Governor House's locks cause uproar in PA

The Sindh Assembly continued the general discussion on the provincial budget for the upcoming fiscal year on Friday. Both members of the assembly and provincial ministers participated in the debate, briefing the house on the performance of their respective departments and future plans.

During the session, presided over by Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, concerns were raised about the restrictions on access of acting governor to the Governor House.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, informed the house that Speaker Awais Qadir Shah, who has been acting governor for 22 days, was not allowed to enter the Governor House or perform his duties.

Lanjhar revealed that Governor Kamran Tessori had sealed the offices and taken the keys to Saudi Arabia, prompting the speaker to approach the court, which ordered the offices to be reopened. Reading out the court order in the assembly, Lanjar sarcastically remarked that while Tessori claims to open the Governor House to the public, it is closed to the province's acting governor.

The minister appealed to the Chief Minister to take action against those responsible, as per the court's orders.

Former Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani criticised Tessori for restricting Acting Governor from performing his duties. Durrani stated that the Speaker's authority was disrespected and demanded that Tessori should follow the constitution and apologize to the Sindh Assembly.

Senior parliamentarian Nisar Ahmed Khoro also condemned the Governor's actions, maintaining that the country and assembly run according to the constitution. He questioned the Governor's authority over the Governor's House, calling it a symbol of occupation rather than governance.

He questioned the Governor's motives, suggesting that the Governor's House is not a personal property but a public institution. Khoro demanded that a resolution be passed in the Sindh Assembly to address this issue.

MQM-P MPA Taha Ahmed argued that the incident involving the acting governor was a result of a misunderstanding and lack of communication. He said that the party respects the office of the acting governor and believes that the issue should not be politicized.

He expressed pride in being part of the community that values its heritage and history. In the same session, Minister Ali Hassan Zardari shed light on the government's efforts in infrastructure development, announcing 48 new schemes in the upcoming budget.