Sindh Assembly: Marvi Rashdi’s 15 minutes of (de)fame

Instea­d of discus­sing the budget, PML-F calls the educat­ion dept illite­rate and health dept ill.

KARACHI:

In 15 minutes, MPA Marvi Rashdi summed up her opinion of the government in a tirade littered with deliberate paradoxes. “The most corrupt department in the province is the anti-corruption department. The education department is an illiterate one and health is an ill department,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional lawmaker scowled during the Sindh Assembly session on Saturday.

During the budget discussion, Rashdi said this year’s budget presented by Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah was numerically good, but it seemed “sugar-coated”.

Then she criticised the health, education and anti-corruption departments, which, according to her, have failed to deliver. “How can people get better education when the minister of that department is watching dance videos of Indian actresses on his iPad during the budget session?” she said, quoting media reports. She described the governmental system as “bogus” as no attention was being given to changing the status quo.

On the law and order situation, she said Rs30 billion had been allocated for the police and after every target killing, the chief minister took notice of the issue, but his efforts had made no headway. “More than 20 of the country’s largest industrial groups have left Karachi and the rest of them are living in constant fear of being kidnapped by extortionist gangs.”

The Sindh government had passed a bill to collect sales tax on services. But on the other hand, the right to collect tax on the banking sector, insurance companies and stock markets had been given to the federal government, the MPA said. “More than 300 Nato containers arrive every day in Karachi and the federal government collects Rs20,000 in services tax on each container. Why is the federal government collecting services tax and where is provincial autonomy?” she questioned.

As Rashdi was about to finish, Senior Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq — the main subject of her harangue — was sitting in his chamber and then entered the session, in an attempt to respond. But Speaker Nisar Khuhro asked him to wait.

When Rashdi finished her ‘budget speech’, Pir Mazharul Haq stood up. “It is very unfortunate that people who have been elected are not even aware of the ethics of how to speak at the floor of the assembly,” he said in a scathing rebuttal.

In Rashdi’s defence, fellow Pakistan Muslim League-F member and the Leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali intervened and said that she had quoted media reports that claimed Pir Mazhar ul Haq had been watching dance videos during the budget. “He can clarify his position rather than being critical on our member who has quoted media reports,” he said.

That is when members of both parties started pointing fingers at each other. Jam Madad Ali said, “During the budget session, we made a precedent and listened to the finance minister’s speech without creating any ruckus in the house.”

Later, Speaker Nisar Khuhro adjourned the session till Monday amid the ruling and opposition parties shouting slogans.

Budget discussion

During the session, only seven members took part in the budget discussion on Saturday and the speaker said that around 81 members had spoken on the budget proposal within the last five days. The budget discussion would continue for another three to four days before it is passed, he said.

Earlier, giving his speech during the budget discussion, Minister for Inter Provincial and Coordination Makhdoom Jameeluz Zaman said that even though Sindh is already facing an acute water shortage, the federal government was willing to give Islamabad a share of Sindh’s water. “We have opposed this decision in the past and we will continue to do so.”He suggested that separate institutions for the welfare of artists and writers be established in the province.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Akhtar Jadoon said his department was going to set up modern terminals under public-private partnership and billions of rupees would be invested with the help of a Malaysian company.

Rangers encroachment

Separately, Abdul Moeed Siddiqui of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement alleged that the Rangers have encroached on a government school in his constituency, North Nazimabad. Despite many complaints, the government has not taken any action, he told the house.





Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2011.