KARACHI, June 23: The Sindh Assembly on Monday sent to a special committee three privilege motions, filed by the opposition, criticizing Punjab irrigation minister’s recent remarks on the Thal canal controversy.

As soon as the session began after the weekend break, opposition leader Nisar Khuhro and another PPP MPA, Syed Murad Ali Shah, rose up to press for taking up their privilege motion for discussion.

The consensus in the House was that prima facie the remarks had caused breach of privilege. But when the motion was put to vote to decide its admissibility or otherwise, 62 members of the treasury benches voted in favour of sending it to a special committee. Fifty members opposed the move and wanted that it should be taken up for discussion.

Several opposition members accused the speaker of bulldozing the privilege motions but Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah remained firm that the house had decided to send the matter to the committee. However, neither the any timeframe for the committee nor the names of its members were mentioned.

Speaking on his privilege motion, which was in continuation of a similar motion filed on Friday, Mr Khuhro claimed that the Punjab irrigation minister Aamir Sultan Cheema, in his statement, had accused him and some other MPAs of acting at the behest of the Hindu lobby on the Greater Thal Canal (GTC) project.

Mr Khuhro had contended in his motion that such a defamatory statement not only cast aspersion on him but on the entire assembly.

His contention was that not only the PPP Parliamentarians vehemently opposed the construction of GTC but the legislators from Muttahida Qaumi Movement, SDA, PML-Q, and the MMA had also opposed the project.

The Punjab minister had since clarified the remarks attributed to him but opposition members in the assembly were adamant.

Protesting over the speaker’s ruling, Syed Qaim Ali Shah pointed out that even the provincial education minister was convinced that a breach of privilege had occurred and the remarks were insulting, yet the chair was trying to bulldoze opposition’s privilege motions. He claimed that such utterances against those who were demanding their rights, reflected a particular mindset which was detrimental to national unity and harmony.

Provincial finance minister Syed Sardar Ahmed was of the view that prima facie there was a case that he (Mr Cheema) had insulted the house, particularly leader of the opposition, but since it had become controversial after the minister’s clarification, as reported in a section of the press, it should be referred to a committee of the house.

The opposition insisted that the speaker had the power to allow the members to speak on the issue of admissibility, as was done in the case of a privilege motion against police excesses earlier this year.

Mr Khuhro argued that when the motion was found in order, the house should have debated it. He said that by sending the motions to the committee, the treasury benches were trying to hush it up, as was done in the case of Hamid Malahi, Coordinator of the Punjab Water Council.

The leader of the opposition reminded the members that despite being asked thrice to appear before the committee to clarify his position, Mr Malahi did not turn up. It reflected his contempt for this assembly.

At this point, provincial minister Arif Jatoi rose to clarify that Mr Malahi had given him in writing that he had not made the controversial remarks.

Mr Khuhro said that after accusing the members of acting on behalf of the Hindu lobby, Mr Cheema had taken his (Mr Khuhro’s) name on the floor of the Punjab Assembly.

Syed Sardar Ahmad said that the government wanted to come to the right conclusion because aspersions on leader of the opposition and Hindu community could not be tolerated. He said the matter should be referred to a smaller committee. He further said that nobody should be condemned unheard.

Saifullah Dharejo, Sohrab Sarki, Syed Murad Ali Shah and others kept on pressing the matter as other opposition members gave vent to their resentment against the decision of the chair.

Onjo Bheel expressed his resentment over the remarks against the Hindu community. He was joined by other minority members in voicing their displeasure.

Maulana Umar Sadiq also pressed for censuring the Punjab minister.