Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly passed a resolution condemning the killing of three workers of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Wednesday, while members attended the session with black bands tied to their arms.

The session offered fateha for the deceased persons and prayed for the recovery of the injured health. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah addressing the House condemned the brutal killings and injuring of the PIA workers. He said that the protest was a fundamental right of people and the PPP has always supported human rights. He assured the assembly members forming of an enquiry commission comprising DIG and two SSPs to look into the incident, adding Sindh government would request a judicial enquiry.

The PPP led Sindh government has followed the constitution that was framed by ex-prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The chief minister criticised the federal government over politicising the issue of PIA and the Steel Mill and sacked employees by violating their rights.

The condemn resolution was moved by Education Minister Nisar Khuhro that received opposition from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) members.

During the discussion, the members criticised the Sindh and the federal government for killings and injuring workers and media persons. They said both the provincial and federal governments are responsible of the act. The members said that the PPP and PML-N have never thrashed protests and neither have they violated any rights in their tenure.

Earlier, Qaim Ali Shah said that his government and party had always given the due quota to women and had empowered them by bringing them in assemblies, banks, judiciary, police and also gave them land to make them landladies and self-sufficient. The chief minister said this while addressing the reception for a 14-member visiting parliamentary delegation of the three provincial assemblies of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

The reception was attended by Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durani, Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza, Senior Minister Nisar Khuhro, parliamentary leaders Nand Kumar, Imtiaz Shaikh, Hamyoon Khan of PML-F, Haji Shafi Jamote of PML-N and Hafizur Rehman of PTI and various other MPAs and provincial Ministers.

Nisar Khuhro hosting the programme chose to invite women parliamentarians to address the function. The visiting guests who spoke on the occasion included Balochistan ANP MPA Dr Shama, KPK PTI MPA Amina and PML-N MPA Merry Gill of Punjab.

They all lauded the hospitality of the Sindh government and said that they were feeling Karachi as their second home. “You have restored law and order and have restored the public confidence,” they said. They also said that it was the beauty of the Sindh government that all the MPAs irrespective of their political affiliations are sitting together. “The minorities have also been given their due share and women are also enjoying respect and dignity,” and added that they were taking a good message to their respective province.

Nisar Khuhro said that since female MPAs from other provinces have addressed the gathering, therefore he invited the Sindh MPA Sharmila Farooqui to address the gathering. PML-F parliamentary leader Nand Lal thanked the chief minister for inviting him to the reception and lauded the speaker and deputy speaker for allowing him to take part in the parliamentary debates.

The chief minister said that Nisar Khuhro has launched a women empowerment debate, but his government has already given lot of powers to women. Similarly, minorities are being given same importance as majority communities. He presented Shawls, Ajraks and Sindhi caps to the visiting guests.