Daily Times

KARACHI: Lawmakers were all praises for the Sindh Assembly as they criticised the government for what they held was its highhanded approach on Monday, while speaking at the concluding day of the last assembly session.

The session was chaired by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

MQM-Pakistan parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmed said that tolerance and passion had been a hallmark of the Subcontinent’s history, and the provincial assembly expressed similar sentiments throughout its term.

Admiring the speaker, the MQM leader said that Durrani had played a vital role in the last five years, adding that he was never too harsh with any lawmaker and would be remembered for a long time for his services.

Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, a legislator from PML-F, said it was her first experience as a legislator, adding that she had learnt a lot of new things.

Rashdi said that she had found the provincial assembly to be a most liberal and progressive place. However, she said, treasury benches had always consider themselves to be superior to others, adding that the government was supposed to take criticism in a positive light.

She lamented that while the lawmakers enjoyed many privileges and the people of the province remained deprived of basic needs like potable water.

Shafi Muhammad Jamot, a legislator from PML-N, said that the PPP government had not given anything to the masses. He said that it was a tradition of the PPP to deny funds to opposition lawmakers. Jamot said that suggestions given by the opposition benches were never taken seriously.

Earlier, CM Murad Ali Shah and Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hassan held a meeting to discuss names for the caretaker setup.

According to sources, PPP is likely to decide between former chief secretary Ghulam Ali Shah Pasha and senior party leader Dr Qayoom Soomro for the caretaker CM’s slot.

While MQM-Pakistan is considering Aftab Sheikh, PML-F Ghous Ali Shah and PTI Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim.

Published in Daily Times, May 29^th 2018.