Pandemonium in the House: They scream, they shout, they walk out

Lawmakers walk out of the Sindh Assembly session thrice; tear down copies of the rules of procedure.


Hafeez Tunio April 06, 2015
Opposition members protest in the session today. PHOTO: EXPRESS

KARACHI:


The Sindh Assembly was in uproar on Monday. The opposition walked out thrice and wreaked havoc on the floor during the session. They tore down copies of the procedure rules. One of the protesting lawmakers, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sorath Thebo, even attempted to occupy the Speaker’s chair to run the session.


As the stormy session started, with Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the chair, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MPA Mohammad Hussain stood up and tried to raise the issue of the Rangers’ raid at Nine Zero. “The Rangers have arrested many innocent workers, including the husband of a sitting MPA,” he said. The speaker intervened, however, before he could finish. “I cannot allow you to speak on this issue at the moment. Please don’t violate the rules of the House”

Hussain was, however, persistent that he be allowed to speak. “Every day, we witness rules being violated in the session. It is okay when you do it. The restrictions are only for us.”

Most MQM MPAs stood up and shouted, “Please listen to Hussain Bhai.”  The speaker was unmoved. “No never. This case is sub-judice and you have not moved any motion on this matter. How can I allow you to take it up?”  He ordered his staff to switch off the MQM members’ microphones.  After a brief protest, the MQM lawmakers staged a walkout. The speaker taunted them as they were leaving. “Okay. Go and have a cup of tea outside”.

The second ruckus started when the leader of the opposition, Shahrayar Mahar, tried to speak on a point of order. The speaker refused to let him speak. “Please let us finish the agenda for the day. I will give you time after that,” he said. Mahar said, however, that his point of order was for a public-interest issue. The speaker refused again. This prompted the opposition members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and PML-N to stage a token walkout.

The third protest started after the question answer session when Durrani left and Shehla Raza took up the chair.  Time and again, MQM’s Mohammad Hussain stood up to protest the presence of PTI MPAs in the session. “I want to draw your attention towards the rules and procedures made by this assembly. They are attending the session against the dictates of the Constitution” he said.

Shehla Raza refused to pay him heed and took up the call-attention notices that were on the agenda. This irked the MQM MPAs who started protesting again. Mohammad Hussain, pointing his finger towards the deputy speaker, said: “Read this book. The speaker of the Sindh Assembly has given the ruling to de-seat these MPAs,” he said. This led to a heated argument between the deputy speaker and the MQM MPAs. “Aap ka ye style naheen chaliga [Your style will not work here]. If you are so qualified, please go and give PhD classes,” she screamed back.

She suddenly became emotional and said: “Have you people not been violating the rules by reciting poetry during the Fateha?” she questioned. She asked another MQM MPA Waqar Shah to read his call-attention notice.

When the latter refused, the deputy speaker announced the call-attention notice period was over even though the other opposition MPAs wanted to take up their attention notices.

Adjourn for 10 minutes

“It looks like you have decided to turn this House into a fish market. Don’t dictate me and draw my attention towards rules,” she said, before adjourning the session for 10 minutes. The MQM MPAs continued to shout, “shame, shame”.

As the session resumed after the 10-minute break, PML-F and PML-N MPAs gathered in front of the speaker’s chair that was lying vacant until them. PML-N’s Sorath Thebo tried to sit on the speaker’s chair but was stopped by the Sindh Assembly secretary.

The speaker soon returned and with him, so did the uproar. The opposition members demanded to take up their call-attention notices. They tore the copies of the rules of procedure and walked out of the session along with the MQM lawmakers. Throughout this time, the PTI MPAs sat as silent spectators.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2015. 

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