The opposition asserted they were not against the cultural and heritage status of Ajrak, but forcing people to pay exorbitant penalties for not installing the said number plates was unjustified. Moreover, the drive to implement the Ajrak number plates was limited to Karachi only, while in the rest of the province.
Several MPAs expressed serious concerns over public issues and criticised harassing citizens over new number plates. They also expressed strong reactions over the notices issued to residents of derelict buildings in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Hyderabad.
MQM member Shabbir Qureshi raised objections to traffic police unjustly issuing fines and harassing citizens over Ajrak number plates.
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In response, Provincial Minister Saeed Ghani clarified that Ajrak number plates have been in vogue for the last two to three years and include security features. He stated that motorcycles are often used in thefts and crimes, hence having registered and identifiable number plates is essential.
These number plates are readable by the Safe City Cameras and have helped in apprehending persons illegally using official vehicles and government number plates.
Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla said that since 2022, new number plates have been installed on one million motorcycles, and it is a reflection of the culture of Sindh. He added that the Punjab government adopted the Ajrak design on its flyovers, but it has been made controversial in Sindh, which is unfortunate.
MQM member Najm Mirza said that Ajrak is not the issue, but people are being troubled under its guise, with traffic police issuing fines amounting to thousands of rupees. He recommended forming of a special parliamentary committee on this issue, which should also include the opposition.
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Ghani welcomed the proposal. He further said that he accepts full responsibility for the recent building accident in Lyari in which 27 people lost their lives. He said that the affected building was constructed illegally in 1980s.
Following the accident, the DG of the Sindh Building Control Authority was removed and cases were registered against 11 officers, many of whom have been arrested.
He said that assistance was delayed due to the victims not having identity cards, but now Rs90,000 per family is being given as three-month rent. A total of 45 families were living in the affected building in Lyari, most of whom were tenants.
He added that 66 dangerous buildings in Karachi and 87 across Sindh have been vacated, and further action is being taken under the new committee.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Sindh Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said regarding police recruitment that 50,000 youth passed the written examination under the advertisement given during the caretaker government, out of which 11,000 were recruited on merit and all the details are available on the website.
The Sindh Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution condemning the double murder incident in Balochistan, demanding the strictest punishment for the accused involved in the murder. The resolution was presented by Pakistan Peoples Party member Sadia Javed.