Protests mar Sindh Assembly proceedings

Lawmakers shouted slogans against each other’s parties, treasury members attempted to assault PTI MPA

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly witnessed another protest on Tuesday when the Opposition and treasury members came head to head and shouted slogans against each other’s parties. The Assembly was observing private members’ day but due to the protests on different issues, the business on the agenda could not be taken up. The session had also started one hour, 25 minutes after the scheduled time.

Members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) were thumping the desks with their agenda copies, protesting against the delay in the session. The proceedings were supposed to start at 2pm but the Opposition members gathered in front of the speaker’s podium and protested.

The protests continued even after Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani entered the House. Opposition leader, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, stood up on his seat and wanted to speak on a point of order, but Durrani refused to allow him and said, “I will finish the agenda then give you time.” Upon Naqvi’s insistence, Durrani allowed him to speak.

The situation became worse when PTI MPA Raja Azhar Khan shouted and used derogatory language against the PPP leadership. On this, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Burhan Chandio and other PPP members attempted to attack Azhar but Saeed Ghani and other ministers sitting in the front row intervened and thwarted the scuffle.

Durrani tried to diffuse the tensions, requesting the protesting lawmakers to go back to their seats, but all in vain. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mukesh Kumar Chawla, while addressing the Speaker said, “PTI members come here to create problems. This is not the way to behave in the House. Why have they taken the name of our leadership? We can’t tolerate this. They should tender an apology.”

Naqvi requested the Speaker to open his mic, but Durrani said, “Please ask your people to calm down first.” To this, Naqvi replied, “It is the government’s responsibility to bring the House in order. We know that you have majority in the House, but you can’t suppress our voice.” He added that the PPP government would not gain anything if it did not take the Opposition into confidence. “Any government or democracy is meaningless without the Opposition,” he said, adding, “You are also not listening to us and favouring your party.”

This irked Durrani who said, “How can you say these words. If you are not happy with me then please bring a no-confidence motion against me.”

Opposition leader, referring to the government’s decision about standing committees and Public Accounts Committees (PAC), said that the PPP had made its own chairmen depriving the Opposition chairmanship of PAC.

Durrani said, “Despite being in custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), I opted to attend the Assembly session and chaired the advisory committee meetings. But no one from Opposition turned up to get their share in the advisory committee. What can I do,” he said adding, “Earlier, I requested joint opposition to please come in my chamber and resolve the issue through dialogue, but you all preferred protest in the House and challenged my decision in Sindh High Court. The chief justice refused to hear your plea. Once again, I am asking you to please come and see me in the chamber if you are interested to resolve the issues.”



Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani said that they would not succumb to any pressure or protest, but can listen to the Opposition if they want to sit with them and discuss their issues.

PTI MPA Sidra Imran moved her adjournment motion regarding the incompletion of mega project to set up a 700 Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plants in Thar despite an expenditure of Rs8 billion. Ghani opposed the adjournment motion calling it “out of order” which led to another protest by PTI MPA, compelling the Speaker to adjourn the session till today (Wednesday).

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2019.