The opposition opposed the amendments to the law with severe reservations and staged a walkout from the house in protest after chanting against the treasury's move. A total of seven amendments to the existing Sindh Local Government Act were adopted. The opposition's absence from the proceedings helped widely the treasury passed the amendments without any disturbances.
With the bill passage, now in local government's election a tie vote between two candidates will help the both contestants to attain a seat in the council. Threatening or coercing the voters in the polls, besides attempting to make armed forces controversial will be considered as a crime liable to punishment.
Earlier replying to call-attention notices, Saeed Ghani said that areas which were supplied water from the Hub Dam facing problems. However, in other areas the government is trying its best to improve water supplies. Wasim Qureshi of MQM raised the issues of water crisis in areas of North Karachi.
He said the water share of North Karachi was being diverted to the District West and water pumps. Jamal Siddiqui of PTI alleged the ruling PPP of victimising people PIF and Patel Para by suspending water supplies to those areas for being voted out in the last general election. He said that such areas were supplied with dirty, stinky and hazardous water, which now posed serious threat to the children as well.
He asked whether, who should be held responsible for such a terrible state of water supply. Saeed Ghani again rejected the opposition's clamour, saying it was the responsibility of civic representatives of the concerned area. During the questions and answers session, Sindh Labour Minister Ghulam Murtaza Baloch told the house that the government had fixed Rs 16,200 a month salary for workers as a minimum wage.
He said the government did not have any law to determine hourly wages for workers. To a question, he said the Sessi had invested Rs 2,400 million in Sindh Bank and other private banks. He also informed the legislature that Sindh had about 635,000 registered workers. Latter, the Speaker adjourned the house till Thursday morning.