Rangers’ powers: PPP lawmakers blame opposition for delay

Opposition parties walk out twice in protest against speaker’s ‘discrimination’

KARACHI:

Amid more walkouts and protests by opposition parties over the issue of Rangers powers, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior minister Nisar Khuhro announced that the Sindh Assembly would finally take up the resolution today. It is not known whether the resolution will be debated upon before being adopted by the assembly.

"The Sindh government wants to give powers to the paramilitary force," he said. "In this respect, we have to adopt the resolution and fulfil the parliamentary practice of ratifying the powers under Article 147. I request all opposition members to please support the government instead of sabotaging this cause," he requested.



"From the first day of the current session, the resolution has been on the agenda. We could not take up the resolution on Friday because all the lawmakers of the opposition and treasury benches paid glowing tributes to Makhdoom Amin Fahim," he recalled. "We were serious about passing the resolution on Monday, but some opposition members created pandemonium here, compelling the speaker to adjourn the session," he said, adding that the protest caused the government to miss the opportunity to table the resolution. Tuesday was private members' day so the government could not take up its business.



Not allowed to speak

When the Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) MPA Shaheryar Mahar attempted to respond, the speaker refused to let him do so. "You did it yesterday. I will not let anyone create uproar in the house again.  The senior minister has given the statement under certain rules. Sorry I will not allow you to speak," he said.

The opposition members, belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) and the PML-F attempted to seek time from the speaker. "This is a discriminatory approach. You have given time to your party's minister but are not willing to listen to us."  The speaker asked his staff to close the mikes of the opposition members who later protested and staged a token walkout.

Not once, but twice

In all, the assembly witnessed two walkouts and protests by the opposition on Tuesday. The second protest and walkout was staged by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers when the speaker termed their privilege motion, "out of order".



Earlier, moving his privilege motion, MQM MPA Syed Khalid Ahmed said he had written three letters to the administrator of the Korangi district municipal corporation, seeking his attention towards civic issues such as garbage strewn on the roads, mismanagement in garbage collection and non-availability of street lights. The administrator had, however, failed to respond.

Nisar Khuhro, who has been recently appointed the minister for parliamentary affairs, opposed the privilege motion. "We have already inquired into the matter. The administrator has responded to the MPA. This privilege motion is out of order," he said, addressing the speaker.

The MQM MPAs started arguing in favour of the privilege motion, which created uproar in the house again. The lawmakers soon walked out of the session, with shouts of "No corruption no, go corruption go".

The next item on the agenda was the adjournment motion tabled by PML-F parliamentary leader Nand Kumar, who requested the speaker to adjourn the session to discuss an important matter of public concern in his constituency, Sanghar. He said that more than two million people suffer due to damaged and broken roads and even the orders of the Supreme Court have not been implemented to give priority to carry out development work on the roads in the district.

The parliamentary minister opposed this too, saying it was not an occurrence, therefore the session could not be adjourned for it. Later, the speaker termed the adjournment motion out of order and adjourned the session till Wednesday evening.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th,  2015.