PA calls for spending part of oil, gas royalty on districts producing them

The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution calling on the federal government to spend part of the oil and gas royalty and production bonus on the development and progress of the districts and talukas of the province having an abundance of natural and mineral resources.

The private resolution to this effect was moved in the House by opposition MPA of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) Nand Kumar Goklani. His resolution stated: “Sindh is the largest oil- and gas-producing province and its oil and gas fields are located in remote and underdeveloped areas.

“The communities which dwell in surroundings of oil and gas fields live in a primitive age. We demand that the Sindh government approach the federal government and its authorities to ensure that the oil- and gas-producing talukas and districts get a certain part from that royalty and that development work be carried out in those districts.”

Another private resolution was unanimously passed by the House calling on the Sindh government to declare a public holiday on March 20 every year to mark the “day of martyrdom” of Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi, also known as Soreh Badshah, a spiritual leader of the province’s Hur community.

The resolution was moved by opposition lawmaker of PML-F Waryam Faqir. Speaking on the resolution, the relevant legislators said Soreh Badshah was the true hero of the land of Sindh, as he had laid down his own life while actively struggling against British imperialism. They said the services and struggles of Soreh Badshah and his followers should be remembered every year through special programmes.

The House also passed a private resolution to promote the concept of “net-zero energy buildings” in major cities of the province for the cause of energy efficiency and climate protection in order to ensure economic growth of the country. The resolution was moved by opposition MPA Sabir Hussain Kaimkhani.

A resolution was unanimously moved to pay tribute to lawmaker of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Rubina Qaimkhani for her courageous and unprecedented act to vote in the Senate elections of March 3 despite the accidental death of her teenage son just the previous evening.

The resolution was moved by PPP MPA Saira Shahliani. Those who spoke on the resolution said Rubina taking part in the Senate elections despite her irreparable personal loss showed her firm and complete commitment to the process of the parliamentary system of governance and democracy.

Name of private university

Some lawmakers raised objections over the name of a private university in Karachi, as the Sindh Assembly passed a private bill to constitute the educational institution through majority vote. The private university, namely the Pakistan University, in Karachi will be established by Dr Nasim A Khan Education Foundation.

Parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the House Syed Sardar Ahmed said the name of the university should be changed because if the university were to get involved in an erroneous act, it would earn a bad name for the country.

Dr Seema Zia, opposition MPA of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said a private university had to act very cautiously if it were to be named Pakistan University.

The MQM’s legislator Dewan Chand Chawla said that if the university in question were to be involved in the issuance of fake academic degrees, then it would be reported everywhere that the Pakistan University was indulged in the business of fake degrees.

The PTI’s lawmaker Samar Ali Khan said that as a matter of principle, only public or government sector universities could be named after Pakistan. The opposition lawmakers moved amendments to the bill on the basis of their objections, but their recommendations were rejected through majority vote.

Earlier, the House prayed for the health and well-being of lawmaker of the opposition MQM Shazia Farooq, as the media widely reported that she allegedly attempted to take her own life due to severe depression for supposedly ditching her party in the Senate elections.  

Issue of polluted water

Lawmaker of the PTI Khurrum Sher Zaman said that billions of rupees had been spent by the Sindh government in the past decade, but up to 70 per cent of the people were still being supplied polluted and filthy water for drinking.

The opposition MPA was speaking during the question hour of the assembly’s session pertaining to the Public Health Engineering Department. He said the water commission appointed by the Supreme Court had pointed out the widespread and serious issue of polluted and toxic water being supplied to the people, exposing the provincial government’s performance.