Pandemonium in PA as Haleem takes the floor

Lawmakers hurl abuses across the aisle as opposition leader claims police torture

KARACHI:

The Sindh Assembly witnessed a stormy session when it convened for the first time on Thursday since Opposition Leader Haleem Adil Shaikh's arrest last week after violence during Malir's PS-88 by-polls.

Haleem, who was brought to the assembly in an armoured police vehicle from Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre with his foot in a plaster, was given the floor. The opposition leader stringently criticised his arrest and condemned the registration of cases against him.

The Opposition Leader reiterated allegations of being tortured in jail and claimed there was a conspiracy to kill him.

While Haleem spoke, lawmakers on either sides of the aisle stood up from their seats and hurled abuses at each other. Slogans of "thief" and "dacoit" echoed in the house as members of assembly resorted to some choice words and pointed fingers at lawmakers on the other side of the aisle.

After repeated requests to the MPAs to remain calm, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani adjourned the session till today (Friday).

It was as Haleem spoke about his alleged ordeal while in police custody that chaos ensued in the house.

"Half a dozen of us Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members were shifted to central jail. I asked the jail police to keep us together, but they separated us and wanted to shift me to a cell, which is used to keep notorious criminals," said Haleem. "On the way, a group 50 criminals, who were standing there [as planned ahead] attacked [me] inside the prison and tortured me," added the opposition leader.

Also read: Haleem’s production order issued

According to Haleem's account, he was rescued by the police and then shifted to the cell where hardened criminals are kept. The cops misbehaved with him in jail instead of providing him the B-Class facilities that he was entitled to. "I am a member of this house and request you to please conduct an inquiry into the matter," he said, directing his comments at the Speaker.

Durrani suggested that Haleem move an application in the court. "I, along with my party [Pakistan Peoples Party] leader Asif Ali Zardari, have also spent many days in jail. We even contested the election while living inside the CIA centre," said Durrani, adding that this was the norm. "I issued production orders for you to be able to come here."

Haleem expressed his gratitude towards the Speaker but went on to criticise the PPP and its governance in Sindh. "The PPP] is involved in economic terrorism."

This allegation irked many PPP lawmakers with Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Taimur Talpur and Imdad Pitafi of the PPP standing up indignantly. "We can't tolerate the things he is saying," said Chawla.

Similarly, Talpur also yelled out that Haleem was a land grabber and would not let the latter speak.

This led to a war of words between the PPP ministers and Haleem.

Following the trade of insults, the Speaker asked Haleem to brief the house on his case and not to waste the assembly's time.

However, the Opposition Leader insisted that he wished to expose the poor performance of the PPP-led Sindh government, which according to him had looted and plundered people of Sindh. "I am [a] tiger of [Prime Minister] Imran Khan, my job is to highlight the issues faced by the 60 million people living in Sindh."

Before the session was adjourned amid the pandemonium in the house, two lawmakers, who were recently elected to the assembly on a PPP ticket after by-polls in Malir and Sanghar, Jam Shabbir and Yousuf Baloch, took their oath.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2021.