ANWAR KHAN

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday adopted a law to exempt drivers of emergency vehicles including ambulances, law enforcement vans, and firefighting tenders from punishments if they kill or injure anyone during their operations but the opposition called the legislation 'dangerous'.

Although the opposition voted for 'The Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2018', raised caution over the standards of driving in the province. Besides, the opposition members pointed the legislation is against the Pakistan Penal Code, which assures reckless or rash driving punishable.

Sindh Law Minister Zia-Ul-Hasan Lanjar, who tabled the bill in the House, turned down an amendment placed by PTI's parliamentary leader Khurrum Sher Zaman Khan to omit the clauses exempting the drivers of ambulance, police vans and firefighting vehicles from punishment in case they meet any untoward accidents from speedy driving.

"Madam [Deputy Speaker, Shehla Raza] it is a license to kill," Khurrum objected to the sub-clause (5) of clause 6 of the bill that states "No driver of an emergency vehicle shall be convicted of an offence punishable under sub-section (1) of if he was responding to an emergency and was not exceeding the limit of 80 km/hour". He questioned that what technology the government has in place to detect the speed of vehicles.

He feared the exemption from punishment will give a significant rise to road accidents and will relieve the drivers of emergency vehicles widely from their responsibilities, saying the law will be 'misused'. He urged the treasury to withdraw the clause. MQM's veteran, Syed Sardar Ahmed pointed out that the legislation was in contrary to the Pakistan Penal Code, which assures punishment to the reckless drivers. Opposition leader, Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hasan of MQM questioned the legislation with a severe road safety danger, saying the driving standards in the county are too poor to be overlooked outright. He said "attaining a driving license is the easiest thing in Pakistan even blind can get one," adding that the laws may be made in line with the international standards but the government should also standardized driving".

The house also omitted sub-clause [1-A] of clause 2 to exempt the ambulance services from registration with the 'Health Authority', after opposition leader feared the move will reduce the number of rescue operators.

The Sindh Law Minister defended the retaining of clause, saying that legislation is being carried out through a bill, which was evolved in consultations with the ambulance service operators. He said the cabinet had also objected to the clause but the government stuck to its primary principal to retain it and adopted as part of the law.

He said the drivers of ambulance services are frightened for being unprotected legally during their emergency operations if the meet any untoward incidents. "We have to stick to global laws," Lanjar told the House and favoured the exemption clauses.

"In order to give right a way to the ambulances, fire-brigade and emergency vehicles and make provisions, therefore, it is expedient to amend the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965," says the statement of objects and reasons of the bill.

Earlier the House adopted several bills into law right away, which annoyed the opposition calling the legislation 'too much' in a single sitting just on the eve of fiscal budget 2018-19. After a bit of controversy on 'The Sindh Regularization of Contingent Paid or Work-Charged Employees of Left Bank Outfall Drainage (LBOD) Bill, 2018 was unanimously adopted by the house. The Sindh Law Minister said the bill will help to regularize 2600 employees to end their over a two-decade of daily wage working status.