Dealing with grievances: Upset opposition holds own session outside assembly

Treasury members pass two local government ordinances in the absence of opposition.

KARACHI:

The opposition members in the Sindh Assembly were so upset with the two local government (LG) ordinances the government tabled that they walked out of the hall and held their own session in the open grounds.

On Friday afternoon, the provincial lawmakers were scheduled to meet and debate the LG ordinances. What followed next was a pandemonium as the house echoed with slogans: “ye gunda gardi nahi chale gi (this bullying will not be tolerated)” and “kala qanoon na manzoor (black law not acceptable)”. Meanwhile, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) members thumped their desks in favour of the LG law, telling opposition members to “go, go, bye, bye”.



The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) members were so upset they tore copies of the agenda apart as they exchanged harsh words with the treasury members. Soon after the question-answer session, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Irfanullah Marwat wanted to move a resolution to condemn the two LG ordinances but speaker Agha Siraj Durrani insisted on following the rules and dealing with other issues on the agenda.

“Please take up this matter otherwise we will not let the proceedings carry on,” Marwat warned, before several opposition members started reading their resolution loudly. Seeing their resolution was not getting any success, the opposition members walked out.

Senior minister Nisar Khuhro pointed out that not a single opposition member was serious enough to move an amendment. “It shows their lack of interest in the legislation,” he said, as he requested Durrani to pass the ordinance into a law. Parliamentary affairs Dr Sikandar Mandhro clarified the government did not make any drastic changes in the law.

Soon after they walked out, the joint opposition, including MQM, PML-N, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, started the assembly proceedings outside the session. MQM’s Amin Pirzada became to the speaker of this session as the disgruntled lawmakers moved their resolution to disapprove the local government ordinance and passed it.

Opposition leader Faisal Subzwari explained they set up their own assembly as the government did not give them a chance to move their resolution. The opposition leaders said they will not boycott the LG polls even though, they felt, the government has started pre-poll rigging.

Meanwhile, information minister Sharjeel Memon termed the opposition protest a “futile” exercise to get “cheap” publicity. The government has always opened its doors for dialogue and will welcome negotiations with the MQM and other parties, he added. Back in the House, the treasury members passed the ordinances.

Militancy spreads

Earlier, Subzwari diverted the speakers and the chief minister’s attention towards the ‘Talibanisation’ of Karachi. He said the militants have frequently been holding their courts in the city awarding capital punishments and killing the innocent people, he claimed. “I want to ask the government why the relevant departments including the police and law enforcement agencies have failed to take action against these extremists, who have established a state within the state,” he asked.

Qaim Ali Shah replied that the government is taking action against criminals and it has managed to control 30 per cent of the law and order situation with the targeted operation. “We have arrested 1,300 to 1,400 notorious criminals, some of whom are affiliated with banned outfits,” he said.

During the session, the assembly also adopted a resolution to declare December 27 as a public holiday to mark the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in Rawalpindi in 2007. The house also adopted a resolution to paying tribute to Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and Shah Inaayat.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2013.