While demanding from the caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (r) Qurban Alvi to reshuffle the present bureaucracy appointed by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in its last days of governance, the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) has unveiled its election manifesto ahead of the general elections.
It was mentioned in the manifesto that if the PML-F came into power, it would definitely cancel selling of Sindh’s islands, abolish the controversial Zulfikarabad project, ensure merit and bring uniform Local Government system in the province.
While revealing the major points of the election manifesto, PML-F leader Muzzafar Hussain, said his party would ensure supremacy of the rule of law in the country, end the bar on city institution for the admission of students belonging to interior districts of the province, and enhance the education and health budget up to six percent of the GDP, if it came into power.
The points presented are as follows:
I. A new system of Homeland Security would be introduced through a special force to solve the issue of deteriorating law and order problem on a national level.
II. CPLC would be established for divisional headquarters throughout Sindh and the rest of the country.
III. All the No-Go areas of the city would be made accessible.
IV. Timeframes would be defined for all public dealings and government officers would be bound to work within the decided timelines.
V. Sectarian differences, regional biases, language, colour and cast differences would be set aside through integration of the Pakistani spirit in order to unite the nation.
VI. We would ensure rightful restoration of provincial status of Bahawalpur.
VII. Sindhi and other regional languages would be given the status of national languages.
VIII. Labourers minimum wages would be doubled and government offices’ salaries would be linked to the trends of inflation. There would be no government restriction on working after office hours.
IX. Free and quality education up to intermediate would be ensured for children across the country.
X. Students passing intermediate examination with A-grade would be awarded tablet PCs, while female education would be encouraged and a scholarship programme would be initiated to encourage deserving students.
XI. Special education centers would be developed at taluka level throughout the country for children with special needs.
XII. Restrictions in Karachi’s educational institutions on admission of students from interior Sindh would be eliminated.
XIII. PML-F would make Higher Education Commission (HEC) a free and independent organisation and would ensure the representation of all provinces in its working.
XIV. Free health facilities would be provided to people above the age of 65 years to address their special needs.
XV. Quota for disabled people would be increased to three percent and its implementation would be ensured at all costs.
XVI. Constitutional protection would be provided for jobs and other quotas for poverty stricken areas of the country and special quotas would be introduced for such areas.
XVII. A rescue service, similar to 1122 rescue service, would be initiated for all districts across the country.
XVIII. Monorail would be introduced in Karachi and would be based on similar models that existed in Dubai. Circular railway would also be revived with the introduction of bullet trains.
XIX. Major steps would be taken towards job creation to eliminate unemployment and a database would be established for skilled/semi-skilled labour that would be utilised for vocational training and job acquisition in prosperous countries.
XX. Illegal and non-transparent contracts over Karachi’s coastal islands would be dissolved.
XXI. A master plan would be developed on the divisional headquarters level. This would include beautification plans, sewerage management, roads development, parks development, filtered water supply schemes and other similar facilities.
XXII. A solid waste management programme would be initiated in Karachi.
XXIII. A new traffic police system similar to motorway police would be implemented in major cities across the country including Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur.
EDUCATION:
I. Budget increment from two percent to six percent.
II. Support for teaching computer science and technology subjects in Madrasahs on national level.
III. Agro economy subjects to be introduced in higher education.
IV. Agronomy to be introduced as a compulsory subject in schools situated in the rural areas.
V. Uniform admission policies across institutions in each province.
HEALTH:
I. Health budget would be increased to six percent.
II. Provision of universal basic health facilities through establishment of basic health units on taluka level and 100 percent efficiency of existing units would be ensured.
III. Admissions to medical colleges would be entirely on merit basis and self finance schemes would be eliminated to ensure maximum number of seats for deserving students. District quotas would be maintained.
IV. Local boards would control district during availability.
V. Immunisation of every child against different diseases would be ensured.
AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION:
I. The PML-F would endeavour to complete RBOD project at its earliest and to remove the defects in the design of LBOD.
II. To implement the Water Accord of 1991.
III. Chashma-Jhehlum Link Canal and the Thal Canal would not be opened without the consent of Sindh and Balochistan.
IV. In future, permission to extract water courses from Main Canals would be restricted.
V. Small water reservoirs would be constructed.
VI. Opposed to Kalabagh Dam but in favour of Bhasha Dam.
VII. Concern over free trade agreement with India. Steps would be taken to ensure the rights of Pakistani farmers and a level playing field would be established in which Pakistani government would provide subsidies to its farmers that would be equal to their Pakistani counterparts.
