PA resolution asks federal govt to make law to promote foreign investment in Sindh

Amid protest by opposition legislators, the Sindh Assembly on Friday hurriedly adopted two resolutions on the issue of the Reko Diq mining project.

The opposition members resorted to protest because they were not given copies of the resolutions when the House considered and passed them through a majority vote. Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla tabled the resolutions in the House. He asked the protesting opposition lawmakers to let him read out the resolutions in the House telling them that later they would be provided with their copies.

Earlier, the parliamentary affairs minister moved a motion to suspend the regular agenda of the session to move the resolutions on the Reko Diq issue in the House out of turn. The opposition protested against the move of suspending the regular agenda for the day’s proceedings but the House passed the motion through a majority vote.

The relevant parliamentary sources said the adoption of the resolutions was aimed at protecting the interests of Sindh in the recent accord between the Reko Diq mining company and federal government.

The resolutions called upon the federal government to adopt necessary legislation through Parliament for the promotion and encouragement of international investment in Sindh with due concessions and privileges. The resolutions also called for the protection of the rights of the labourers and workers in this regard.

Later, Sindh Labour and Human Resources Minister Saeed Ghani raised the issue of de-seating Pakistan Peoples Party leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro as a member of the Senate because of the ruling of the apex judiciary.

Ghani said the courts should avoid giving such judgments which end up penalising innocent lawmakers without any fault of theirs, as in the latest instance for Khuhro. He said the apex judiciary’s ruling to end the disqualification of PTI leader Faisal Vawda while directing him to resign as a senator had unduly penalised Khuhro by withdrawing his status as a member of the Senate. Later, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani adjourned the session till Monday, December 12.