Opposition continues protest against non-provision of development funds in Sindh Assembly

Members stage walkout in Sindh Assembly session on second consecutive day

KARACHI: The joint opposition continued their protest in the Sindh Assembly for the second consecutive day and staged a walkout when the government turned down their resolution pertaining to community development funds.

The House became tense as members tore agenda copies and uttered derogatory and abusive words against each other's leadership. The House echoed with slogans of 'Go Zardari Go', 'No Corruption No' and 'Loota-krasy nahin chalay gi [Corruption won't stand]'.

Setting their differences aside, all the opposition parties, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement - Pakistan (MQM-Pakistan), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) and Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) were on the same page on the issue.



The uproar started when Dr Zafar Kamali of MQM moved a private resolution, demanding the release of development funds to all the opposition members.

As Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza gave the floor to Kamali, he said, "The members of treasury benches have almost spent their funds under the community development programme but opposition members are deprived of it," he said, adding that 73 MPAs of opposition parties, with consultation of communities in their respective constituencies, have finalised their schemes but funds have not been released to them.

"Each MPA is supposed to get Rs40 million but has not received a single penny," Kamali said, adding the joint opposition also protested in vain on Monday.

PML-N MPA Sorath Thebo, while endorsing the resolution, waved copies of their schemes, which she had submitted, and said, "Nisar Khuhro misguided this House on Monday that I have received the funds. I have brought proof with me that my schemes are still in doldrums."



A total of Rs8 billion has been earmarked under 'community development programme' but all the money is utilised by PPP MPAs, she said.

"She received the funds last time. Let us check this year's record," Khuhro responded. The funds of those MPAs have been stopped who have not fulfilled formalities, he added.

Addressing the deputy speaker, Khuhro said, "Madam, why are you only giving a chance to opposition MPAs to shed light on this issue. Please give the floor to treasury members, too, who want to speak."

On the request of Khuhro, the deputy speaker gave the floor to PPP MPA Imtiaz Shaikh, over which the opposition members protested.
Criticising the opposition, Shaikh started his speech amid the noisy session. However, no one from the opposition was willing to listen to Shaikh and the House depicted a fish market.

"If you don't want to listen, I will put this resolution in the House," the deputy speaker said while addressing the opposition.



After her repeated warning, she put forward the opposition resolution seeking funds, which were rejected by the government with its majority votes. As the resolution was turned down, the opposition members shouted 'Shame, Shame' slogans and some of them said 'Go Zardari Go'.

Leaving their seats, they gathered in front of the speaker's dais and continued their protest. Later, they walked out of the session.

In the absence of the opposition, the PPP lawmakers not only criticised them but used non-parliamentary language against the PML-N leader and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.



After the resolution, the session was adjourned till Friday.

Opposition members are staging dramas, says Sharjeel Memon

Meanwhile, former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Minister for Industries Manzoor Hussain Wassan, Dr Sohrab Sarki of PPP, PPP MPA Zia Lanjar and Minister for Works and Services Imdad Pitafi were among others who defended their government policies during the assembly session.

"Our opposition members are staging dramas here while ignoring the federal government's corruption and bad governance," said former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, adding that Nawaz wants to run the government's affairs under his Ittefaq Foundry pattern and by using the state's institutions against political rivals.



"The prime minister is playing a horrific game to weaken this country," said Memon, adding that Nawaz is trying to become Amirul Momineen but his desire will not be fulfilled.

"Whenever the PML-N government faces problems, they create tension on the Line of Control and other borders of the country to divert the issue. But this time, the prime minister has no other option but to resign because he has lost the moral ground to run the government," he remarked.

Regarding his meeting with Indian businessman Sajjan Jindal, Memon said the prime minister actually wants to sell the Steel Mills to his Indian friends but the PPP government would be the stumbling block as the mill was established by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.



Pitafi used 'abusive' words against Nawaz and later requested the deputy speaker to expunge his words from the assembly proceedings.

Meanwhile, Sarki drew the attention towards the ongoing census exercise and said a conspiracy was being hatched to convert Sindh into a minority by tampering with the data. "We have no high hopes from the corrupt prime minister. We will not accept the census results as the data was manipulated," he said.