PA resolution pays homage to copter crash martyrs

The Sindh Assembly on Thursday paid homage to Pakistan Army personnel, including Commander XII Corps Lt-Gen Sarfraz Ali, who were martyred in a helicopter crash in Balochistan.

The house unanimously passed a resolution to express its deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives of six army officers and soldiers in the tragic crash that occurred in the Lasbela district on August 1.

The resolution was moved by Pakistan Peoples Party legislator Sharmila Farooqui, while it was supported by the lawmakers on both the treasury and opposition benches.

The mover of the resolution praised the untiring services of the armed forces in providing rescue and relief services for the flood-stricken families in Balochistan. She said the armed forces and their high command had remained at the forefront of the emergency services provided in the country after any event of natural calamity.

Farooqui mentioned that the entire nation had become aggrieved due to the martyrdom of the army personnel in the helicopter crash, and they stood with the bereaved families to share their grief.

She said the Pakistan Army’s officers had embraced martyrdom as they had been taking part in a relief operation for the people affected by floods in Balochistan. CM answers queries

Responding to queries from lawmakers in the question hour, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of finance, said the provincial government had launched the poverty alleviation drive in 2010, and the drive had been continuing successfully.

He said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari took keen interest in the poverty alleviation drive of his government. The CM told the house that the poverty alleviation initiative had been expanded in 2015 by including six districts in the programme. He said deserving women in the selected districts were being given financial assistance for income generation. He said the drive had to cover 54,415 women and it had been extended to 32,000 deserving females.

The CM informed the house that deserving women were also being given vocational training. He said over 20,000 houses had been built for the destitute people under the drive. He said the European Union had joined hands with the Sindh government to further this drive after it had seen success of the poverty alleviation programme.

The CM said that the EU itself had been monitoring the programme, and rural parts of Karachi had also been covered in the drive. He said the programme proved well the services of the PPP’s Sindh government for the poor people of the province.