Movement deputy parliamentary leader Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan told the House that the party’s lawmakers, representatives and office-bearers had completed their arrangements to participate in the campaign.
Hepatitis vaccines
Health minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar urged the lawmakers to appeal to the chief justice of the Sindh High Court to give an early judgement in the case of the government’s procurement of hepatitis vaccines.
The minister said hepatitis vaccines being procured from local pharmaceutical companies were proving to be ineffective in countering the disease. He added that the government had formed a committee comprising senior health and medical experts that had recommended purchasing the vaccines from international companies that were slightly expensive but much more effective.
The minister said local drug companies had moved the high court against the government’s procurement decision and obtained a stay order in their favour.
Dahar was responding to a point of order raised by MQM MPA Heer Ismail Soho who had complained in the House about the shortage of hepatitis vaccines in the province.
Public transport vehicles
Speaker Agha Siraj Khan Durrani suggested that the use of CNG cylinders in public transport vehicles should be banned because of frequent accidents.
The speaker gave his suggestion after MQM’s Saifuddin Khalid raised a point of order about an explosion in a passenger van near Nooriabad on the Super Highway on Sunday night.
Local govt bill deferred
After consultation with the parliamentary leaders of opposition parties, parliamentary affairs minister Dr Mandhro sought the chair’s permission to defer consideration on the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2015 till Tuesday (today).
Earlier, Mandhro informed the House that the bill had been introduced in the assembly in light of the recommendations and directives of the Supreme Court to amend the original 2013 local government law so that the Election Commission of Pakistan could hold the polls in the province at the earliest.
MQM parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmed and Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan sought time from the chair so that the party’s lawmakers could suggest amendments in the new law.
Later, the parliamentary affairs minister also introduced the Sindh Insurance of Public Property Bill, 2015 under a supplementary agenda for the day’s sitting as its draft would be considered by the lawmakers on Tuesday.