The Sindh Assembly (SA) on Tuesday passed a private resolution demanding of the provincial government to ensure law and order in the province and take appropriate steps to ensure that an illegal weapons-free Sindh. The resolution was moved by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MPA Syed Bachal Shah, with many of his colleagues from the PPP and a representative of the Awami National Party (ANP) demanding a drive to confiscate illegal arms. Members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) argued, however, that such a drive will be one in futility until the routes used for weapons smuggling are not blocked.
MQM’s parliamentary leader, Syed Sardar Ahmed, said that no legislation is required to prohibit illegal arms, since these are by definition banned by law. Sindh Youth Affairs Minister Subzwari said that if political parties are serious about turning the province into a weapons-free one, they should help pass the MQM’s bill in the National Assembly regarding the deweaponisation the entire country. He said that the government and relevant authorities will have to shut arms factories and block smuggling of illegal weapons from Chaman, arguing that illegal arms reach Karachi by crossing at least 36 check posts set up by law enforcement agencies.
Subzwari contended that arms smuggling takes place with the support of law enforcement agencies, adding that no operation cleanup in Sindh or Karachi would bear any fruit if smuggling routes are not blocked.
The mover of the resolution, Bachal Shah, said that all three coalition parties – PPP, MQM and ANP – will have to make joint efforts to restore the law and order situation in the province.
Leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali said that law and order will not be improved until appointment and postings of police officers would not be made on merit. He regretted that no police officer is punished for his failure in maintaining law and order in his area. He also appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry to make efforts to improve the conditions in lower courts. He said that criminals are freed by lower courts, which should not happen.
Ahmed Ali Pitafi of the PPP said that trucks full of illegal arms had been coming during military regimes. He also asked leaders of different political parties not to give shelter to criminals. In rural areas, he added, influential people support criminals, and police is helpless because of this.
ANP’s Amanullah Masood said that making Karachi weapons-free would be necessary to maintain law-and-order in the city. He said that political parties were not sincere in improving the situation, as criminals are present in their ranks. He said that he has learnt that illegal weapons are also being smuggled into the city through ships.
Earlier, speaking on a point of order the PPP leader and Sindh Minister for Katchi Abadis, Rafiq Engineer informed the house about an armed attack late Monday night on what he claimed were party workers in Lyari. He said that the media has reported it as attack on workers of the People’s Amn Committee (PAC) but that body had ceased to exist after its workers amalgamated with the PPP. He appealed to the media to not mention “PAC” in its reportage any more.
