KARACHI - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) legislator Kamran Akhtar speaking at the floor of Sindh Assembly on Friday emphatically demanded creation of Mohajir province which he said will eliminate all discrimination against them.
He made this demand 24-hour after the Sindhi nationalists’ parties had observed a one-day strike to condemn division of the province.
Speaking on a call attention notice, the MQM MPA alleged that merit was not the criteria during the examination conducted for Sindh Public Service Commission, adding that at least 8,000 students were dropped out as a result of the Centralised Admission Policy. He claimed that he was representing the people's call for a separate province for the Urdu-speaking population of Sindh.
"The Urdu-speaking people of Sindh are subjected to discrimination; therefore we demand a separate province for them," the MPA emphasised.
He said the atrocity being meted out to the Mohajir people is the continuity of conspiracies being hatched against them, adding that sense of deprivation among Mohajirs is growing day by day.
Akhtar called for an end to ‘Quota System’ and demanded the government to present list of successful candidates of Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC). Retorting the MQM lawmaker, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that message of the PPP is clear,” Marsoon Marsoon Sindh Na Desoon” (We will die but won’t let Sindh go). He said the controversial issues should not be brought to the house for political aims. “Do not vitiate the atmosphere, as the division of Sindh is out of question, he added.
Replying to the issue raised by the MQM member about quota system, Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Sikandar Mahendaro said that the quota system is being implemented in letter and spirit. He said the government jobs of grade 17 and grade 16 were given in accordance with the 60: 40 ratio. He said grade-16 jobs for 64 section officers were given with ratio of 39: 25. Similarly, 60:40 ratio was applied in grade-17.
Engineer Sabir Hussain Kaimkhani through a call attention notice asked the home minister that which steps have been taken to stop the influence of displaced persons coming from tribal areas and the construction of illegal religious seminaries in the province.
The minister said, “We had learnt a lesson from past and now the migrants from tribal are being registered.” He said a small number of the displaced persons of Zarb-Azb operation are coming to Karachi and they would be sent back after the operation concluded. As far as the issue of religious seminaries is concerned, the Sindh government is looking into the matter.
MQM MPA Muhammad Rashid Khilji through a call attention notice raised the issue of hike in street crimes in Hyderabad and asked the minister concerned to take notice of the issues.
Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Dr. Sikandar Mahendaro tabled The Sindh Special Development Board Bill No32 of 2014, a bill to provide for establishment of a board to be known as the Sindh Development Board.
Stating objectives of the bill, he said in order to facilitate and undertake low cost housing scheme, rehabilitation of slum areas, gothabad schemes, multi-stories and high-rise buildings in the province of Sindh, it is expedient to enact the Special Development Board and a law in the matter. The bill was adopted unanimously when the chair put it into the House. The Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Affairs tabled the Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2014.
Speaking on the bill, the minister argued that in order to give the status of civil servants in Sindh to the regular employees of devolved entities of the federal government who were transferred on deputation basis in the wake of Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act 2010 (Act No X of 2010), it is expedient to amend the Sindh Civil Servants Act, 1973. The House also approved the bill unanimously. The Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Affairs presented the Sindh Injured Persons (Medical Aid) Bill, 2014, a bill to make provisions for medical aid and treatment of injured persons, in the house. Speaking on the bill, he said in view of the Eighteenth Amendment in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, the subject ‘health” is devolved to the provinces. In order to make provision for medical aid and treatment of inured persons to save their lives and protect their health during emergency, it is expedient to enact a law. The chair put the bill into the House which carried it unanimously.
The minister introduced the Sindh Employees Old-Age Benefit Bill, 20-14, a bill to repeal and re-enact the law relating to old-age benefits for the persons employed in industrial commercial and other organisations in the province of Sindh, in the House. Government Bill No-13 of 2014- The Sindh Consumer Protection Bill 2014, to provide and protect the rights and interests of consumers in the province of Sindh, was referred to the house committee. The House approved unanimously the resolution tabled by PPP member Khairunisa Mughal and her other colleagues that stated,” The Assembly pays tribute to Mohtarma Nusrat Bhutto Sahiba on her third death anniversary. She made sacrifices, which are unforgettable, for the restoration of democracy in the country”.       
The House unanimously passed a resolution moved by PML-F member Nusrat Sehar Abbasi and others, which states,” The Assembly resolves that the provincial government should take steps to fill the vacant seats of doctors, which are approximately 187, in Tharparkar as early as possible to provide basic health facilities to the people of the district.” PPP member Dr. Sikandar presented a resolution, which says, “This Assembly resolves to show the importance and our commitment on The World Polio Day which is being observed around the world and provided an opportunity to join the polio eradication community to renew our promises of Polio-free world.” The resolution was passed unanimously.
When Syed Khalid Ahmed of the MQM requested the chair for allotment of seats on the Opposition benches, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani said that he will look into their application on Monday.
The House which was set in motion by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani at around 12 pm with delay of two hours beyond the scheduled time also carried question hour regarding public health engineering department and was adjourned till Monday morning after completion of agenda.