The Sindh assembly continued its pre-budget debate on the second consecutive day on Tuesday and most of the lawmakers stressed the need for good governance and timely spending of released funds so that they were not spent in haste and non-transparent manner at the end of financial year.
As many as 16 lawmakers took part in debate on the second day of pre-budget discussion. Five lawmakers from treasury benches including Rehana Leghari, Khairunissa Mughal, Sohrab Khan Sarki, Shahnaz Begum, Allah Bux Talpur; nine MQM lawmakers including Mehmood Abdul Razzaque, Heer Soho, M Rashid Khilji, Waqar Hussain Shah, Rana Ansar, Jamal Ahmed, Zaffar Ahmed Khan Kamali, Muhammad Hussain Khan, Dewan Chand Chawla; one PML-N legislator Amir Haider Sheerazi and PML-F MPA Waryam Faqeer participated in the debate.
The government members defended the performance of the government and claimed that it was serving the people of Sindh day and night; however, the opposition members rejected these claims and accused the government of bad governance and deliberate delay in spending of the released budgetary funds.
Meanwhile, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro introduced the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2016 and the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2016 as supplementary agenda items. The House unanimously passed the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2016 while consideration of the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill was deferred till next sitting.
Earlier, the sitting started at 1055 hours against its scheduled time of 1000 hours. Deputy Speaker Syeda Shehla Raza presided over the sitting for two hours and 50 minutes while rest of the proceeding was chaired by a Member of Panel of Chairpersons. Speaker Aga Siraj Durrani and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah were absent while the opposition leader attended the sitting for 76 minutes. The parliamentary leaders of PPPP, MQM, PML-N and PTI attended the sitting while three minority members were present. The lawmakers spoke on five points of order consuming seven minutes of the proceeding. The deputy speaker adjourned the House to meet again today (Wednesday).
