RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday approved a private resolution seeking the government’s policy to set up the Provincial Finance Commission in a bid to ensure a just distribution of funds to union council levels.

PTI’s lawmaker Bilal Ghaffar tabled a resolution during the private members day to seek establishment of the Provincial Finance Commission to help develop the province through an equal distribution of monetary assistance to the grassroots level. He contended that the province lacks the commission for the last 11 years which should now be set up.

Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani supported the opposition’s move, saying that there is no difference on the establishment of the commission. “The Sindh government will soon establish the Provincial Finance Commission Award,” he said.

Opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi who belongs to the PTI said that the government should establish the PFC at earliest. For that he proposed formation of a committee consisting of the provincial legislators. The house unanimously adopted the resolution.

The second resolution came from MMA’s Syed Abdul Rasheed who asked Sindh government to found rehabilitation centres to treat drugs-addicts. He also called for eradicating narcotics in its all manifestations, including heroin, opium, hashish, wine, ice crystal, etc.

He said that the provincial hospitals also lacked dedicated treatment process for the addicts, let alone anything else for their rehabilitation despite having particular wards.

PTI’s Imran Shah said that the provincial drug inspectors failed to act against the sales and supply of such drugs. He suggested urine tests for the students up to intermediate classes. The legislators also voted to the resolution to adopt it.

The house also introduced a private bill that GDA’s Arif Mustafa Jatoi had presented to demand restriction on the cabinet advisers under the law like the ministers making it mandatory for them to keep secret details of government’s meetings.

So far, the government’s cabinet advisers are not restricted under any law to maintain secrets of meetings with them. The house was later adjourned till Friday at 2 pm.