KARACHI: Sindh AssemblyR
17;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.
Oppos
ition leader and MQM-P lawmaker Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan in protest tore the
assembly agenda and threw it towards the speakerR
17;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 oppos
ition and we don’t come to just listen to government business. If the house is not ready to listen to the oppos
ition then we will protest outside the speaker’s chamber.
Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza said the speaker has the authority under the House Rules t
o 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.
Oppos
ition leader Khawaja Hassan informed the deputy speaker that we can go to the Supreme Court against your attitude. All oppos
ition 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 oppos
ition as there are many resolutions which have been tabled by the oppos
ition 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.
Oppos
ition 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 oppos
ition 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 oppos
ition 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 oppos
ition 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.