victims of violence, including the burning of their vehicles, which led to the strike and subsequent riots. Sharjeel urged Gillani to withdraw the motion and the PPP member agreed.
Another resolution, moved by PTI’s Muhammad Shabbir Qureshi, called for fresh auction of coal mine allocations in Sindh at new rates. However, this motion was rejected by the House, with Ziaul Anwar opposing it on the grounds that the current allocations could not be set aside without a proper process. Anwar suggested that Qureshi resubmit the resolution with more detailed documentation.
MPA Farooq also moved a resolution advocating for the extension of the BRT Red Line project from Numaish to the National Highway. Sharjeel responded positively and stated that if it were up to him, the project would be extended by another 150 kilometres. However, he noted that such decisions require the approval of the Economic Coordination Committee (CEC). With Sharjeel’s assurance, Farooq withdrew the resolution.
Seven MQM legislators also moved a privilege motion against Eastern District Deputy Commissioner Nasrullah Abbasi, accusing him of inappropriate conduct. Lanjhar assured the members that the matter would be addressed by summoning the DC to hear the complaints. After this, the members withdrew their motion.
The session was suspended until 2:30 p.m. on Friday.
