| January 30, 2003 | Thursday | Ziqa’ad 26,1423 |
A beleaguered speaker and unruly MPAs
THE federal government has formed an 11-member committee to review the Local Bodies Ordinance and define the role of MNAs and MPAs in the new system.
The committee, headed by National Reconstruction Bureau chairman Danyal Aziz, had been tasked to sort out ways and means to accommodate the MPs in the system and redefine their roles, which was earlier introduced by the NRB leaving no room for the parliamentarians to perform in the development process.
The other 10 members include, all the provincial local bodies and finance ministers and the federal secretaries for finance and local bodies.
The committee would hold its meeting in Peshawar on Feb 5 and weigh the grievances aired by the MPs. They had been exerting pressure on their respective provincial governments to give them some role in the new system.
After the implementation of the ordinance and devolution of powers, the parliamentarians had left with no business other than legislation at their respective elected forums.
The MNAs and MPAs aspire for a role in the allocation of funds for development schemes in their respective constituencies as the federal government had allocated a huge amount for the MNAs, but they themselves could not identify and execute their development schemes. The ordinance had virtually rendered them subservient to the district Nazimeen.
Some of the district Nazimeen had defeated the sitting MNAs and MPAs during the local bodies elections, but the feudal mindset of the MPs did not allow them even to visit their rivals’ offices.
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, which had boycotted the local bodies elections and heading the MMA coalition government in NWFP, was finding it hard to tackle the issue as it had no Nazim in any district.
The MNAs and MPAs had developed a habit of bashing the Nazimeen and on the other hand the Nazimeen, through their district councils, were responding in the same tone.
The provincial assembly, through an adjournment motion, urged the government to look into the local bodies system and remove its inherited flaws. But, district Nazimeen took a strong notice of the motion and urged the MPAs not to interfere into the local government system.
The district Nazimeen could make appointments up to BPS 16 in their respective districts, but the MMA government, soon after taking over the province, put a ban on transfer/postings and fresh appointments.
NWFP government wanted to accommodate workers of its coalition partners in various districts, but it was confronting the Nazimeen, mostly of the rival parties.
The provincial government could suspend, initiate an inquiry and replace a district Nazim with somebody from the same district council.
Feeling the heat, the National Reconstruction Bureau had decided to mould the ordinance in a way to accommodate the MPs in the newly introduced system. Otherwise, the wrath of the disgruntled MNAs may upset the fragile Jamali government at the centre.
KARACHI: Lack of discipline and restraint on the part of the members of the Sindh Assembly continued to mar proceedings on Wednesday — the third consecutive day of the current session. And Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah was probably right when he refused to succumb to the unruly behaviour of some of the regular agitators.
Nisar Khuhro of the Pakistan People’s Party set the tone for the day’s performance by opposition members when, along with his fellow legislators, he staged a token walkout while disagreeing with a ruling by the speaker. On Monday, Mr Khuhro, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Murad Ali Shah had raised three different points of order seeking an explanation as to why the session was summoned by the governor while they had already filed a requisition signed by 62 members.
The Speaker, who had reserved his ruling on the issue, said on Wednesday: “I was going to summon the session of the provincial assembly on January 30, 2003, when on January 21, 2003 the governor of Sindh summoned the assembly to meet on January 27, 2003 at 10am,” and declared that “the points of order are accordingly ruled out of order.”
During the opposition members’ five-minute token walkout, the speaker managed to finish off the question hour on the day’s agenda by treating all questions as read and no supplementaries. It was how the issues of public interest were summarily and hurriedly discussed. The question hour on the day’s agenda pertained to the home and health departments.
The issue of the reported interview of the coordinator of the Punjab Water Council, allegedly suggesting the secession of Sindh on the water issue, was again raised. An unimpressive law minister, Iftikhar Chaudhry, informed the house that the Punjab Water Council had denied the statement and termed it as concocted and mischievous. But Mr Khuhro, expressing his dissatisfaction with the law minister’s explanation, suggested to the chair that he should summon the coordinator before the house to clarify his position.
Apparently obliging the opposition leader, Muzaffar Hussain Shah asked the law minister to approach the coordinator, secure a categorical statement on the issue and place it before the house on Friday. This provided another opportunity to some opposition members to raise an uproar. Fire-brand Ghulam Qadir Chandio of Nawabshah took the lead and managed to engage the speaker in a verbal brawl. Another 20 or so members from the opposition joined the chorus and they were so loud and noisy that nobody could make out what they were talking about. Giving a demonstration of his street agitational skills, Tariq Masood Arian (PPP) even wrenched off the mike attached to his desk. That was enough to provoke those sitting on the treasury benches and many of them also stood up to join the shouting match. As the speaker tried to warn Ghulam Qadir Chandio, he said: “Whether you like it or not, I will continue to speak.”
It was Sardar Ahmed of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement who came to Mr Chandio and succeeded in cooling him down. The message was clear: where the Speaker’s writ failed, Sardar Sahib managed. However, an annoyed and perturbed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, who was about to put Mr Chandio on notice, said: “Let me make it clear that you cannot derive any concession from by harassing me. I will not allow you to hush me, Mr Chandio; you cannot intimidate me, you cannot bully me. I will not allow this because I am under oath to run this house in accordance with rules.” Turning to Mr Khuhro, the Speaker said: “It is for the opposition leader to control opposition members and to ensure decorum in the house.” — Abu Ayesha