Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Monday passed the Sindh Payment of Wages Bill 2015 despite an intense uproar by opposition.

The session started with Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza in the chair.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers protested in front of the deputy speaker and tore the copies of assembly agenda.

Earlier, Senior Minister Nisar Khuhro had said after Sunday’s rally in the metropolis that the MQM were unable to do anything and so they are protesting in the House on someone’s dictation.

Khuhro urged the deputy speaker that the amendment in Clause 2 of Sindh Payment of Wages Bill 2015 was passed unanimously and it needed further discussion.

“In this connection, we have discussed issues with MQM parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmed and Departments of Labour and Law. Under Rule 256 the bill passed and became Clause 2,” Khuhro added, “We need to review the bill thoroughly and if the House allows I will move a motion forward because it is necessary to soften the rights of workers.”

Pakistan Tehreek Insaf lawmaker Khurram Sher Zaman said, “It is an important bill and we have to make sure that there should not be any conflict between the federal and Sindh governments over the issue. The House should first take the federal government into confidence on the bill.”

MQM lawmaker and opposition leader in the house, Khawaja Izharul Hasan said that in the past the Sindh government wrote many letters to the federal government on different issues.

“On this issue, the Sindh government will again write a letter to the federal government so that we should know the federal government’s opinion. Instead our labour officer will not be allowed to enter the premises of the federal organisations. We don’t want to withdraw the bill.”

Khuhro said it is better to bring the bill to its old format again.

Provincial minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro said, “All those workers in Sindh are our responsibility – we have to protect the labour class and how could it be possible that under the Sindh government, 37 administrative units are working. We will always seek federal government advice.”

Izharul Hasan said, “We are not against the spirit of the bill and it does not mean that if someone has the majority in the House, any bill will pass without discussion or consulting other lawmakers of opposition parties.”

Pakistan Muslim League-Functional lawmaker Mehtab Akbar Rashidi suggested that a resolution should be allowed for amendment in the bill that was passed three days earlier.

The House seemed to turn into a fish market after the MQM lawmakers tore copies of the assembly agenda and protested. Later, the House passed the bill with a majority in favour.

During calling attention motion, PPP minister for Local Government Jam Khan Shoro said the MQM has defaced the city because in 2002 the total number of local government employees were only 13,000 and at the end of MQM city Nazim’s tenure, the employee figure jumped to 60,000.

During question hour, Social Welfare Minister Shamim Mumtaz said Darul Aman was providing shelter to the needy people. The provincial government has made proper security arrangements in these Darul Aman shelter and all details of visitors has been maintained, she said in response to supplementary questions.

Shamim also said the budget of all Darul Aman is equal and there is no issue of lack of funds. The number of women coming to Darul Aman is increasing.

The Sindh government has established 18 rehabilitation centres for disabled people, of these; 13 are serving children while five centres are catering to adults, she informed the House.