Daily Times

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators in the National Assembly on Tuesday exchanged words over statements made by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto regarding Sindh province.

The PPP members warned that any attempt for division of Sindh will be disastrous for the federation, while the PTI took exception to statements made by the PPP leadership on the matter.

Addressing the provincial assembly session a day earlier, Murad Ali Shah had said “those intending to bring harm to Sindh would also bring harm to the federation.” He was referring to the formation of a strategic committee by Prime Minister Imran Khan and an expected imposition of Article 149 by the Centre to immediately address the problems faced by the metropolis.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said that Bilawal Bhutto and the Sindh chief minister have hurt the sentiments of the nation.

Reacting to the statement of Sindh chief minister, PTI’s Murad Saeed said, “If we talk about the solution of Karachi issues, then they say the federation will not survive.” “The federation only wants one thing that everyone should collectively pull Karachi out of the prevailing crisis,” he maintained. “The federation will survive but their politics will not,” he said. “Pakistan was established to stay until the end of the world. The people who talk about the division of Sindh … they will themselves be divided and their politics will end too,” he added.

“During the recent monsoon rains, several people died of electrocution in Karachi, and Bilawal Bhutto gave a brainless statement over the incident, saying ‘too much rain brings too much water’. Such remarks are beyond one’s comprehension,” Saeed said while taking aim at the PPP chief.

Speaking on a point of order raised by PML-N leader Khawaja Asif about the ransacking of Hindu temples in Ghotki district, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said the minorities are equal citizens of Pakistan and it is responsibility of the state to protect their rights. He said nobody is above the law and the law will take its course. He expressed the confidence that the Sindh government will take the requisite steps to control the situation in Ghotki. He said the federal and provincial governments are committed to the protection of life and property of the minorities.

Speaking on the issue, the minority members strongly condemned the ransacking of temples in Ghotki. Jai Parkash, Ramesh Kumar, Dr Darshan and Lal Chand said Pakistan is their motherland and they will not leave it. They termed the incident a conspiracy against the country. Nobody can think of blasphemy, they asserted, adding that if anybody has committed the blasphemy, the culprit should be given punishment after investigation as per the law.

Abdul Shakoor of JUI-F said Islam does not allow attacks or extremist acts against minorities. The chair said entire parliament stands for the protection of rights of minorities.

Several bills were also laid before the House. These include: The Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Islamabad Club (Administration (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Rent Restriction (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Transfer of Offenders (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Islamabad Transfusion of Safe Blood (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Chemical Fertilizers (Development Surcharge) (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Controller General of Accounts (Appointment, Functions and Powers) (Amendment) Bill, 2019; and The Pakistan Academy of Letters (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Amjad Ali Khan laid before the House the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2019. He said the bill is aimed at giving powers to the relevant ministry to frame rules concerning its departments.

The House will now meet on Thursday at 11 am.