PM during his visit to Tharparkar in March 2019 announced Rs1b package for district but to no avail, laments
GDA leader
KARACHI - The pre-budget discussion in the Sindh Assembly-- aimed at lawmakers’ recommendations and proposals for the budget of fiscal year 2021-22-- was marred with political speeches, criticism, counter criticism and Pakistan People Party’s (PPP) electoral challenge to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Overjoyed with victory in NA-249 by-poll, the PPP lawmakers took a jibe at the PTI and termed the success a result of federal government’s “pathetic” performance. The PTI also hit back at PPP for “ruining” Sindh during last 13 years. Mumtaz Hussain Jakhrani of PPP threw electoral challenge towards PTI’s Jamal Siddiqui and asked him to resign from the seat and contest by-elections. “I am ready to resign from my seat but at the same time Jamaal Siddiqui should also resign,” Jakhrani told.
Initially, the PTI member accepted the PPP’s challenge but later said that his party would decide on the matter. “If I resign, I will get PTI’s ticket and win but Mumtaz Jakhrani would not be able to obtain PPP’s ticket. He (Mumtaz Jakhrani) would be replaced by another ‘Wadera’,” he added.
Earlier, Riaz Haider of PTI said that Karachi’s Central district was the most neglected by the provincial government, adding that just a few uplift works were carried out and that too were ‘eye wash’. He demanded that basic health units should be established at UC level.
PPP’s Hina Dastagir was of the view that Sindh was short of resources, saying that it was high time to work jointly for betterment of the province.
Rabia Khatoon of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) said that Karachi was economical hub and backbone of Sindh and Pakistan but still the city had been neglected. She said that the completion date for K-IV had continuously been extended, adding that pure drinking water turned out to be a dream for the people.
The MQM-P lawmaker said that there was only one burns centre in Karachi, demanding that a centre should be established in each district. “There is no proper transport system in Karachi and it has turned into Rickshaw city,” she deplored. Grand Democratic Alliance’s (GDA) Abdul Razzaque Rahimoon criticised their coalition federal government, saying that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan during his visit to Tharparkar in March 2019 announced Rs one billion package for the district but to no avail. He said that the Sindh government didn’t incorporate any scheme suggested by opposition parties. He underlined the need of involving the opposition lawmakers in the developmental projects by becoming part of the standing committee.
He recalled that the opposition had decided to not become the part of standing committees after the PTI was denied chairmanship of public accounts committee. He said that the decision deprived the opposition members of proposing uplift schemes through the standing committees.
Rahimoon said that Asia’s biggest RO plant installed in Mithi with a cost of Rs one billion had been non-functional.
Tanzeela Qambrani of PPP demanded that women police station should be established at divisional headquarters where women could easily visit and lodge their complaints.
PTI’s Shahnawaz Jadoon said that his constituency was deprived of basic necessities as there was not a single girls college and only one secondary school for girls in PS-113, having a population of around 400,000. “Seven schools are functioning in a building,” he said and asked how would the literacy rate be increased with such measures.
Dr Sohrab Sarki of PPP said that the provincial government had constructed thousands of kilometre roads in Tharparker, adding that development works were carried out across Sindh. Congratulating his party on NA-249 by-poll’s victory, Sarki said that the PPP would emerge victorious, if free and fair elections were held. “Establishment should hold free and fair elections,” he said.
Rashid Khilji of MQM-P demanded of the Sindh government to announce the Provincial Finance Commission, saying that Hyderabad was not getting its due share as there was no formula for distribution of resources. “The provincial government should give funds to districts as per the revenue generated by them respectively,” he added.
Nasir Hussain Qureshi of the MQM-P said that Benazir Bhutto flyover in Hyderabad could not be completed. He said that Kanwar Naveed Jameel started construction of the flyover when he was Nazim but the same could not be completed by the PPP.
PPP’s Imdad Patafi, Burhan Chandio, and PTI’s Dewan Sachand Sachal also spoke on the occasion.
Later, the house was adjourned till Monday.