Report on women trafficking being prepared’

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly (SA) on Friday passed into law a bill regarding the establishment of Sufism and Modern Sciences University in Bhitshah with unanimous approval from the treasury and the opposition lawmakers.

The bill ‘Sufism and Modern Sciences University at Bhitshah 2011” was presented by Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro by moving a motion under rules 84, 85 and 86 of the SA Rules and Procedures. Some of the lawmakers proposed amendments in the bill, which were taken up by the speaker during the reading.

Eight minor amendments were proposed by the members, out of which six were approved while two were rejected through voting in the house. Members who put forth their amendments were Khalid Ahmed of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Arif Mustafa Jatoi of National People’s Party (NPP) and Heer Soho of MQM.

The member in-charge of the bill, Senior Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq said that the bill was introduced in view of importance of Sufism in Sindh. He said: “Sufism is the best practice to foster peace and brotherhood as history itself reflects its significance in entire South Asian region.”

He said, “People migrating from different regions to Pakistan misinterpreted and distorted the image of Islam while Sufism is the best solution to remove the stains on our religion. He said the Islam does not allow defaming other religions and people belonging to any caste, creed or sect.

Syed Sardar Ahmed of MQM also hailed the bill and said Sufism is indeed a perfect belief to further peace in the world. “It is a good initiative that such a university is being established in Sindh,” he said. Sindh Minister for Youth Affairs Jam Madad Ali also praised the importance of the bill.

Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro announced governor’s consent to three bills, including the Repeal of Police Order 2002 and Revival of the Police Act 1861 Bill 2011; the Sindh Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2011 and the Repeal of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001 and Revival of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 1979 Bill 2011. Later speaker prorogued the house at 02:00pm.

Meanwhile, Parliamentari-ans belonging to the MQM staged two token walkouts from SA on different issues. MQM ministers protested when Speaker announced governor’s assent to recently approved bills, including Sindh Local Government Ordinance 1979, and staged a token walkout to mark their protest.

Amid the assembly business, Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, who had been serving as acting governor some days ago, announced his consent to the bills that drove MQM’s legislatures to distraction and they walked out of the assembly, shouting slogans: “We reject anti-democratic bills”. However, they soon returned to join assembly proceedings.

Later, when the sitting was about to adjourn, MQM’s Faisal Sabzwari asked the chair to permit him to speak on a point of order. Upon permission, he raised the issue of killings in Malir on Friday wherein more than 10 people were gunned down, including six activists of MQM.

He asked why law enforcement agencies were silent over sporadic breakdown of law and order. He said it was a time to divulge who was patronising those criminals.

As he completed his brief speech, all parliamentarians belonging to MQM staged their second walkout of the day just a few minutes before the house was prorogued.

Report on women trafficking: The SA was told that a report on women trafficking in Sindh was being prepared and it would be completed by 2012 by the consultant of the project with a total cost of Rs 2 million. However, the sum of Rs 372,000 has already been spent on tabulation of data and salary of the consultant.

Sindh Minister for Women Development Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto stated this while responding to a query of legislature Arif Mustafa Jatoi during the question hour.

The minister said as soon as the report was finalised it would be provided to all MPAs. She told the house that women development department had launched an annual development project namely ‘Day Care Centre’ in Karachi, which had the capacity of 30 children who had been registered by December 2010.

In addition, she said another project of ‘Baby Child Training’ in all district headquarters and 18 towns of Karachi was working wherein up till now 499 girls and women had been trained to establish their own day care centres.

She informed that around 1,800 girls and women had benefited so far under Benazir Youth Development Programme, which was launched in 2008-09. She said a proposal was under consideration to extend the existing facility of ‘Day Care Centre’ in Karachi to other parts of the province.

The minister told that PC-I for the establishment of ‘Working Women Hostel’ in Karachi was under preparation while the estimated cost of project was Rs 40 million. ppi