The Sindh Assembly on Thursday unanimously demanded the government to take action against conversion of public transport vehicles from fuel to CNG and sale of expired and substandard gas kits for vehicles in the market.
The demand was made through a resolution moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional member Nusrat Saher Abbasi.
It is pertinent to mention here that many lawmakers had earlier expressed concern over the recent incidents of gas cylinder blasts in public transport in a small town of Khairpur District and Gujranwala that have claimed several lives.
The resolution stated: “This house resolves and recommends the Sindh government to approach the federal government to take exemplary action against conversion of public service vehicles from fuel to CNG, and sale of old and substandard CNG kits for vehicles which do not meet minimum quality control/safety parameters. Unauthorised conversion became a major cause of explosion of CNG cylinders, claiming lives of several innocent persons.”
The house deferred another resolution demanding imposition of ban under Section 144 on installation of CNG kits in public transport over the apprehension that transporters would stop their vehicles and commuters would suffer.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s member Bilquis Mukhtar had moved the resolution separately.
Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Senior Sindh Education and Literacy Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, Sindh Transport Minister Akhtar Jadoon and others had advised the member to postpone presenting the resolution.
Khuhro told the MQM’s member that Interior Minister Rehman Malik has already taken notice of the situation, and Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan has given 10 days’ time to seek fitness certificates for public transport vehicles.
He said the MQM member should wait for the outcome of the government’s measures, and her resolution could be passed later.
The house also passed a government bill for upgrading the Sindh Madrassatul Islam College to the status of university. The Sindh Madrassatul Islam University Bill-2011 was tabled by Haq.
MQM’s Syed Sardar Ahmed welcomed the bill, and urged the government to ensure appointment of teachers on the basis of merit.
The house also passed a resolution to mark the National Working Women’s Day. The resolution was moved by Sindh Women Development Minister Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto.
Earlier, Sindh Food Minister Nawabzada Nadir Magsi informed the house that the provincial government would start fixing support prices of the agricultural produce, including wheat, in the coming year.
During the question hour, the minister said under the 18th amendment, the fixing of support prices has been transferred to the provinces from the federal government.
However, he added, the provincial government would fix support prices in consultation with other provinces so that the entire country is uniform in this regard.
