No proceedings: Sindh Assembly session adjourned owing to ‘lack of quorum’

Opposition claims session adjourned to avoid oath of Ismail Rahu, discussion on toxic liquor.

KARACHI: Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani adjourned the Sindh Assembly session on Friday without taking up the agenda owing to lack of quorum.

However, opposition parties claimed the session was adjourned to avoid the oath of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) MPA-elect Ismail Rahu and discussion on toxic liquor.

As the session was started, at around 11:05am, there were only 13 MPAs belonging to all the parliamentary parties in the session. Soon after recitation from the Holy Quran, the speaker took a glance at the assembly and looked at senior minister for education and parliamentary affairs, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro. Khuhro stood up and said, “The quorum is not complete to run the proceedings.”

Expressing dismay over the absence of lawmakers in the session, the speaker regretted how he has repeatedly asked lawmakers to ensure their presence in the house. “Since morning, I was waiting for the members but unfortunately there are only a few MPAs,” he said. He added that he has also requested parliamentary leaders of opposition parties to ensure their party members’ attendance but they never come in the House on time. “I always try to run the session as per rules,” he said. “Since quorum is not complete, I have no other option but to adjourn the session.” The session was adjourned till April 6, meaning that the next sitting will be after a 10-day gap because of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s death anniversary on April 4.

Opposition members sitting in the session cried foul against the speaker’s announcement to adjourn the session. “No, please no,” said Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) parliamentary leader Nand Kumar. “You have already given the ruling that the session will be continued even in lack of quorum. So please live up to your earlier ruling.” Nonetheless, Durrani did not listen to any member and left the session for his chamber.

On the other hand, PML-N leader Rahu, who has recently defeated a PPP candidate in the by-election in Badin, was about to reach the assembly along with one dozen vehicles of his supporters to take the oath. However, he returned to his house without appearing at the assembly premises.

“PPP government is not willing see Ismail Rahu in the assembly as they are challenging his candidature in court,” said Kumar while speaking to the media outside the assembly. “Apart from this, I had moved an adjournment motion to discuss 60 deaths from toxic liquor in Tando Muhammad Khan. Apparently, these are the issues that have compelled the government to adjourn the session.” Kumar added that the government has not taken any action against those responsible for the toxic liquor deaths.

Syed Sardar Ahmed of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was of the view that the speaker had adjourned the session against the rules. “We all were on the way to the session and he abruptly adjourned it,” he said, adding that since the session was called by the government, it was hence their responsibility to maintain quorum. “We spend lots of budget on the session but the government is not serious to run it.”

Meanwhile, Khuhro refuted the opposition’s claims about the adjournment being a deliberate move. “I pointed out lack of quorum and it is the speaker’s prerogative to continue the session or adjourn it,” he said, adding that they had no hidden agenda behind it.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2016.