Lost In Translation: Zakat minister fumbles with answers
Rahimo, at times, also gave wrong answers and had to be corrected by the former Zakat minister.
Rahimo, at times, also gave wrong answers and had to be corrected by the former Zakat minister. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
When lawmakers of the Sindh Assembly put forward their queries for the minister of Zakat and Ushr on Friday, the questions and answers session became a mock trial of whether Dost Ali Rahimo could understand and speak English.
As his inability to read and understand the language became apparent to the members of the opposition, the female MPAs started asking questions in English and asked Rahimo to read the answers loudly. “I want the minister to read the answer in English,” said Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s MPA Nusrat Seher Abbasi. Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon was quick to jump to Rahimo’s defence, saying, “This is not the way to ask questions. The minister is not bound to read every question in English.”
Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s MPA Muhammad Hussain Khan questioned why the contractual employees, known as “Amleen-e-Zakat”, were not made permanent despite being with the department for so many years. The minister had no reply. This time, the former Zakat Minister Sajjid Jokhio and senior Minister Nisar Khuhro tried to assist Rahimo, but the others MPAs were adamant that the answer should come from the “concerned minister”. The deputy speaker of the assembly intervened by saying, “Being the speaker of the assembly, I have the right to allow other members to assist their colleague.”
MQM’s Sumeta Afzal Syed then asked the criteria for appointing employees at district level - again in English. Rahimo turned to his party members, asking “What did she say?” The speaker again came to his rescue, saying, “No member can ask questions in English without my permission.” Rahimo, at times, also gave wrong answers and had to be corrected by the former Zakat minister.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2013.
When lawmakers of the Sindh Assembly put forward their queries for the minister of Zakat and Ushr on Friday, the questions and answers session became a mock trial of whether Dost Ali Rahimo could understand and speak English.
As his inability to read and understand the language became apparent to the members of the opposition, the female MPAs started asking questions in English and asked Rahimo to read the answers loudly. “I want the minister to read the answer in English,” said Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s MPA Nusrat Seher Abbasi. Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon was quick to jump to Rahimo’s defence, saying, “This is not the way to ask questions. The minister is not bound to read every question in English.”
Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s MPA Muhammad Hussain Khan questioned why the contractual employees, known as “Amleen-e-Zakat”, were not made permanent despite being with the department for so many years. The minister had no reply. This time, the former Zakat Minister Sajjid Jokhio and senior Minister Nisar Khuhro tried to assist Rahimo, but the others MPAs were adamant that the answer should come from the “concerned minister”. The deputy speaker of the assembly intervened by saying, “Being the speaker of the assembly, I have the right to allow other members to assist their colleague.”
MQM’s Sumeta Afzal Syed then asked the criteria for appointing employees at district level - again in English. Rahimo turned to his party members, asking “What did she say?” The speaker again came to his rescue, saying, “No member can ask questions in English without my permission.” Rahimo, at times, also gave wrong answers and had to be corrected by the former Zakat minister.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2013.