‘Topi Drama’: Chaudhry Nisar to be summoned through advertisements
MPAs want final notice issued to opposition leader to appear before privilege committee.
KARACHI:
The Sindh Assembly secretariat will issue newspaper advertisements as the final notice to summon Chaudhry Nisar, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, before the provincial assembly’s privilege committee on June 14.
This was decided at a meeting held in the Sindh Assembly’s committee room on Tuesday.
The meeting, chaired by PPP MPA Ghulam Mujadid Isran, was called following a privilege motion moved in the Sindh Assembly by Imran Zafar Leghari and Saleem Khursheed Khokhar against Nisar, who had allegedly ridiculed the celebration of Sindhi Culture Day as “Topi Drama”.
Isran said that despite many reminders, the opposition leader has not attended any meeting of the privilege committee, deriding the forum of elected representatives. He directed the Sindh Assembly secretary to give Nisar final chance before making a unilateral decision.
Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, while citing the rules and procedures of the provincial assembly, said that Nisar can be declared a “proclaimed offender” after failing to appear in three meetings, and he must be punished for it.
He added that the opposition leader can be punished with a six-month jail term and a fine of Rs5,000 if he does not appear before the committee on June 14.
Video clips of the press conference, where Nisar made the remarks against the Sindhi Culture Day, was also screened at the meeting.
Leghari was of the view that Nisar had not only breached the assembly’s privilege, but also hurt the sentiments of the people of Sindh.
Marvi Rashdi
A meeting called over the privilege motion moved by Sindh Education and Literacy Minister Pir Mazharul Haq against PML-F MPA Marvi Rashdi was postponed after the latter failed to show up.
The committee chairman put off the meeting till June 14.
Haq said that allegations of his wife being promoted illegally to the post of education additional secretary were baseless. “I ask Marvi Rashdi to either prove the accusation or tender an apology for her remarks,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2012.
The Sindh Assembly secretariat will issue newspaper advertisements as the final notice to summon Chaudhry Nisar, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, before the provincial assembly’s privilege committee on June 14.
This was decided at a meeting held in the Sindh Assembly’s committee room on Tuesday.
The meeting, chaired by PPP MPA Ghulam Mujadid Isran, was called following a privilege motion moved in the Sindh Assembly by Imran Zafar Leghari and Saleem Khursheed Khokhar against Nisar, who had allegedly ridiculed the celebration of Sindhi Culture Day as “Topi Drama”.
Isran said that despite many reminders, the opposition leader has not attended any meeting of the privilege committee, deriding the forum of elected representatives. He directed the Sindh Assembly secretary to give Nisar final chance before making a unilateral decision.
Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, while citing the rules and procedures of the provincial assembly, said that Nisar can be declared a “proclaimed offender” after failing to appear in three meetings, and he must be punished for it.
He added that the opposition leader can be punished with a six-month jail term and a fine of Rs5,000 if he does not appear before the committee on June 14.
Video clips of the press conference, where Nisar made the remarks against the Sindhi Culture Day, was also screened at the meeting.
Leghari was of the view that Nisar had not only breached the assembly’s privilege, but also hurt the sentiments of the people of Sindh.
Marvi Rashdi
A meeting called over the privilege motion moved by Sindh Education and Literacy Minister Pir Mazharul Haq against PML-F MPA Marvi Rashdi was postponed after the latter failed to show up.
The committee chairman put off the meeting till June 14.
Haq said that allegations of his wife being promoted illegally to the post of education additional secretary were baseless. “I ask Marvi Rashdi to either prove the accusation or tender an apology for her remarks,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2012.