Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly’s session on Thursday was marred by uproar by the lawmakers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) after the speaker refused to allow their privilege motion and they walked out from the house in protest.

The assembly session started with the Deputy Speaker Syeda Shehla Raza in the chair. The house witnessed an uproar when the deputy speaker rejected a privilege motion of MQM-P lawmaker Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani against Secretary Local Government. The deputy speaker rejected the privilege motion in her chamber fueling the situation for MQM-P lawmakers to protest against the rejection on the assembly floor.

Opposition leader and MQM-P lawmaker Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan in protest tore the assembly agenda and threw it towards the speaker’s seat. He warned the speaker that if this attitude continues then MQM-P’s lawmakers will not attend the assembly session and in future the house proceedings will be held on the stairs outside the building. It is unfortunate that the house is not entertaining the business of the opposition and we don’t come to just listen to government business. If the house is not ready to listen to the opposition then we will protest outside the speaker’s chamber.

Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza said the speaker has the authority under the House Rules to reject any motion or resolution in his chamber or in the house.

MQM-P lawmaker Sardar Ahmed said to deny the motion without a hearing of any member of the house is not appropriate. MQM lawmaker Mohammad Hussain said some of the assembly rules seem as a reflection of the dictatorship.

Opposition leader Khawaja Hassan informed the deputy speaker that we can go to the Supreme Court against your attitude. All opposition members face the same bias and dictatorial attitude from you.

Provincial Health Minister Dr Sikandar Ali Mandhro said there are some discretionary powers of the assembly speaker and if any lawmaker’s resolution has been rejected, he would be informed by the secretary Sindh Assembly through a written letter in which the basis of the rejection will be informed to the honorable member. It’s a wrong impression that the house is not listening to members of opposition as there are many resolutions which have been tabled by the opposition members that have been passed by the house on private members day. Speaker’s discretion is not against the Constitution.

MQM-P lawmaker Sardar Ahmed said that they have not witnessed this practice of discretion quite a few years.

Opposition leader Khawaja Hassan said our fellow member had moved a privilege motion against the Secretary Local Government not against the Governor or Chief Minister and for this an opposition member of this house got insulted.

MQM’s Mohammad Hussain informed the deputy speaker that if she will not hear us out and would repeatedly reject our motions from her chamber then we will run the house from the stairs of the Assembly and boycott the house session.

Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza said that the opposition is raising questions on rulings and there is no law that the speaker can over-rule its ruling. Khawaja Hassan tore the copies of the agenda and threw it towards the dais of the deputy speaker.

Later, MQM and other members of the opposition walked out from the house shouting slogans against the speaker.

During the turbulence, the Standing Committee had submitted its report on Sindh Livestock Grading Bill 2016 in the house, but the deputy speaker adjourned the house till Friday morning 10am.