On the Sindh chief minister’s recommendation, a bill seeking the withdrawal of the governor’s power to appoint the CM’s advisers was presented in the provincial assembly on Thursday.
If the Sindh Advisers (Appointments, Powers, Functions, Salaries, Allowances & Privileges) (Amendment) Bill 2019 is passed and approved, the province’s chief executive would be fully empowered to appoint his own aides.
The bill was moved in the legislature by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla. The proposed law was then referred to the PA’s Standing Committee on Law & Parliamentary Affairs for consideration. The bill would be presented in the House within two weeks after being reviewed.
The proposed law makes it binding that Sindh’s CM will not appoint more than five of his advisers in accordance with Clause 11 of Article 130 of the Constitution.
After the bill was presented in the House, opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi wished to give his opinion on the proposed law but PA Speaker Agha Siraj Khan Durrani did not allow him the opportunity because the bill had already been referred to the standing committee.
Rabies vaccines
Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho informed the House that at least 14,138 doses of rabies vaccine are present in the province to treat dog-bite cases.
The minister was responding to a calling-attention notice of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan legislator Shahana Ashar on the issue of widespread cases of dog-bites across the province.
Dr Azra informed the PA that Larkana’s six-year-old Hasnain, who had been attacked by a pack of stray dogs three weeks ago, was being provided the best treatment at the National Institute of Child Health by a panel of competent doctors.
She said the local government department has sprung into action to tackle the menace of stray dogs in the province, adding that the officials’ campaign includes sterilisation of the canines as well as their vaccination against rabies. The minister claimed that most of the deaths in Sindh’s dog-bite cases had occurred due to the delay in the shifting of such patients to the nearest hospital.