Rangers on agenda: Sindh Governor summons assembly session

MQM requested session on political victimisation of their workers, slander against Altaf Hussain.

KARACHI: Sindh Governor Dr Ishtraul Ebad Khan called a provincial assembly session on August 7 on the recommendation of the Sindh government. The session has been called following speaker Agha Siraj Durrani’s decision to turn down the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) request to summon the session on the political victimisation of their workers and derogatory language used by Khawaja Asif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan against Altaf Hussain and the MQM. 

“A total of 48 MPAs of the MQM had signed the requisition and out of those 12 signatures were found to be fake, therefore we have rejected their plea to summon the session,” Durrani told the media. “As per the rules at least 43 members of any party are required to summon the session,” he said.

Sources privy to the development said that the validation of the Rangers special powers will be the main agenda of the session. “The government extended these powers on July 8 for one month to conduct raids without warrants and detain suspects for 90 days. These powers will expire on August 8, therefore the government is not only considering validating its decision through the assembly but intends to give more power to the paramilitary force,” official sources said.

Assembly secretary GM Umar Farooq said that the agenda of the assembly meeting has not yet been decided but a bill pertaining to the Rangers special powers may be moved in the upcoming session.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2015.