Sindh Assembly passes resolution against sheesha smoking

Sindh Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to ban sheesha smoking in hotels, restaurants and other public places across the province, which the legislators saw as a dangerous trend, fast spreading among the youth and teenagers. On the private members' day, the house adopted a resolution, tabled by Muhammad Bachal Shah, seeking a ban by the Sindh government on the smoking of sheesha, being served in the cities' hotels, restaurants and other public areas.
Bachal Shah was of the view that sheesha was a new way of intoxication, which was fast attracting the youth of the province despite its serious side effects to health. He said that the government could ban sheesha through the already existing narcotics Act, which only needed an implementation.
Speaking in favour of the resolution, Sindh Power Minister Shazia Mari said that sheesha was causing lungs diseases and cancer and the flavoured smoking was many times more harmful to health than a simple cigarette smoking. She observed that sheesha smoking had become a 'fashion symbol' in the society.
Mari said that children were more prone to sheesha smoking as they were more attracted towards the Arab styled smoking. She further said that the smoking was being served freely even to children at many hotels and restaurants of Karachi. Mari termed sheesha serving a crime.
Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed said that the smoking trend was on the rise globally. He said that the information ministry could help the government subdue the hazardous fashion by launching media campaigns to highlight the injurious aspects of sheesha smoking.
Citing the religious scholar, Dr Zakir Naik, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, said that smoking is in any form impermissible in Islam. Humera Alwani urged the government to ban import of all the ingredients being used in the making of sheesha to eradicate the menace from the society.
Opposition leader Jam Madad Ali said that Pakistan was an Islamic country and use of such intoxication should be banned. He extended his party's support to the resolution. Sindh Excise Minister Mukesh Chawla said his department could crack down on the hotels, restaurants and other places where sheesha was being served, if the government empowered it.
Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, Sindh Youth Minister, Faisal Sabzwari, Anwar Khan Mahar, Marvi Rashdi, Narqis N D Khan, Dr Muhammad Ali Shah and other members spoke on the issue and supported the resolution. Another resolution presented by Anwar Khan Mahar of PPP was also passed unanimously. The resolution seeks corporation allowance for the government employees working in Rohri City and remaining portion of Taluka Sukkur New. Aleem-ur-Rehman of MQM withdrew his resolution seeking holding of elections of the superseded societies within two months and withdrawal of administrators and handing over of the management to the elected committee, after Ayaz Soomro said the issue was needed a thorough discussion.
Two resolutions were sent back to the presenters to rephrase them for being unclear to serve the purpose, which would likely to be tabled again on Wednesday. The first was from Bilqees Mukhtar of MQM seeking establishment of trauma centres and fire tenders on the super highway to cope with serious road accidents. The second one was from Humera Alwani of PPP seeking the correction of record of M A Jinnah's birthplace.
Besides, speaker Nisar Khohro did not grant permission to discuss the issue of targeted killings in the province, which Syeda Marvi Rashdi had presented through an adjournment motion a day earlier for the case was pending before the court. The house also referred the Sindh Water Management Ordinance (Amendment) Bill 2009 to the steering committee, which Arif Mustafa Jatoi had presented. The Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2009, again presented by Arif Mustafa Jatoi, was not adopted by the house, as it was pending before the court of justice. Later, the speaker adjourned the session till Wednesday.