HYDERABAD: Chaos blocks motion against ministers: District council session
By Our Correspondent
HYDERABAD, July 23: The district council session, held here on Tuesday, had to be adjourned for the day amid acrimonious scenes which led to pandemonium and chaos over the question of the newly elected provincial ministers’ contemptuous remarks against the elected representatives.
The uproar blocked the passage of a resolution, presented by a councillor, Rana Mehmood Ali Khan, against the ministers, Sardar Muqeem Khan Khoso and Dr Arbab Ghulam Raheem.
The adjournment of session by the acting convener, Yousuf Siddiqui, also led to a strong protest by the PPP-backed Awam Dost Panel.
Presenting the out of agenda resolution, Rana Mehmood requested the House to open a debate. Except for Dr Najeeb Memon of the Sindh Democratic Alliance (SDA), the two independent members, Dr Irfan Gul Magsi and Babu Ramzan Arain, and quite a few other members, all the others expressed their support to the resolution condemning the ‘highly contemptuous’ attitude of the ministers.
They said that the ministers had no right to dictate the Zila Nazimeen and pass insulting remarks against the elected representatives.
The resolution took serious notice of the remarks: “After a mandatory period of the ban on no-confidence motions in Zila councils, we would use our influence against some Nazimeen whom we dislike.”
It described the remarks as ‘highly objectionable’ and urged the governor to take cognizance of the ministers’ utterances failing which a protest campaign would be launched against them.
It observed that those who had entered the government through ‘the back doors’ had no right to issue statements against the elected representatives.
Many members were provoked to shout loudly when Dr Irfan Gul Magsi rose to speak on the resolution but started pouring scorns on the pro-PPP Awam Dost Penal members.
Criticizing the ministers, Dr Ayaz Arain, told the House that such people had a specific agenda. He argued that if the ministers had been allowed to continue their political activities, the elected representatives could not be denied the right. Calling for unity among the members to counter them, he deplored the ‘threatening posture’ of the ministers.
Ms Farheen Mughal and Abdul Khaliq Chandio described the ministers’ attitude as the ‘backdrop of a plan to sabotage the general elections’.
They pointed out that no such ministers were inducted in any other province and opined that it was done only in Sindh because of the heavy presence of the ADP Zila Nazimeen. They also demanded removal of the ministers.
Opposing the resolution, Dr Najeeb Memon said that ADP members were annoyed because their leaders were not inducted in the cabinet.
Defending the ministers, he said they correctly warned Nazimeen against creating states within a state.
He also staged a walkout against the resolution but was brought back to the House by some members.
After taking his seat, he pointed out that the session could not be continued because of lack of quorum. Some other members also supported him and the chair adjourned the session for 15 minutes.
When the house reassembled, Dr Irfan Gul Magsi, Babu Ramzan Arain, Saira Naseer, Dr Najeeb Memon and several other members asked the chair to ensure the full quorum.
At this stage, the chair prorogued the session till Wednesday.
The adjournment provoked the ADP members who accused the chair of playing a partisan role.
The secretary of the council, Haji Abdul Waheed, intervened to defend the chair’s decision because of the lack of quorum.
Rana Mehmood’s resolution would now be taken up in Wednesday’s session.
PANDEMONIUM: At the very outset of the meeting, the House witnessed a pandemonium as Rana Mehmood tried to record his protest on the approval of the minutes of July 27 budget session.
He contended that the budget had to be referred to the finance committee as per the provisions of the SLGO and then it should have been referred to the House for voting.
All the ADP members rose from their seats to condemn Dr Najeeb Memon’s bid to speak without the permission of the chair. Their protest triggered a free-for-all.
The ADP members surrounded the chair while many members from City and Latifabad talukas supported Dr Memon saying that he had the right to speak.
The chair had to adjourn the House for 30 minutes at this stage to restore order.
