KARACHI - The Sindh Assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution to pay tribute to late nationalist leader GM Syed and peasant leader Fazil Rahu for their services.

It referred the Societies Registration (Sindh Amendment) Bill, 2015 to relevant standing committee. PML-N lawmaker Ismail Rahu tabled the resolution, which the house unanimously adopted as supplementary agenda.

Sindh Minister for Local Bodies Jam Khan Shoro, in response to a calling attention notice, said the government was fully aware of the difficulties facing the people of Karachi and was discharging its duties without any discrimination. PTI lawmaker Khurram Sher Zaman, in his calling attention notice, asked the minister for local government to explain to the House and the people of Karachi the reasons for the crumbling roads. “Is it due to poor construction?” he asked.

The minister said that under the non-ADP programme scheme the government had constructed Korangi Expressway and other adjacent roads. Under the ADP, work on University Road, Shafiq Morr and Hub Road was in progress. He said that encroachment of water hydrant had been removed. The chief minister himself visited a number of areas during rain and personally monitored the situation. He said the local government had released Rs500 million on an urgent basis to clean the rainwater channels in record time. It was trying its level best to provide better facilities to Karachiites.

Syed Amir Hyder Shah Sheerazi, lawmaker from Thatta, said in his calling attention notice that Dulha-Darya Khan Flyover between Thatta and Sujawal districts had been completed, but it had not been opened for traffic.  Minister for Works and Services Imdad Pitafi said the flyover would be opened for traffic soon.

The house, which was set in motion by Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza at 1121 hours against the scheduled time of 1000 hours, rejected an adjournment motion sponsored by PML-F lawmaker Nusrat Sehar Abbasi regarding dilapidated condition of Civil Hospital, Shikarpur after being opposed by the government.

Tabled by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, the House referred the Societies Registration (Sindh Amendment) Bill, 2015 to relevant standing committee. The committee would submit its reports within one week after thorough consideration.

Introducing the bill, Khuhro said that the matter was an important one and part of the National Action Plan (NAP). It may be mentioned here that the Societies Registration (Sindh Amendment) Bill was related to registration of religious schools. Seminaries were bound to get NOC from the home department and concerned deputy commissioners and Sindh Building Control Authority at the time of their registration.

The house, which was adjourned till Friday morning after completion of order of the day, carried the question hours regarding prison department.