PPP senior minister in the line of

PPP senior minister in the line of
Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) disgruntled MPA, Taimur Talpur, once again raised the issue of his grievances against the party’s parliamentary leader and senior minister, Pir Mazharul Haq, before the Sindh Assembly session on Wednesday.
Speaking on a point of order, Talpur said that since the party’s parliamentary meeting did not take place on Wednesday, he was compelled to raise his grievances before the legislature. Referring to Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro’s efforts to defuse the situation on Tuesday, Talpur said that went to the Speaker’s chamber, but regrettably, the senior minister did not arrive. Since he continued to speak on the matter, his microphone was shut.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) parliamentary leader, Syed Sardar Ahmed said that such issues should not be brought before the Assembly, claiming that it was “unfair” to raise this issue against the senior minister.
In his response, Pir Mazharul Haq explained that they (MPAs) were all there at the lawn of the assembly premises to attend the luncheon arranged by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry in honour of the provincial legislators. He said that once the lunch was over, he visited the Speaker’s chamber, but nobody was there.
Sindh Food Minister Nadir Magsi suggested to the Speaker to call both Haq and Talpur to his chamber after the session, and pacify the situation. The Speaker subsequently agreed to this proposal.
JAMMERS TO BE INSTALLED AT PRISONS: Sindh Prisons Minister Muzaffar Shujra, responding to point of order raised by Humera Alwani, said that the government was considering installing jammers at prisons to prevent prisoners from using cell phones, as they were being used for criminal activities inside jail premises.
Shujra said that the prisoners started ‘illegally’ using mobile phones in 2004, but the present government was trying to control this phenomenon. He said that thus far, the use of mobile phones inside prisons has been controlled by up to 70per cent. He alleged that the prisoners used to ‘organise’ kidnappings for ransom from their cell phones during the tenure of the past government. He said that the prison department had initiated action against prisoners for using cell phones.
Sindh Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani said that as per international standards, prisoners were allowed to talk with their relatives for five minutes each day at designated telephone booths inside prisons. NO DECISION ABOUT SCHOOL UNIFORM: Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, responding to a point of order raised by Bilqees Mukhtar, said that no decision has been taken for waiving off uniform requirements in government schools. He said that this idea was floated during a meeting of the steering committee concerned, but after the MQM raised objections over the proposal, he had formed a committee comprising of experts, which was deliberating the matter.
The education minister said that there were an estimated 44,000 primary schools and around 5,000 secondary and middle schools where children of the poor were studying. The minister said that it was not easy for parents to arrange uniforms for their children, and because of financial constraints, the government was also not providing uniforms to children.
He said that owing to financial constraints, the government was also finding it difficult to implement the approved scheme of providing a meal to pupils.
Opposition leader Jam Madad said that during the last six months, only 16 per cent of development funds had been utilised, which was a matter of concern.
Nusrat Abbasi said that the federal government, while giving a 20 per cent ad-hoc relief to employees in the 2009-10 budget, had promised to formalise such assistance in 2010, but this was not being implemented. Dr Rafiq said that there was a shortage of water in Mirwah Canal and Nara Canal, and claimed that rotation has started but tail-enders have been deprived of water.
Farheen Mughal raised the issue of unavailability of proper equipments to detect bombs in the city. Zakat and Ushr Minister Sajid Jokhio, while responding to point of order raised by Mujadid Isran, promised that a girl named Shazia, suffering from cancer in Larkana, would be provided with funds from Zakat for her treatment .