Instead of depending on the Federal government-administered Rangers, the Sindh government should create its own paramilitary force – one that is accountable to provincial authorities, argued parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the Sindh Assembly, Syed Sardar Ahmed, on Thursday during the general discussion on the provincial budget in the Sindh Assembly.
Ahmed said that the creation of the province’s own force would ensure a unity of command in the province, as currently the Federal government-run Rangers are only responsible to their director-general and not the provincial inspector-general of police or other high-ups of the provincial government. The MQM leader reiterated his suggestion that Sindh Bank should not have been turned into a commercial bank, and instead, should have been set up as a micro-financing bank.
He said that the government can review its decision even at this stage. While referring to the Sindh government’s plan of developing a new city, Zulfikarabad, in District Thatta, Ahmed said that though he has no particular objections on the matter but what needs to be considered is that there is a need to spend money on providing basic facilities in 22 districts. Referring to reports that big feudal and investors have started getting land in the new city, he said that the government should assure people of the province that Zulfikarabad would not be a city for the elite alone.
Ahmed also praised the budget but said that implementation of certain matters should also be ensured. He suggested to the government to constitute monitoring committees to ensure utilisation of funds. He also argued that supplementary expenses should be presented in the Assembly after every three months instead of at end of the financial year, adding that there is a Rs 30 billion supplementary budget this year.
Responding to demands made by several PPP and PML-F members to once again hand charge of the Home Department to Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, Ahmed said that a single individual alone could not make a difference and concrete steps needed to be taken to improve performance of the police. He said that there is a need to amend the police order, adding that it is a matter of concern when the Interior minister himself says that 15,000 people were kidnapped in a year.
Talking about agricultural income tax, the MQM leader said that agriculturists should not be wary of the demand as the tax would only be applied on their taxable income. He said that land tax being collected from the growers should be stopped, as the law pertaining to wealth tax has already been abolished. He suggested that the government should start issuing ration cards to provide relief to common men, as utility stores have failed in serving the people.