Province's share in federal services: Sindh Assembly unanimously upholds its claim

Legislators on Thursday sought the provinces Constitution share in federal services and passed a resolution unanimously, urging the provincial government to approach the federal government to ensure the province right. The house, with Speaker Nisar Khohro in chair, fully supported the resolution, which Dr Sikandar Mandhro presented to seek the guarantee for Sindh's share in the federal services including autonomous bodies and corporations as per the Constitution.
"Article 38 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan describes [The State] shall ensure that he shares of provinces in all Federal services including autonomous bodies and corporations established by, or under the control of Federal government shall be secured and nay omission in the allocation in shares of provinces in the past shall be rectified," the resolution says.
The Speaker opened debate on the resolution, letting a number of members of the Sindh Assembly to express their views. Calling the resolution timely and significant, Anwar Khan Maher said there was a need of securing Sindh's rights on its own resources and their fully utilisation. He said the resolution was supporting the province's rights.
Syed Sardar Ahmed supported the resolution, saying his party had battled for the Sindh's rights and its share in the federal services, besides NFC award allocation during 2002-2005. He said Sindh's share in the federal services including defence and civil services besides corporations should be secured under article 38 (G) of the Constitution.
Humera Alwani said the Punjab share in the federal services had also reduced 22 percent this year and Sindh continued to suffer from lack of opportunities this time too. She pointed out that Khyber Pukhtunkhwa had received 100 percent more of its Constitutional share in the federal services while Balochistan was given 0.1 million additional jobs.
Law Minister, Ayaz Soomro, Engineer Rafiq, Nusrat Abbasi Seher, Mujadid Isran, Muhammad Ali Shah and others spoke urging the Sindh government to let the federal government know of their concerns and demands.
Sindh Industries Minister Rauf Siddiqi in his statement pointed at the fresh killing incident of a young industrialist in site area of Karachi. He said the industrialists had staged a protest sit-in against the killing on main road for almost two hours, demanding the killers' arrest. On which, Ayaz Soomro said the Sindh government had set up police pickets and Rangers were there patrolling around the clock to meet any untoward incident.
However, he suggested there could be only way to boost security arrangements there with deployment of Army if Siddiqi wanted. He criticised Siddiqi for not letting the house know of the incident, as he was also part of the coalition government. He assured the house for steps to beef up the security in the site area.
Bilquees Mukhtar wanted facilities for the standing committees of Sindh Assembly and their improved role as per the stated law. On which, Nisar Khohro said the present assembly had increased the number of standing committees from 19 to 36. He added the committees themselves did function rather responded to the proposal or recommendation from the members. Ayaz Soomro said he along with Sardar Ahmed were looking into the matter.
Earlier, replying to a question, Sindh Auqaf Minister, Abdul Haseeb Khan said the department had razed a mosque and a shrine of Sakhi Abdul Wahab Shah Jillani in Hyderabad in 2009 for their reconstruction purposes. Both structures would be completed in 2012-13, he told the house.
He also informed the members that no madrasas (religious schools) were running under the Auqaf Department in the province and added that the department had never been a federal subject. He said the department had installed close circuit TV cameras, security gates and surveillance cameras at three shrines in the provinces.
He added these devices had been installed at the shrines of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi and Hazrat Qalandar Lal Shahbaz in Sehwan at the cost of Rs 1.189 million and Rs 1.250 million, respectively. The installations cost of Rs 2.361 million at the shrine of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in Bhitshah will yet to be paid, Haseeb pointed out.
The minister said there had been no extension work at the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi since 2007. He said revenue collection at the shrine of Jeay Shah Jillani in Sukkur during 2008 had been Rs 0.444 million, in which Rs 0.394 million had been utilised under the head of salaries. He added under the Urs expenditures, Rs 50, 000 had been spent, he said. The department spent Rs 10.104 million on the repair and renovation work at the shrine of Jeay Shah Jillani in Sukkur from May 31, 2009 to December 31, 2010, Haseeb concluded. The speaker adjourned the session till Friday morning 10am.