Sindh Assembly adjourned in grief over MPA's death

Sardar Ahmed Ali Pitafi died last Friday

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly session was adjourned early on Wednesday to mourn the death of MPA Sardar Ahmed Ali Pitafi. The House adopted a resolution offering condolences for the deceased MPA.

As the session started with Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, many MPAs requested fateha for Pitafi, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA who died last Friday, and minor girl Zainab who was allegedly raped and killed in Kasur.

After recitation of fateha, parliamentary leader of the PPP, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, sought the speaker's permission fto move a resolution expressing grief over the death of the MPA, which was granted.

"The House pays rich tribute to the services of Sardar Ahmed Ali Pitafi as a public representative and prays for his departed soul to be blessed with a higher place in Jannah," the resolution read.



After the resolution, Khuhro requested the speaker to adjourn the session. "We don't take up any business on the first session after any sitting MPA's death," Khuhro said.  The speaker adjourned the session till today (Thursday).

Reactions to Kasur incident

Talking to the media outside the assembly, many treasury and opposition members condemned the murder of minor girl Zainab after alleged rape in Kasur. The MPAs demanded the Punjab government arrest the culprits so that they be given exemplary punishment.

Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah called Zainab's murder a 'horrific' incident. "It shows the state-of-affairs in Punjab where women, children and minorities are being targeted. This is a blot in the face of the Punjab government," he said, adding that leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) were least bothered about human rights violations in Punjab.



Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hasan asked the Punjab chief minister to take prompt action. "This is a serious issue and we will raise it in the assembly," he said.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Khurrum Sher Zaman said the PML-N government in Punjab and the Centre had lost its credibility. No one was safe while the PML-N leaders were busy in minting public money, he remarked.