Following the National Assembly, the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday also showed the state institutions their constitutional limits and reposed full confidence and trust in the present democratic dispensation.
“All state institutions must strictly function within the limits imposed on them by the constitution,” read a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-backed resolution tabled by Member Provincial Assembly Ghulam Mujadid Isran under Rule 211 of the Rules of Procedures of the provincial legislature that reassembled under the chairmanship of Speaker Nisar Khuhro at 11:30 am, instead of 10:00 am, the scheduled time.
The resolution asserted that the basic constitutional principle of trichotomy of powers, held in a democratic setup by the parliament, executive and the judiciary, must be fully respected for the furtherance of democracy and democratic institutions.
“This house reiterates the belief of the democratic forces that the future of Pakistan and the wellbeing of its people lay in the continuation and strengthening of democratic institutions and constitutionalism for the resolution of national issues, strengthening of the federation and empowering the people of Pakistan,” the resolution said.
The composers of the resolution kept in mind one of the three amendments proposed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Awami National Party (ANP) chief’s resolution and which was accepted by the treasury benches, that sovereignty rests with Almighty Allah. “Sovereignty belongs to Almighty Allah and the authority to be exercised through the people and the parliament is the repository of the collective wisdom of the people of Pakistan,” the draft reiterated.
Endorsing the efforts made by the “political leadership”, the provincial legislature through the resolution reposed “full confidence and trust” in the former for strengthening democracy in the country.
Terming the resolution as important, house leader Qaim Ali Shah indicated that the move was in continuation of a resolution tabled by ANP leader Asfandyar Wali Khan in the National Assembly that had received the support of, what Shah said, “all democratic forces” except the PML-N, PPP-Sherpao and others.
Shah indirectly criticised the PML-N and others for not putting their weight behind the federal resolution as well as their disbelief in the present democratic government’s landmark achievements. Recalling the 18th amendment and the National Finance Commission Award as some of the prominent achievements of the present coalition government, Shah said his party was not afraid of elections.
“We are prepared to face the elections and the people anytime, as we have and are serving the people,” he declared amid desk-thumping.
The resolution, Shah concluded, is an expression of solidarity with Sindh as well as Pakistan.
The speaker then put the resolution to vote, and it was adopted by the house amid slogans of “Long Live Bhutto”.
Minutes before the chair called it a day – until Friday, 10:00 am – the provincial lawmakers adopted a resolution moved by PPP lawmaker Anwar Maher to pay homage to Sufi Shah Inayatullah Shaheed on his 303rd urs.
On the legislative front, the house enacted the Sindh Service Tribunals (Amendment) Bill-2011 to, what Law Minister Ayaz Soomro said, increase executive powers of the judges of the tribunals concerned.
The introduction of a government bill, the Sindh University Bill-2011, was deferred until Friday on the request of the law minister.
Also presented in the house were reports of the standing committees on irrigation, power and board of revenue regarding the matters pertaining to directing the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company to recover the electricity arrears from the rural areas and the forged mutation of the record of rights of Christians with regard to St Andrew’s church.
Voices of “shame, shame” resounded in the house when PPP’s Imran Nazir Leghari moved an adjournment motion against what he claimed was a widely-known corrupt bureaucrat, an assistant mukhtiarkar who had mistreated flood affectees at his Dadu-based office and lodged a First Information Report against them.
With Functional League’s Nusrat Saher Abbasi wanting Leghari to name the corrupt officer, the latter lambasted the provincial irrigation minister concerned and the Member National Assembly representing the Qaim Shah constituency of Dadu district for not attending his telephone call for help.
The discussion, however, ended on an inconclusive note as the speaker disposed of the motion after the completion of 30 minutes, the scheduled duration to discuss an adjournment motion in the assembly, and this made Leghari, Imdad Pitafi and other PPP legislators walk out of the house.
Calling all state institutions: Know your constitutional limits
