Monday blues and antidisestablishmentarianism

There were less than 40 MPAs out of 168 in the house when Speaker Nisar Khuhro started the session at around 11 am.


Saba Imtiaz January 17, 2012

KARACHI:


The only thing funnier than reporters showing up at 11:30 am to the Sindh Assembly and realising the day’s session was over was the sight of an MPA getting dropped off at the time. Monday’s session was adjourned after prayers were recited for MPA Syed Mohsin Shah Bukhari, who died on January 14.


While Bukhari was a five-time elected MPA from the Pakistan Peoples Party, few of his party’s legislators were there to say a prayer for him. Two PPP ministers were visible from the press gallery, but the ruling party members were not alone in their absences. There were less than 40 MPAs out of 168 in the house when Speaker Nisar Khuhro started the session at around 11 am, an hour after it was scheduled.

Monday blues? Or was it the knowledge that there would be no business given that it is standard practice to adjourn a session if a sitting MPA has died?

There was no post-session briefing either by Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri, who was also not at the assembly. Given the political crisis brewing in Islamabad, one was quite looking forward to hearing Marri’s thoughts on it, considering that last Friday she complained of the “selective justice” being meted out by the courts.

While Marri’s predecessor Sharjeel Inam Memon has barely been at the assembly since he lost the job, Marri is usually a rather vocal figure in and outside the house. As far as her own political career is concerned, Marri told The Express Tribune on Friday that she has not applied for a Senate seat. “I haven’t, but my sister has applied. She is 30 and it is not that she is my sister; she is able to run on her own [steam]. I don’t know who else has applied... I’ve only heard, I haven’t asked.”

The assembly will resume on Tuesday which is ‘private members’ day’ – a day for assembly members to bring forth resolutions and legislation. As Blackadder, played by Rowan Atkinson, says in the episode ‘Dish and Dishonesty’ of the BBC show, “Certainly, sire. I will return before you can say ‘antidisestablishmentarianism.’”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17th, 2012.

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