Karachi
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmakers raised the issue of the increasing cases robberies and street crimes in Karachi during the Sindh Assembly proceedings on Tuesday in the wake of a robbery at party MPA Adnan Ahmed’s house the other day.
MQM’s Khawaja Izharul Hassan, the leader of the opposition in the House, said six or seven men had broken into MPA Adnan Ahmed’s house in Block 13-D of Gulshan-e-Iqbal. They manhandled his watchman, harassed his family and took away cash and jewellery from the house.
Hassan said if such an incident could occur at the residence of an MPA, then was no protection available to a common citizen.
He demanded that the government should furnish a report within three days as what measures had the law-enforcement agencies taken to arrest the culprits.
Responding to the issue, parliamentary affairs minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said the police would be ordered to probe into the incident. However, he added that the law and order situation in Karachi had significantly improved.
Later, Khuhro presented a report that stated that the robbery had taken occurred at the residence of the MQM MPA’s brother-in-law, Wajahat Hussain, and an FIR had been filed.
Bill rejected
The House with a majority vote rejected a motion to introduce a private bill jointly moved by three opposition lawmakers of the MQM.
MQM MPAs Syed Khalid Ahmed, Muhammad Moin Aamir Pirzada, and Muhammad Iftikhar Alam jointly moved private bill number 2 of 2016, the Sindh Building Control (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
The amendment private bill is aimed at restoring the status of the Karachi Building Control Authority and separating it from the Sindh Building Control Authority.
The amendment bill proposes that the powers conferred under section 21 (A), vide Sindh Building Control Ordinance Amendment of 1982 under which regulations were designed and called the Karachi Building Control Licensing Regulations, 1982 should also be restored with immediate effect.
The amendment bill proposes that the mayor of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation should also act as the chairperson of the Karachi Building Control Authority.
The bill is also aimed at devolving powers to elected representatives in the local government set-up in accordance with the Article 140-A of the Constitution.
The speaker moved the motion in the house seeking permission for introducing the proposed amendment bill, but it was rejected through a majority vote.
Later talking to reporters after the proceedings, opposition leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan said the Sindh government was unwilling to transfer and devolve due authority and powers as per the Constitution to the people’s elected representatives at the local government level in the urban areas of the province.
The Sindh Assembly unanimously adopted two private resolutions. One moved by Pakistan People’s Party MPA Saira Shahilani calling for giving first aid training at all schools and colleges of the province and the other moved by MQM MPA Syed Nadeem Razi for initiating security and community service measures at all schools, colleges, and universities.
The speaker adjourned the session till March 4 and announced that on Friday, the session would be held in the old historical hall of the assembly building for reviving its memories.