Enraged opposition MPAs walk out of assembly in unison

Deputy speaker did not allow a PML-F member to speak on an adjournment motion

KARACHI: Joint opposition members walked out of the Sindh Assembly session on Thursday in protest after Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza did not allow them to speak on an adjournment motion.

Opposition members belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), -Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) tore up the agenda copies and protested in front of speaker’s podium. Chants of ‘no Shehla no, go corruption go’ echoed in the House. The issue began when PML-F MPA Nusrat Seher Abbasi moved an adjournment motion regarding transfer of doctors from Thar.

"Around 25 doctors posted in Thar have been transferred to Karachi and Hyderabad," she said, adding that the government had earlier announced that doctors will be posted permanently in the drought hit area given the rising child and maternal mortality in the area.

"There are no gynaecologists in any taulka hospital of Thar," she said. Parliamentary Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro opposed the adjournment motion and said the information was not correct.

"A few doctors have left for higher studies but a majority of them are still working in Thar," he claimed. Raza, after hearing Khuhro’s version, hastily put the adjournment in the House for voting. Almost all the opposition members stood up at their seats and argued that adjournment was not against the rules and the mover should be given the chance to speak on its admissibility.



"I am member of this House and it's my right to speak on the adjournment motion," Abbasi said, but the deputy speaker told her staff to switch off the opposition members’ microphones. "The government has opposed it. The rules have given me powers to present the adjournment motion seeking House permission on it," she said, asking the members to vote on the matter.

A majority of the members belonging to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) rejected the adjournment motion, which led the opposition members to protest. During the protest it became difficult for government to finish rest of the agenda. Amid the protest, Law Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar introduced four bills and deferred their consideration to today (Friday).

The bills included the Sindh Employees Social Security (Amendment) Bill, 2018, Sindh Employees Old-Age Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2018, Sindh Minimum Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and Sindh Worker Welfare Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2018. Meanwhile, the assembly passed two bills to establish the Begum Nusrat Bhutto Women University in Sukkur and Shaikh Ayaz University in Shikarpur.

Women University in Sukkur

The assembly passed a law to establish the first women’s university in upper Sindh. There is one medical university, the Peoples Medical University for women, in Nawabshah and the new university will cover Sukkur, Larkana, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Kandhkot, Kamber Shahdadkot, Khairpur Mir, Dadu and other districts.

The university will have faculties of natural sciences, commerce and economic management sciences, culture and social sciences, education and literacy learning, family and community sciences, law, journalism and communication, engineering and technology, theology and religious studies and pharmacy.



The chief minister has the power to appoint the vice-chancellor, pro-VC and others officials as per the universities and institutions law passed a few days ago.

Shaikh Ayaz University                 

Amid the PPP lawmakers’ applause, Lanjar paid tribute to famous Sindhi poet, intellectual and lawyer Shaikh Ayaz and said, "We are going to build the university in Shikapur and name it after this noted poet who belonged to the city".

Most of the members thumped their desks and lauded the government's effort to launch a public university in the historic city.  According to the law, faculties of arts and humanities, science, education, management and sciences and commerce, information technology, engineering and technology and pharmacy will be established at the varsity.

The assembly also passed a law to regularise contractual employees of Khairpur Medical College. Later, the speaker adjourned the session till today (Friday).