Tug-Of-War: To sit or not to sit on opposition benches

Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that they were waiting for govt’s response on the resignations of MQM ministers and advisers.

KARACHI:

Confusion prevailed on Thursday over the status of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers in the Sindh Assembly.

MQM legislators insisted they should be considered opposition members, while government functionaries maintained they had not yet been allotted seats.

When an MQM delegation arrived at the Sindh Assembly, the assembly’s secretary, Hadi Bux Burrio, said: “I am not authorised to allot you seats (on the opposition benches).  It is the speaker’s prerogative.”

Later, MQM’s parliamentary leader in provincial assembly Sardar Ahmed said that they had been allotted opposition seats. “This is our final decision,” he said.  Ahmed said that, along with him, the names of Raza Haroon and Faisal Subzwari were being considered for the position of leader of the opposition.

Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that they were waiting for the government’s response on the resignations of MQM ministers and advisers.

He, however, acknowledged that MQM lawmakers had been asked to occupy seats which are usually allotted to opposition members.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2011.