Haleem lauds PM’s efforts for electoral reforms, landmark legislation

Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Thursday felicitated PM Imran Khan and all parliamentarians on passing 26 important bills. Haleem, addressing a press conference here at Sindh Assembly, said that it was a significant day in history of Pakistan when PTI and its allies carried out land mark legislation in the best interests of people while in the past the august houses were used to pass laws and acts aimed at achievement of personal gains. Haleem Adil who is also central vice president of PTI said that a gang of defeated politicians was trying to delude and misguide people by raising storm in a teacup and making speculations on political developments in country but they failed once again. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan is the most popular leader of the country and people of Pakistan and their representative parliament both have confidence on him and proceeding of joint session of parliament was a clear manifestation of the fact. He said that legislation on electoral reforms would bring an end to electoral rigging and now no one would be able to steal mandate of people, their vote, ballot papers and ballot boxes in connivance with election officials nor it would be possible to cast vote of the dead people. He observed that there were millions of entries of the people who had died but their votes were being used to rig elections. Haleem Adil Sheikh said that conducting free and fair elections and granting right of vote to overseas Pakistanis was manifesto of PTI and Prime minister Imran Khan has fulfilled another promise. The legislation would enable 9 million households or 30 million Pakistani citizens abroad to exercise their right to vote, he added. The overseas Pakistanis were contributing appreciably for economic development and financial stability of the country by sending remittances worth billions of dollars, Haleem observed adding that those politicians were raising objections on their voting right who were stealing their hardly earned money. It was beyond comprehension that politicians who used to complain against electoral rigging were making hue and cry on legislation on electoral reforms and utilization of electronic voting machines for polling, he remarked. PPP has also opposed bill for establishment of university in Hyderabad by federal government, Haleem noted and asked why PPP could not see youth of Hyderabad getting quality education? PPP voted against bill regarding Agriculture and even against Anti Rape Bill, he said adding “It shows that Bilawal and his party had no sympathy with victims and they were in standing besides perpetrator of sexual crimes.” Haleem said that PTI was ensuring legislation for welfare and betterment of masses while PPP in contrast was trying to enforce laws to provide a cover to their wrongdoings and transgressions done during their 14 year rule in Sindh. PPP presented a resolution to regularize illegal occupation of 3.9 million acres of state land in Sindh in the name of Nasla Tower, he said adding that now PPP government was trying to hundreds of plots of Taiser Town owned by low income households of Karachi. “PPP has not initiated legislation for affected population of Gujjar Nala, Mehmoodabad Nala, Orangi Nala and KCR because they were not their voters,” he asserted. The money laundering was an issue of concern under FATF and the same factor was behind land grabbing in Karachi, he pointed out and demanded of federal government to take notice of that and the matter should be probed into by FIA. Haleem Adil Sheikh also highlighted frequent fire incidents in Karachi saying that when fire was gutting Victoria market the administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab was standing out of NAB court along with CM Murad Ali Shah. The metropolis witnessed three fire incidents in three consecutive days while role of the city administration was invisible. Haleem also took exception to statement of former judge Rana Shamim and termed it an attack on credibility and honour of judiciary, apex courts and higher judges. He said that Rana Shamim was a political worker of PML-N and he took oath under PCO and was appointed as Chief Judge Gilgit Baltistan by Nawaz Sharif and later posted as vice Chancellor of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto University of Law by PPP Sindh government. He said that a person of questionable repute and character should not be posted as head of a higher institution of legal education and PTI would challenge his appointed there. Advocate Bhagwan Das Bheel, speaking at the occasion, said that Rana Shamim during his three years tenure as Chief Judge could file a reference in Supreme Judicial Council regarding issues he raised in the statement now but he had not availed the statuary procedure. Bhagwan Das said that Rana Shamim as VC ZABUL was receiving salary of Rs 2.4 million per month but he has not attended the university for Rs one and a half year while he received kickbacks in a Rs. 550 million tender and rejected the lowest bid and SHC was moved against the act. Advocate Das disclosed that Rana Shamim’s undertaking and affidavit regarding ailment of Nawaz Sharif both were notarized by the same oath commissioner. It indicated connection between both the cases and evidence of a deliberate conspiracy, he opined. Advocate Bhagwan Das also announced to file a petition in Sindh High Court Karachi against Rana Shamim for receiving salaries without attending ZABUL.