Daily Times

“I didn’t say anything against Urdu-speaking people,” clarified Pakistan People Party (PPP) parliamentarian Sohail Anwar Siyal on Friday.

“Everyone living in Sindh and Pakistan is our brother,” said the PPP politician while speaking to journalists outside Sindh Assembly. Siyal added that he was not bigoted against the Muhajirs. “My statement was against the mentality that spurred the May 12 incidents, not against any Urdu-speaking Mohajir,” maintained the parliamentarian.

The parliamentarian issued this clarification in wake of the criticism he faced from the opposition quarters following the remarks he made regarding migrants during the Sindh Assembly session convened on Thursday. In result of his remarks, the opposition demanded that he withdraw his statements because he ‘humiliated’ the Sindh Assembly.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) senior leader Farooq Sattar criticised Siyal for the remarks he made. “If the Sindhis are fending for us, maybe they should look into giving us a separate province,” he said. “You might have divided the Mohajirs but remember, nothing would separate us from Pakistan,” he added.

Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) chairperson Afaq Ahmed also condemned Siyal’s speech. “It was because of us, the Muhajirs that Sindh’s 3 billion (bn) people freed themselves from Hindu slavery,” he said and added that the PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto should teach manners to Siyal. “Siyal should not make disparaging remarks against any community,” he said.

Former MQM politician, Ali Raza Abidi also condemned Siyal’s speech and demanded that he withdraw his statement. “He (Siyal) has humiliated the assembly with his bigoted remarks,” said Abidi. Meanwhile, MQM leader Faisal Sabzwari also condemned Siyal’s comments. He said that the PPP leadership was spreading ethnic discrimination in Sindh in a bid to cover up its own corruption.

Pak-Sarzameen Party (PSP) leader Raza Haroon said that Muhajirs were the founders of Pakistan. “They (Muhajirs) came to this country not as refugees but as people who had a right over Pakistan,” said the former MQM leader. “It was a biased and irresponsible speech,” said Haroon regarding Siyal’s speech.

Earlier, during the Sindh Assembly session on Friday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Dr Seema Zia said that PTI leader Jahangir Tareen was rightly disqualified and whoever gets involved in corrupt practices should be punished. However, the PTI parliamentarian apologized later for her remarks.

During the session, Dr Seema Zia said that accountability should be assured across the board and whoever was found involved in corruption should be punished. “Whatever happened with Tareen is very good,” said the PTI lawmaker. “He was rightly disqualified and whoever is involved in corrupt practices should be punished,” she asserted during the assembly session on budget.

Dr Seema Zia also questioned why Nadeem Qamar, the director of National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) was receiving a Rs5 m paycheck from the Sindh government when National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had registered a case against him. “Back in 1995, Nadeem Qamar was a senior registrar but now he is the director. Why was he reappointed several times and why is he being given Rs5 m per month?” she inquired. She further claimed that the NICVD director was letting certain people buy medicines and medical instruments without tenders. “He possesses dual nationality and has not even been registered by the PMDC,” she claimed.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho refuted Zia’s statement by saying that Dr Nadeem Qamar was a respectable man who had come to Pakistan to serve the nation. “He was appointed because he fit the criterion for serving as the director,” she added.

Later while speaking to the media outside the Sindh Assembly, Zia apologised for her remarks.”I highly respect Tareen and he has done a lot for the party and it is due to his sacrifices that the PTI is where it is today,” she said.

The PTI parliamentarian further said, “I only meant to say that we respect courts and their decisions whether they be against me, our party leadership or anyone else.”

Speaking about 10-year-old Amal Umer’s death, Zia said, “Her killing in a police crossfire has exposed the Sindh government.” “After ruling in the province for 11 years, the Pakistan Peoples Party has only just realised the need for police reforms,” she added.

The PTI MPA’s statement came a day after the Supreme Court (SC) upheld its December 2017 decision of disqualifying Tareen for life. The SC on Thursday dismissed a review petition filed by the PTI leader challenging the verdict that declared him unfit to hold public office and upheld its December 2017 decision of disqualifying Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) former secretary general Jahangir Tareen for lifetime for being dishonest and failing to declare his London properties in the nomination papers.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Unter Ata Bandyal and Justice Faisal Arab, dismissed the review petition of Jehangir Tareen, challenging his disqualification. “We do not find any ground to review; hence, the instant petition is dismissed,” Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar announced after hearing the Tareen’s counsel.

Published in Daily Times, September 29^th 2018.