Sindh Assembly session: Chaos descends over motion moved against Sukkur IBA director

Resolution passed on offering scholarships to students topping matric, intermediate boards.

KARACHI: “Jhoot bhol rahey ho!” shouted members of the Sindh Assembly, pointing angry fingers at one another on Tuesday’s session.

Uproar followed when a privilege motion was moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) MPA Shahrayar Mahar against IBA Director, Sukkur. Accusations of lying and shouts of ‘shame, shame’ echoed in the house. Later, when the speaker of the assembly termed the privilege motion ‘out of order’, the opposition staged a walkout.

The session started with Deputy Speaker Shahla Raza in chair. Mahar requested the acting speaker for permission to move a privilege motion on the agenda. The deputy speaker replied that since proper rules and procedure had not been followed, she could not permit him to move the motion. “You had not given a notice period to the speaker,” she said.

But Mahar said that he had not only given notice under rule 59 of the assembly, but had also discussed the issue with the speaker. “If I had not given a notice then how come the privilege motion is included in today’s agenda?” he asked.

Mahar finally succeeded in tabling the motion when the leader of the opposition, Jam Madad Ali, stood up to support him.

Mahar said that on December 8, while he was in the United States on a study tour, he came across media reports that he had been nominated in a case involving an attack on Zahid Khan, registrar of IBA, Sukkur. He said that he came back to Pakistan and found out that his name had not been nominated in any case. However, Nisar Siddiqui, Director of IBA, Sukkur, had started a campaign against him and was accusing him of ‘firing on the registrar and patronising land mafia’, said Mahar.

He said that since he was an MPA, the IBA director had breached his privilege and tried to tarnish his image. Therefore, an inquiry should be initiated against the IBA director and a special committee should be constituted so that the director can be called to the assembly.

Following Mahar’s speech, PPP MPA Sharjee Inam Memon stood up and said that Mahar had also leveled allegations against PPP members, including Federal Minister Khursheed Shah, for backing the IBA administration. “I think Mahar should apologise before moving the privilege motion. He should avoid the drama that he is innocent,” he said.

His comments were lauded by PPP MPA Nasrullah Baloch, who showed his enthusiastic support by yelling out “He is a liar and he’s lying!”

Mahar replied along the same line, which led to an explosion of angry words between members of the treasury and opposition.  Several PPP members stood up  and despite repeated requests of the deputy speaker to sit down, they continued saying “shame, shame”.

Finally, at the end the deputy speaker said that all the harsh words should be expunged. “I have heard the mover and other members of the house and I have come to the conclusion that the privilege motion moved is out of order,” she said.

After which the joint opposition staged a walkout from the session for a few minutes, calling the attitude of the deputy speaker biased.  Raza then suggested that the opposition and treasury members should sit in their chambers and discuss how to resolve the matter.

Private motions and bills

Since it was a private member day, private resolutions and motions were on the agenda. The assembly unanimously passed a resolution to offer scholarships to students who topped their matriculation and intermediate exams. The resolution was moved by MQM MPA Muhammad Alimur Rehman.

Two private bills were moved by National People’s Party MPA Arif Mustafa Jatoi and were opposed by a majority.

One was regarding the appointment of a fleet of advisers and ministers in the Sindh cabinet. In his motion, he said that after the promulgating of 18 Amendment, the government has assured to downsize the cabinet members after the next elections. But pertaining to the appointment of advisers, there is a clear policy that the chief minister cannot have more than five advisers. “Unfortunately there are around 15 advisers who have huge salaries and the same status as that of ministers. This is a burden on our economy.”

Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro said that the cabinet will be downsized after the next elections. Meanwhile, they will bring down the number of advisers to five but this will be done in phases, he added.

In his other bill on provincial finance commission, the MPA said that when other members of the Sindh cabinet, including Sindh Finance Minister and district nazims, are members of the commission, then why is the leader of the opposition not made a member as well.”It seems that these people want to hide facts,” he said.

His argument was bluntly rejected by treasury members and both of his private bills could not be passed. Later the session was adjourned till Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2011.