'PPP MPAs forged signatures to summon Sindh Assembly session'

Opposition had earlier protested the move and announced a challenge to the legality of the session

KARACHI: Another week, another Sindh Assembly session, another controversy.

Last week, it was the decision to declare the legislative assembly a sub-jail - a move denounced by many as being in direct contravention of the law.

This week, the Sindh governor has raised the matter of forged signatures being used to summon the latest session.

The governor, in a letter addressed to Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, has sought a response over allegations of the use of forged signatures for an application submitted by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPAs to summon the session that commenced on June 12.

PPP MPAs Nida Khuhro, Ghanwar Ali Isran, Saadia Javed had submitted an application, bearing signatures of one-fourth of the total members, which is mandatory to summon a session.

Tit for tat

This was all done after the governor allegedly delayed the summary sent to him by the chief minister in the first week of June.

Incensed at what they believed were delaying tactics on the part of the governor and the subsequent arrest of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, the party's MPAs rushed to the speaker's office and used another legal option to summon the session by submitting an application to him.

As session commenced on June 12, PPP MPAs moved a resolution condemning the National Accountability Bureau's move to arrest Zardari and demanded his release without delay.

Meanwhile, members of the joint opposition members, led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Firdous Shamim Naqvi, protested the move and announced to challenge the legality of the session.

In his letter to the speaker, the governor said that he had received a summary from the chief minister to summon the session on June 3, which was the last working day prior to Eidul Fitr.

According to him, the summary was moved for approval on June 10, which was the first working day after the Eid holidays. "While the summary was under examination in my secretariat, the deputy speaker requisitioned the session invoking Article 54 (3), which can only be exercised in extreme exigency and requires requisition signed by one-fourth of the total membership of the provincial assembly," states the governor's letter.

"On examination, regrettably it was found that a few members of PPP, including Malik Asad Sikandar, Dr Sohrab Sarki, Abdul Razzak Raja, Munawar Ali Wassan and Faryal Talpur, whose signatures were found appended on the list, were either out of the country or were not in the city."

The governor added that the opposition leader had approached the Sindh Assembly secretary for the singed requisition, but his response was still awaited, adding that it was now clear why the details were concealed.

"In view of the foregoing, the issuance of requisition and the session which was summoned on June 12 onwards is illegal ab initio. I would request you to kindly probe this matter to find out the factual situation as to who are responsible for such fraudulent activity on behalf of Sindh Assembly speaker," said the governor.

"It is also in the fitness of affairs that the Sindh Assembly Secretary be directed to respond to the letters issued from my secretariat," he added.

CM lashes out

Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had criticised the governor for avoiding his 'constitutional responsibilities'. "I wish there was a mechanism in the law to start impeachment of the governor like the Constitution allows for the impeachment of the President," he said, adding that the governor has to follow the Sindh government's recommendations, but he deviates from it.

The chief minister referred to his summary sent to the governor to summon the session and said, "Despite our repeated phone calls and message, the governor avoided calling the session and fulfilling his responsibility."

The CM also lauded the PPP members' initiative of using another option to approach the speaker to summon the session. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2019.