Islamabad, Sep 25: The Sindh Assembly was informed that 81 industrial units, including textile and sugar mills, had been closed over the past five years due to the electricity crisis.
The Parliamentary Secretary of Industries and Commerce, Ali Ahmed, acknowledged that industrial activity had been severely impacted by power shortages, with industrialists expressing concerns.
Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi criticized the unsatisfactory responses, requesting more detailed information on closed and newly established units from 2018 to 2023. Minister Saeed Ghani clarified that some questions related to the labor department, not the industries department.
Additionally, the assembly unanimously passed the Sindh Control of Narcotic Substances Bill, 2024 to regulate narcotics, synthetic drugs, and psychotropic substances like meth and ecstasy.
The law empowers narcotics officers to search and arrest without warrants if they suspect concealed narcotics. Officers must also record video evidence of raids and seizures. Sindh became the second province, after KP, to adopt such legislation.
The assembly was also informed that 13 licenses for subsoil water extraction in Karachi had been issued under revised rules, with 20 earlier licenses rescinded due to violations.