VIII. Similar to other countries around the world, a price support mechanism would be devised for wheat, rice, cotton and sugarcane farmers to ensure suitable pricing.
IX. Farmer markets would be established at tehsil level.
X. Special subsidy would be introduced for electricity and diesel being used for agricultural purposes.
XI. Crop insurance and health cover would be provided for farmers.
ECONOMY:
I. Increase tax net from one million to three million taxpayers without increasing tax rate/tariff.
II. To control inflation, sales tax would be set at five percent flat and would be non-refundable.
III. Revival of thousands of industries closed down in the past few years.
IV. Export more potential products including IT products, jewelry and agro based products.
V. Development of rural infrastructure, roads, railways, and ensure water availability to provide help in transportation of agricultural products from the fields to the markets.
VI. Appointment and postings in all national institutions to be made on merit in a transparent manner.
VII. Government borrowings would be approved by assemblies. Current government borrowings exceed Rs 12 trillion.
ENERGY:
I. More reliance on coal and other alternate energy sources, including wind and solar power.
II. Resolution of circular debt issue, cash flow management and reducing line losses through better governance.
III. Review of reforms programme through which WAPDA was corporatised and NEPRA was created.
IV. Development of an energy fund and energy equity company.
V. Development of at least two mega power parks one based on imported coal and other based on Thar coal.
VI. Reduction in costs of electricity and gas units and improvement in the billing system.
GOOD GOVERNANCE:
I. Development of an effective body to monitor and ensure transparency in purchase in public sector and the award of contracts.
II. Elimination of “Sifarish” and “Qabza” culture.
III. Judiciary to be enabled to monitor and oversee all acts of governance.
IV. Reduction in perks of the ministers, MNAs and MPAs and civil and military bureaucrats.
YOUTH:
I. Libraries to be established at grass root level in order to promote a reading culture.
II. Reactivation of mono-technical and polytechnic colleges.
III. To increase literary rate through public private partnership.
IV. Introduction of career counseling in schools and on job training programmes.
V. Creation of entrepreneurship incentive programmes to develop investor interest and to introduce design mentorship programme.
VI. Creation of functional youth forum from polling station to national level to ensure youth involvement in key national decisions.
VII. Gender equality, especially in matters of education and career opportunities.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT:
I. Introduction of women rights awareness and advocacy programme.
II. Cottage industry development programme.
III. Laws to address women and girl child issues.
IV. Elimination of illegal judicial system (jirgas/punchayats)
V. Guidelines for law enforcement agencies, including the police force.
VI. Elimination of violence against women and minor girls through creation of strict laws and implementation of existing ones.
VII. To reform policies on health, reproductive rights and population.
VIII. Increase in the number of courts for women and women police stations, while legislation would be developed to ensure timely provision of justice. Scholarship programmes would be introduced to encourage female education.
HUMAN RIGHTS:
I. Provision of guaranteed jobs with wages and working conditions in accordance with ILO standards.
II. Annual labour force surveys.
III. Revision and implementation of labour inspection policy, labour protection policy and existing labour laws.
IV. Mandatory registration of all labourers (men and women) in informal work settings, especially HBWs and agricultural related labourers.
V. To highlight human rights awareness programmes.
MINORITIES:
I. Minorities are not a minority for us, they are from among ourselves.
II. Steps to be taken to eliminate forced conversion faced by Hindu women.
III. Implementation of the existing overall minorities quota (five percent).
IV. Provincial councils to be established for minorities.
V. Places of worship to be protected and evacuee trust property board to be established.
ENVIRONMENT:
I. Implementation of National Environment Action Plan (NEAP).
II. Enforcement of the Environment Protection Act of 1997.
III. Elimination of timber mafia and to provide incentives to the private sector to invest in research and development in environment-friendly technology.
IV. Introduction of public awareness and civic education programmes.
V. Large scale forestation initiatives would be taken.
VI. Prompt action to be taken against pollution emitting vehicles.