Sindh Assembly condemns attack on home minister’s residence

The Sindh Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution to condemn the recent arson attack on the house of Sindh Home and Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar in Moro during the troubled situation in the town following a protest rally by a Sindhi nationalist party.

Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani tabled the resolution. Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah and concerned legislators stood from their seats at the time of the passage of the resolution to show solidarity with the home minister.

Speaking on his resolution, Ghani said there was no valid cause to resort to violent protests in the province when the controversial issue of canals had already been amicably resolved as per a decision taken by the Council of Common Interests.

He told the House that no law or constitution in the world allowed the protesters to block the roads and set property on fire. He informed the House that the miscreants who torched the home minister's residence also occupied the building for several hours and held the domestic servants hostage.

He said exemplary punishment should be handed down to the miscreants involved in the attack on the home minister's residence as they had committed an act of terrorism. The leader of the opposition in the House, Ali Khursheedi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), also condemned the attack on Lanjar’s house. He said a targeted attack on the home minister's residence in his native town was an unusual incident. He urged the government to properly probe the incident to disclose the persons involved in violence so that they could be duly punished as per the law.

Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah voiced his suspicion about the involvement of foreign elements in such attacks of violence and terrorism. He said no protest drive in any part of the world had targeted the houses of political opponents.

He said political differences should not take the form of personal enmity. Jamaat-e-Islami legislator Muhammad Farooq also supported the resolution and urged the government to improve the law and order in the province.

The House also unanimously passed another resolution to condemn the deadly terror attack on a school bus in Khuzdar. Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Sadia Javed moved the resolution.

Question hour

Meanwhile, the Sindh local government minister informed the House that a large-scale operation against illegal constructions was being carried out across the province, including Karachi. From March 2024 till April 2025, more than 2,200 unauthorised structures were demolished, Ghani said as he responded to written and supplementary questions related to his department during the question hour of the session.

He stated that disciplinary action had been taken against several officials during this period. A total of 46 officers received show-cause notices, 28 were suspended, 32 officially reported, 41 issued warnings, and 52 penalised after formal inquiries, he said and stressed that the crackdown was not limited to the departmental staff as FIRs had also been registered against builders involved in illegal constructions.

He explained that the Sindh local government department was planning to introduce amendments to relevant laws to address illegal constructions more effectively. Consultations with stakeholders were taking place to formulate new legislative measures, he said.

Ghani, however, stated that despite the extensive operations, he was unsatisfied with the pace and scope of action, especially in Karachi. He emphasised the need for stricter legislation through amendments to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) Act.

The local government minister urged the citizens to verify the legal status and SBCA approval of any apartment or flat before purchasing it to avoid future legal complications or loss.

He mentioned plans to involve third-party contractors to assist in demolishing illegal buildings, especially where the SBCA lacked capacity. If these third parties failed to act on complaints, they too would face penalties, he explained.