Session adjourned: Only three members make it to the assembly

MQM leader claims all their party members were present

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly session was adjourned on Friday for Monday as only three members reached the hall when Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani arrived.

The speaker’s arrival was unusual as he reached the venue right on time - at 10am sharp - when usually the session does not start until much later. Most of the members usually walk in after 10:30am.

Only three members belonging to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), including senior minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Mukesh Kumar and Dr Sohrab Sarki were present at the time.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) senior leader, Syed Sardar Ahmed, pointed out that the speaker had to ring the bell if there was no complete quorum. He claimed that the speaker did not ring any bell on Friday.

Meanwhile, MQM’s Khuwaja Izharul Haq said that all members belonging to his party were present. The assembly session was adjourned as the Sindh government cannot face the reality, which is being highlighted by his party members, he said.

Rejecting the allegations of the MQM members, Khuhro said that the speaker had every right to adjourn the session if he observed that the quorum was incomplete.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2015.