Sindh Assembly: heated debate on budget continues
Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers raised alarm bells over potential misuse of budget funds and deteriorating living standards for the poor.
The session, presided over by Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, began with sparse attendance of only seven members but the number increased as proceedings progressed. Several provincial ministers joined the debate, presenting departmental reviews and outlining upcoming development initiatives for fiscal year 2025–26.
Speaking from the treasury benches, senior PPP leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro revealed that acting Governor Owais Qadir Shah had been barred from entering the Governor's House. 'The Governor House is being treated like private property,' Khuhro lamented, labelling Governor Kamran Tessori an 'encroacher.'
He demanded a formal resolution in the Assembly to uphold constitutional protocol and expressed strong disapproval of the term 'Muhajir' being spray-painted on the building during Tessori's tenure. Khuhro further accused the federal government of undermining Sindh by cutting Rs100 billion from its NFC share.
MQM lawmaker Abdul Waseem, meanwhile, delivered a scathing critique of the budget, asserting that 50 percent of the proposed funds would fall prey to corruption and fail to improve the lives of ordinary citizens. Though he credited Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon for introducing new buses to Karachi, he said they were inadequate. 'Karachi needs at least 1,000 new buses.'
A major portion of Friday's proceedings centred on the treatment of acting Governor Owais Qadir Shah. Former Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani condemned the incident, calling it an 'insult to the Speaker's chair,' and demanded an official apology from the Governor for violating constitutional norms.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar echoed the concerns, revealing that Shah had been unable to perform his duties for the past 22 days because Governor Tessori had locked the offices and taken the keys with him to Saudi Arabia. Lanjar read out a court order instructing the reopening of the offices and criticized the irony that the 'bell of justice' at the Governor House could not ring for the acting governor himself. 'If this continues, dignity will vanish from all offices, and only hollow titles like 'Governor' will remain,' Lanjar warned. He urged the Chief Minister to intervene and hold those responsible accountable.
In response, MQM's Taha Ahmed Khan attributed the issue to 'miscommunication and misunderstanding,' cautioning against politicising the matter. 'We condemn how this issue is being used against Governor Kamran Tessori,' he said, reaffirming MQM's respect for the office and their pride in their identity as descendants of Pakistan's founders.
Provincial Minister Ali Hassan Zardari highlighted that 48 new development schemes had been included in the budget, while Industries Minister Jam Ikram Dharejo declared that Rs5 billion had been earmarked for road development in Karachi's SITE industrial area. He also announced the launch of Phase 3 of the Nooriabad Industrial Zone and asserted Sindh's constitutional right to gas resources extracted from its soil.
Rehabilitation Minister Makhdoom Mehboob Zaman reported a 12 percent increase in Sindh's revenue collection and emphasised that no other party had served Karachi as diligently as the PPP. He noted that 64 out of 164 RO plants were currently functional in Matiari and mobile service units were active across all districts.
Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq issued a dire warning about the escalating water crisis in Karachi, stating, 'The world's first water war may begin here.' He criticized the Sindh government for not prioritizing the K-IV water project in its federal demands and pointed out the limited Rs123billion allocation for local governments.
Farooq also urged the government to invest in desalination technology and questioned the effectiveness of the so-called 'Shehbaz Speed,' which, he argued, had brought no tangible benefit to Karachi.
PPP MPA Imdad Pitafi called for maturity on both sides of the aisle, describing the opposition as a necessary 'mirror' for any government but warning against cultivating distrust. 'There will be no Pakistan without unity,' he said. 'We must think collectively for Sindh and Pakistan.'
