Violation of the pedestrians’ rights has become an order of the day as traders, shopkeepers and even industrialists freely occupy footpaths compelling them to walk on roads.
In some areas of the city – New MA Jinnah Road from the Mazar-e-Quaid to the Jail Chowrangi – all the footpaths are virtually occupied by the car dealers, mechanics and tyre changers.
This issue of illegal occupation of footpaths echoed on Friday in the Sindh assembly when MQM lawmaker Waqar Hussain Shah on a call attention notice asked the minister for local government, Jam Khan Shoro, that illegal parking had been established on the footpaths of the road between Daud Chowrangi and Yonus Chowrangi by the owners of factories and what steps were taken by the local government department to get the occupied footpaths vacated.
On this, the minister assured the mover that he would hold meetings with all stakeholders including the KMC and try his best to get the issue resolved in public interest. However, all five call attention notices were raised and responded by the concerned ministers.
Privilege Motion 15/2016 of Muhammad Hussain Khan of the MQM was not opposed by the government; however, the mover withdrew it on the assurance that the government would take care of the issue.
The adjournment motion of Leader of the Opposition Khawaja Izharul Hassan (MQM) regarding non-functioning of 90 per cent of scarp tube-wells in district Khairpur, the government side opposed and the speaker termed it out of order.
Report of appropriation accounts of government of Sindh for year 2012-13 and reports on the accounts of secretary local government department, KMC and KWSB and the audit reports of TMA, UAs for the year 2013-14 were laid by the minister for parliamentary affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, and the motion was referred to the public accounts committee to send a report on them in one year. However, the govt bill 34/2015 The Sindh Payment of Wages Bill 2015 was referred to the standing committee. The speaker adjourned the House to Thursday at 10:00am.
