The Sindh Assembly on Monday unanimously passed three resolutions, condemning terrorist attacks against the Hazara community in Balochistan, the martyrdom of 14 security officials on Makran Coastal Highway and the death of Nashwa who was paralysed due to negligence of the paramedical staff of a private hospital.
The lawmakers feared that continued attacks on the Hazara community as well as other law and order issues in Balochistan will affect foreign investment in Gwadar and in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. They claimed that the National Action Plan (NAP) against extremism and terrorism is not being followed in its true spirit.
Tabling a resolution to condemn attacks on the Hazara community in Quetta, the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Nadir Magsi said a disturbed Balochistan will also affect the entire country with falling investments in the province. He said violence against the Hazara community is sad and condemnable.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Rana Ansar demanded that a committee be set up to stem violence against the ethnic minority, while Javed Hanif termed it intolerance in society. The PPP’s Shehla Raza demanded NAP’s implementation.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Dr Seema Zia and the PPP’s Sardar Chandio tabled a resolution on the Makran Coastal Highway tragedy that left at least 14 people dead at the hands of terrorists.
Chandio said the nation is united under Pakistan’s flag and undeterred by such attacks. He said terror is being spread in the name of the Baloch people. Hanif said the terrorists used the neighbouring countries’ soil to infiltrate Pakistan and carry out the attacks.
Dr Seema and the PPP’s Ghazala Sial tabled a resolution to condemn the fact that nine-month-old Nashwa died at a private hospital due to the negligence of doctors. The House demanded an inquiry into the incident and proposed stern action against those found guilty. The provincial assembly also condemned the Easter Day blasts in Sri Lanka. The House unanimously adopted all the condemnation resolutions.
Pre-budget debate
The PA also opened a pre-budget debate with the PPP’s Sohrab Sarki lauding his party’s government for carrying out several development schemes, saying that a clean Karachi can now be compared with Islamabad. He said the PPP government has greatly served the people in Sindh.
Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah ruled out the chances of a presidential system of government in the country, saying that the issue was also debated previously but yielded no results.
Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh said Jacobabad has better medical care with round-the-clock availability of services and doctors, adding that “there is no reality in the claim that people there are deprived of health care facilities”.
The PTI’s Sidra Iqbal raised the issue of shortage of facilities in the Matli College Badin. Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah acknowledged that the college lacks basic facilities because the government cannot provide the students with all that is required in an academic institute.
Earlier, while replying to different questions during the question-answer session, the CM said that a useless debate is under way in the country regarding switching to the presidential form of government in the country, adding that these debates will do no good for the country and democracy.