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
15 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Former FESCO chairman granted bail in fraud case
A court has approved bail of former Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) chairman Malik Tahseen Awan in an online fraud case, ordering his release against surety bonds worth Rs100,000. He will, however, appear before the court on August 18 in connection with other pending cases. District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Iqbal Harl heard the case registered at FIA police station, where Awan was on 14-day judicial remand. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted bail and ordered his release. Awan has already obtained interim bail in seven other cases, which involve charges against 149 individuals, including foreign nationals. The court had earlier granted bail to all accused in those cases.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
New bill targets online obscenity
Legislation on a new bill — Prohibition of Obscenity and Vulgarity on Digital Media Bill 2025 — is expected in the next National Assembly session. Introduced by PPP MNA Dr Syeda Shahida Rehmani, the bill seeks to curb obscene content online and entails penalties ranging from Rs100,000 to Rs1 billion. The proposed bill defines "digital media" and "prohibited content" as including online and offline platforms, applications, social media, and streaming services. It will apply to all content in the form of images, audio, videos, multimedia, films, web series, animated sketches, dramas, songs, short videos, live broadcasts, or advertisements viewable via digital media. Prohibited content includes sexual conversations, extramarital relations, sexual immorality, semi-nude attire, drug use, violations of public morality, hurting religious sentiments, mocking hijab, purdah, or the family system, ridiculing religious figures, and violating the ideology of Pakistan or cultural values. Under the bill, an authority, a board, and a tribunal will be established. Violations will be investigated by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and prosecuted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. The board will have eight members: two religious scholars, one woman and one man, two psychologists, one female civil society member, one media legal expert, one media professional responsible for seizing prohibited content, and a federal government representative as chairperson. The tribunal will consist of three members: a person qualified to be a high court judge, a media professional, and an IT expert, who will hear and decide cases related to digital media. The board will have the authority to ban prohibited content, make amendments, take suo motu action against obscene material, and recommend fines for violations, while the authority will act on the board's recommendations. Penalties under the bill include one-year imprisonment and a Rs500,000 fine for the first-time offense and three-year imprisonment and Rs5 million fine for the second offense. Offenses involving religion, women, children, or the family system will entail five-year imprisonment and Rs10 million fine. Digital media platforms and service providers will be required to report all uploaded content in Pakistan to the board within 15 days and, upon notice, block prohibited content within 24 hours and retain the record for three years. Rs50 million will be imposed on platforms for the first violation and Rs100 million fine for the second violation. Repeated violations will result in license cancellation and service blockage. All crimes under this act will be non-bailable and non-compoundable. The bill is expected to be approved by the NA after deliberation in the relevant standing committee. The PECA, a law enacted in 2016, was passed by lower and upper houses, aimed at addressing cybercrime and regulating electronic communication in Pakistan. It was meant to combat online offences such as hacking, data theft, and cyberbullying. Many journalists and media organisations have raised concerns regarding its implications on press freedom and freedom of expression. "The government has to learn the lessons as it was earlier used against the same party, which had passed the law in a haste," commented Mazhar Abbas, a senior member of PFUJ.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Sindh PA celebrates Independence Day
KARACHI: In a display of unity and inclusion, the Sindh Assembly on Thursday celebrated Pakistan's 78th Independence Day with a symbolic session at its historic old building, bringing together lawmakers, special students, and guests. The day began with Speaker Syed Owais Qadir Shah hoisting the national flag, followed by special prayers for the country's security, progress, and prosperity. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, Provincial Home Minister Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar, Leader of the Opposition Ali Khurshidi, ministers, women and minority representatives, and members from all political parties. Special students from the Ida Rieu Welfare Association were given seats in the members' chairs. Abid Ali, a differently-abled student, read out an Independence Day resolution from Braille, seconded by Asma Zahoor, Tauseef Ahmed, and Hans Raj. The resolution paid tribute to the armed forces, praised the success of Operation Bunyan Mursus — described as the 'Battle of Truth'— and commended Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for enhancing Pakistan's image through diplomacy. It called on the youth to stand as a united front in service of the nation. The House unanimously adopted the resolution, greeting the students with standing ovations and desk-thumping. Tauseef Ahmed recalled the night of May 7, when the Pakistan Air Force 'brought down six enemy aircraft in minutes' and the army 'held the Line of Control with their blood.' He called Operation Bunyan Mursus a decisive chapter in the spirit of the Pakistan Resolution. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
