Sindh’s lawmakers during a private members’ day at the provincial assembly on Tuesday became embroiled in a passionate debate on the increasing dangers faced by minor girls of the province, particularly in Karachi. “I am afraid of sending my 12-year-old daughter outside home,” said Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F)’s Nusrat Saher Abbasi, who was the first one to draw the attention of the House towards the kidnappings, rapes and subsequent murders of minor girls in Karachi. The parents are terrorised. The home minister should make effort to secure children,” she added.
Home Minister Manzoor Wassan was put on the defensive when a number of lawmakers including Nusrat Saher Abbasi, Sassui Palijo, Pitambar Sewani, Mujaddid Isran, Muzammil Qureshi, Abdul Moeed and Akhtar Jadoon, took the floor on a point of order and expressed concern over the increasing street crimes, robberies, forced conversions of The home minister, recounting his department’s achievements, said the police have been given a free-hand to deal with criminals, regardless of their political affiliation.
“While several cases of child kidnappings have been solved, many are still pending in courts,” Wassan said. “Every resident in the province deserves to be secured. Students in girl colleges would be provided with security,” he declared. The female lawmakers were perturbed when Wassan spoke about abortions, referring to the bodies of five newborns that were found in a drain.
“You please talk about the 10-year-old girls, who are kidnapped, raped and killed,” said Sassui Palijo.
Earlier, Palijo also called for police action against the people responsible for cutting off a woman’s nose is Matiari. “At least punish them sternly if you cannot hang them in public,” the culture minister demanded.
Mujaddid Isran said two minors in his constituency were abducted and killed. “The authorities should present the report of these incidents,” he added.
Pitambar Sewani, a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker, protested the “kidnapping and forced conversion of two Hindu girls” in the interior of Sindh.
This prompted Women Development Minister Tauqueer Fatima Bhutto to call for the swift passage of all bills relating to women rights by the House. Separately, PML-Likeminded lawmakers expressed concern over wall-chalking in Karachi that called for a “Mohajir province”.
Abdul Razzak Rahimoon demanded that the conspirators need to be unmasked by the government. The Sindh Assembly also unanimously adopted an amended resolution, tabled by PPP lawmaker Aisha Khoso. The draft called upon the provincial government to take steps to stop the use of contaminated water to cultivate vegetable.
In another development, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s Faisal Sabzwari and Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza complained about erroneous registration of voters by NADRA. “For the last 10 years, I live in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, but my vote is registered in Safoora Goth,” the provincial youth minister pointed out.
The 168-member house referred two other private resolutions, tabled by MQM’s Shahnaz and Munawwar Ali Abbasi, to the concerned standing committee for review.
Shahnaz’s resolution called for the restoration of medical facilities for the employees of the Secretariat through reputed insurance firms as well as addressing the grievances of low-paid employees.
Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah said the medical facilities have been suspended after cases of corruption surfaced among low-grade officials of the Secretariat.
The draft presented by Abbasi called upon the provincial government to regularise the services of contractual employees, especially the ones working in the NPIW, the Population Welfare Department, the LHV, the Education Department and the PPHI. The House will meet again on Thursday.