‘Surprise’ leads to Sindh Assembly walkout

GDA, PTI boycott ‘unplanned’ pre-budget discussion

KARACHI:

It was another chaotic day at the Sindh Assembly, with opposition parties protesting and walking out of the session over an unplanned pre-budget discussion.

When the session started with Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the chair, the attendance was sparse. "There is pre-budget discussion, and I'm surprised to see the lack of interest of members from both the treasury and opposition benches," he said while adjourning it for 25 minutes.

Upon resumption, opposition members belonging to Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) protested over not being informed in advance of the day's agenda.

"Sir, you are giving us a surprise about the pre-budget discussion. No one had informed us that there would be a discussion on it," GDA MPA Shaharyar Mahar said.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mukesh Kumar Chawla responded that members were unaware because they weren't regular in attending sessions. The exchange took an ugly turn with the GDA minister accusing the PPP lawmaker of "running wine shops at night and selling wheat during the day". This resulted in pandemonium as members from the opposition and treasury benches lashed out at each other.

Leader of the Opposition Haleem Adil Shaikh urged the speaker to adjourn the session and reschedule the budget discussion for Monday.

The speaker refused to adjourn the session upon which GDA and PTI members walked out of the session.

PPP MPA Siraj Qasim Soomro talked about the destruction to infrastructure and livelihood in the recent floods.

'Divisions within'

Following the walkout, PTI leaders Shaikh and Firdous Shamim Naqvi had a heated exchange. Naqvi criticized Shaikh over the walkout, saying he had prepared for the budget session.

Shaikh shot back that his decision wouldn't be dictated by the wishes of an individual as he was leader of the opposition. He said it was his responsibility to show support for GDA's boycott call.

Lawmakers intervened and pulled the two PTI leaders apart.

When contacted later, Shaikh said he had a disagreement and not falling out with Naqvi and that he stood by his decision on the walkout. Naqvi could not be contacted for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2023.