KARACHI - The Sindh Assembly on Friday passed a resolution against the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) sit-ins in Islamabad.
PML-N female legislator Sorath Thebo moved the resolution.
The resolution says, “This representative House of the people of Sindh expresses its deep concern over the situation emerging in the federal capital, caused by the sit-ins. It terms their illegal and unconstitutional demands as conspiracy against democracy, constitution and the people of Pakistan. This House also condemns the unparliamentary language used by the PTI and the PAT leadership against the national leadership of the country. Being a custodian and safeguard of democracy and constitution, this House fully support and will stand by the democracy and the rule of law at any cost.”
Speaking in favour of her resolution, Thebo appreciated the democratic forces which came to the fore in support of democracy and Pakistan.
She said the so-called revolutionaries had made the life of the people miserable for the last five weeks and also caused huge loss to the national economy.
Though Pakistan People’s Party and MQM members supported the resolution but they said certain demands of the protesters were legitimate. Their demands of registration of FIR of the gory incident of Model Town, electoral reforms and audit in rigging in general elections are legitimate but the removal of elected prime minister through sit-ins was unconstitutional, they observed.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said elections were massively rigged but his party accepted the results in the interest of democracy. He said his party was supporting the electoral reforms but the elected prime minister cannot be removed through sit-ins.
MQM legislator Khawaja Izharul Hassan said his party supported the PAT demand for registration of FIR of Model Town incident, adding it was due to the efforts of MQM chief that the sit-ins in Islamabad remained peaceful. All demands of the protesters could not be termed as illegitimate but his party will not allow derailment of democracy, he added.
Taimur Talpur of PPP said credit must goes to co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for uniting the democratic forces on one platform to safeguard democracy. He criticised the PTI chief for showing immature attitude. He said the elected government could not be removed through sit-ins of 5,000 people. He said the PPP could arrange a sit-in of five million people but it was against the democratic norms.
PML-F member Imtiaz Sheikh, PPP members Dr Sikandar Shoro, Rubina Kaimkhani and Sharmila Farooqi also spoke. The chair put the resolution in the House which passed it.
Earlier, Sindh Local Government and Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said the local bodies’ elections in the province could not be held unless the intricacies created by the courts’ decisions were addressed.
He was responding to the call attention notice of MQM member Kamran Akhtar who drew attention of the LG minister towards the deteriorating infrastructure of Karachi and heaps of garbage. He said public was deprived of the basic facilities so the government should announce holding of the local bodies’ elections immediately.
Memon agreed with the concerns of MQM member, saying not only Karachi and Hyderabad but the whole province was facing problem of cleanliness. He said thousands of sweepers were drawing salaries from the government exchequer but did not perform their duties. He said government had given one week ultimatum to these ghost employees to resume their duties otherwise their services will be terminated.
Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro introduced the Sindh Workers Welfare Fund Bill 2014.
The House which was called in order by Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza also carried question and answer session of the sports department. After completion of agenda, the chair readout the prorogation orders of the Sindh governor.