500,000 illegal immigrants issued CNICs in Sindh: PML-F leader

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a private resolution against the continuous and unchecked issuance of computerized National Identity Cards to illegal foreign immigrants in Sindh.

The resolution was moved by Opposition legislator belonging to Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) Nusrat Seher Abbasi. The mover said the Nadra is acting against the citizenship of the country. She said the Afghan and Burmese nationals in the province are being issued CNICs without due verification of their citizenship status. She claimed that CNICs were issued to 500,000 illegal immigrants living in the province.

The PML-F MPA said these people are being issued the CNICs on unlawfully. She said the Afghan nationals living in Sindh were issued CNICs in large numbers and they have not just become registered voters but some of them have even become councilors and union council chairmen.

The Opposition MPA said in one such instance, a famous foreign militant commander killed in an anti-terror operation, was issued a CNIC, showing him being the resident of Sohrab Goth in Karachi. She asked the Sindh government to take up the issue with the federal government to stop the illegal immigrants.

The Leader of Opposition, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, belonging to MQM Pakistan raised the issue of the rape and the subsequent brutal murder of seven-year-old girl Rabia in Orangi Town. He demanded the government to arrest the culprits and award them exemplary punishment. He also condemned firing and violence against the people of Orangi Town who were protesting against the incident. He asked the government to take strict action against the police personnel who fired at the unarmed protesters.

The house also unanimously passed a private resolution against the unabated power load shedding in Karachi. It was moved by Opposition MPA of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Khurrum Sher Zaman. Speaking on his resolution, the Opposition MPA said it seems the ruling PPP government has become a business partner of the K-Electric management.

He said the government has failed to overcome load shedding in the city. Commenting on the resolution, the Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, said PPP was in the opposition when the Karachi's power utility was privatized, while the leader of PTI (Imran Khan) was Gen (retd) Musharraf's ally. Nisar Khuhro said the PPP had opposed the Musharraf government's move to privatize the then Karachi Electric Supply Corporation.

He said the PPP is fully aware of the miseries and sufferings of the people of Karachi owing to the power failures as on this issue its leaders had staged public agitation and sit-ins. Khuhro said the meetings of Council of Common Interests, the highest constitutional forum to raise such energy issues, were not convened regularly when the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was in power and the PPP had lodged its protest on this issue.

The house also passed a private resolution moved by Opposition lawmaker of Muttahida Quami Movement Qamar Abbas Rizvi urging the government to take action against tinted glasses in vehicles. Another private resolution moved by PPP MPA Saira Shahliani, was also unanimously passed, urged the provincial government to take action to include at least one university of the province among the top 50 universities of the world.

A private bill moved by Dr Seema Zia, Opposition MPA of PTI, was also unanimously passed, for providing four month maternal leave to office-going women in the province. She also moved another private bill, which was also passed, for establishing shelter homes for orphan and shelter-less children. Another private bill was also passed to regulate the beautician's services of skin laser treatment for women in the province.