KARACHI, April 6: The requisitioned session of Sindh Assembly, which resumed on Tuesday after a long recess, was adjourned amid uproar, without taking up the agenda as the government came under attack on water
and Karo-kari issue as well as on reports about the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's intelligence wing.
The session was requisitioned by the opposition to deliberate on the murder of PPP MPA Abdullah Murad. Not a single item on Tuesday's agenda was taken up due to late start and acrimonious verbal bouts between opposition and the treasury benches on points of order.
The provincial assembly session began more than an hour and a half late with Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah in the chair. Some ministers were even seen coming to the House at noon.
When the session commenced, Dr Hamida Khuhro of the treasury benches complained of water shortage in Sindh and claimed that the province was currently facing 48 per cent shortage.
She claimed that Punjab continued to draw water through out the year from the Chashma-Jehlum link canal in violation of all the accords. Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar was in the House when this issue was raised on a point of order.
The opposition benches accused the government of a sell out on this issue despite a resolution adopted in the assembly. But to utter surprise, instead of the chief minister or the minister for inter-provincial coordination, Sindh Minister for Population Welfare Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh volunteered a statement claiming that the chief minister had taken note of the water shortage and its release through the link canal.
Leader of the opposition Nisar Khuhro said that a member of the ruling party had pointed out water shortage, but, the minister was trying to cover it up, which reflected the government's real intentions.
The opposition leader maintained that the government was misleading people by making such statements. But its attempt to exploit the simmering misgivings within the government ranks could not succeed.
The House experienced a noisy spell when on a point of order the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MPA Hameedullah advocate drew attention of the House at the reports pertaining to the existence of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's intelligence wing.
While Mr Hameedullah was trying to make his point, Mohammad Hussain of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement stood up and objected. Mr Hussain was repeatedly asked by the Speaker Syed Muzaffar Shah to sit down and first listen to the MMA member.
Acrimonious exchanges continued while Mr Hameedullah persisted with his point and asked whether any political party had the right to maintain an intelligence wing under the constitution? After a brief exchange, the Speaker ruled the point of MMA MPA out of order.
A senior opposition member and a former chief minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, alleged that the government had blocked the development funds for certain districts. He was making his point when Deputy Speaker Rahila Tiwana occupied Speaker's chair prompting an uproar and a walkout by the MPAs of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. The PPP members, however, stayed back.
Nisar Khuhro was questioning the right of Rahila Tiwana to preside over the proceedings when the noisy bout erupted again as the opposition began the chorus of "go Rahila go." After failing to control the situation, Ms Tiwana adjourned the session in haste until Wednesday morning.
