Pre-budget Sindh Assembly session turns into a brawl

PTI MPA uses derogatory words against Bilawal, opposition leader apologises

KARACHI: The pre-budget session of the Sindh Assembly turned into a brawl on Tuesday when Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers started using derogatory remarks against each other's leadership. The situation became tense when PTI MPA Raja Azhar, during his speech, criticised the Sindh government and called PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari a "defected leader".

"In the last nine years' report, the Auditor-General of Pakistan has revealed embezzlement of Rs957 billion in the accounts of Sindh government. No one talks about it," said Azhar, adding that because of bad governance and corruption, PPP was no longer a central party and was confined only to the province. He further said, "The PPP's defected Chairman Bilawal Zardari is doing nothing, but criticising others".

These words irked the PPP MPAs who protested against the remarks. Female MPAs, including Kulsoom Chandio and Shahnaz Begum, rushed to Azhar. Chandio even pulled out the microphone installed on her desk and threw it at Azhar, hitting his shoulder. During the brawl, PTI MPAs also reacted, but a few lawmakers from both the parties brought the situation under control. Condemning Azhar's remarks, PPP MPAs and ministers stood up at their seats and continued their protest. "We will also talk against Imran Khan if opposition leader does not tender an apology," Education Minister Sardar Shah said adding that they knew a lot of things they could reveal in the house against PTI leadership too.

Opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi tendering apology on the remarks of his MPA said, "Every action has a reaction. We don't want to create bad norms in the house". He added, "We should avoid using such words against each other and the leaderships". After this apology, the tension in the House diffused and the Speaker asked the MPAs to proceed with the discussion on budget. But now the opposition and treasury members got embroiled in a discussion on the rules of the House for around 50 minutes. The debate turned into heated arguments, which led the opposition to stage a token walkout.

Naqvi, expressing his concern, said, "Today is private members day. On this day, the House is supposed to take up the agenda of MPAs". Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani responded, "We have already fixed the days for pre-budget. The five days for discussion has been fixed on your demand with consultation of all opposition lawmakers". To which the opposition leader replied, "What will happen to private members day". The Speaker said that they had deferred the agenda for the sake of a discussion on budget and will take it up on another day.

Naqvi was not satisfied with the answer and referring to rules of the assembly he raised another issue, "Three quarters have passed and no one has discussed the expenditure in the last quarterly budget". He said that the House should first discuss the previous budget expenditure and then initiate the debate for the proposal for the upcoming year, 2019-20. To this, Speaker Durrani said that they had already announced for a pre-budget discussion and one member has already spoken on it. He added, "Let me know If you are unwilling to take part in the debate and want create pandemonium in the house".

Imtiaz Shaikh of PPP said, "They are deliberately creating chaos in the house. They don't know about the rules and law". The Speaker asked the opposition leader, who was standing on his seat, to sit down and take part in the on-going discussion. However, the opposition leader said, "You are running the session against the rules by ignoring private members day agenda and debate on previous quarterly expenditures".

Speaker Durrani said that all members including Naqvi and his party members had passed a motion three days ago and fixed five days for discussion on the budget. He added, "You should have raised the objection when we moved the motion rather than creating a fuss now".

The opposition leader said, "No you have to fix days for previous quarterly reports separately".

Saeed Ghani, quoting the rules, said that five days were already fixed for the purpose during which the opposition members, he added, can discuss the previous quarter's expenditure and budget proposal for the year 2019-20.



Trying to ease the situation, Khawaja Izharul Hasan of Muttahida Qaumi Movement - Pakistan (MQM-P) said, "We are mixing things, which creates confusion. In this house, we have always fixed a few days on each quarter".

Mohammad Hussain of MQM-P suggested moving separate motions, one for last three quarters expenditures and another for upcoming pre-budget discussion.

The minister for parliamentary affairs said, "If opposition wants to initiate the debate separately on each quarter then we can fix three extra days for the last quarters".

Speaker extended the discussion by three days and asked the House to start discussion on the annual budget. He then gave floor to MMA MPA Abdul Rashid.

PTI's Haleem Adil Shaikh and other stood up and said, "Please first fix the days for the quarters. This is not the way."  Speaker Durrani refused to budge and again asked Rashid to continue his speech. As he started his speech, the joint opposition members, belonging to PTI, MQM and GDA, walked out of the session.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2019.