KARACHI, June 22: The Sindh Assembly failed to debate on the new budgetary proposals on Tuesday due to unprecedented, and to some extent, "planned disorder", which reflected the nation wide polarisation vis-a-vis Wana military operation and terrorist killings in the city.
Fears about the assembly's future were also echoed as members remained oblivious of their responsibilities. No business of the house could be undertaken, as the graduate assembly was turned into a fish market, and members from both sides of the divide traded unsubstantiated allegations.
They even used abusive language, ignoring persistent word of caution for restraint by the speaker, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah. The onus for the disorder was more on the treasury benches.
As the session resumed almost two hours late with Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah in the chair, the atmosphere turned sour soon after members raised points of order after fateha.
MPA Qamar Mansoor of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement led the kick-off against the opposition. He claimed that the PPP MPA Rafiq Engineer had hurled threats at his party members in the house on Monday, and alleged that the PPP was involved in the murder of a Muttahida activist in Gulshan-i-Maymar.
His remarks, as expected, enraged the PPP parliamentarians and the house slumped into a pandemonium. Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah asked the law minister, Chaudhry Iftekhar to bring the treasury bench in order, and made it clear to all members to desist from vitiating the atmosphere by their utterances.
He also repeatedly asked members to desist from deliberating what had happened on Monday and get on with the budget discussion. But the noisy bout from both sides continued.
When Rafiq Engineer was given the floor on a point of personal explanation, he denied Qamar Mansoor's allegation of hurling threats. Shakir Ali of the MQM worked up the situation, and claimed that the government had been trying to improve law and order for the past one and half year, but international terrorists, who had troubled tribal areas in Wana, had turned Karachi into their battlefield.
He also demanded inquiry into the murder of Munawwar Suhrawardy. When leader of the opposition Nisar Khuhro on a point of order tried to explain as to why he had tried to suggest special sitting for discussing high profile murders in the recent weeks in the city and elsewhere, Qamar Mansoor alleged that Khuhro had abused Imtiaz Sheikh.
Speaker Shah said that yesterday's happening was unfortunate but was it necessary to repeat it again. "What should we do about the assembly," he said. But as Mansoor persisted in his allegations against Nisar Khuhro, the speaker said, if he had any grievance, he should submit his motion with the assembly secretariat.
At one stage MQM's Qamar Mansoor said if any of their member or worker was hurt, the responsibility would be on Mr Khuhro and Rafiq Engineer. On the other hand, Shazia Mari said that Rafiq Engineer claimed they were being continuously threatened inside and outside the House.
Mr Shakir Ali accused the PPP of being anti-Pakistani. Jam Saifullah Dharejo of the PPP cautioned that if such a behaviour continued, it might endanger the political dispensation. "We all have a stake in the continuation of assembly, and treasury has a bigger stake," said Jam Saifullah, asking members to show respect for parliamentary leaders of the parties represented in the house.
But the situation got out of control when Nasrullah Shajji, deputy parliamentary leader of the MMA stood up and responded to the allegations of the MQM. He said that many members were enraged over what had been said about Wana, and contended that everyone had the right to hold a particular view.
He had hardly proceeded that the MQM members, in their bid to prevent him from speaking, stood up and started chanting slogans against the MMA, and accused it of allegedly being involved in the terrorist blasts in Ali Raza and Haidery mosques.
Disgusted, speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah tried to impress upon the MQM members to recognise Mr Shajji's right to speak because assemblies were meant to enable political parties with divergent views to give vent to their point of view.
But as members of the major coalition partner persisted in their protest, Mr Shah asked them :"What do you want to do? Do you want to argue over yesterday's unfortunate happenings and not proceed with the debate on the budget? Do you want me to dissolve the assembly?" Incidentally, he uttered such remarks about assembly's future at least thrice during the noisy session.
Former IT minister Mustafa Kamal alleged that yesterday there had been threats from the opposition, and the same night one of their worker was murdered. Pointing at the opposition, he demanded their arrest, as they had given shelter to terrorists in their houses.
Speaker Muzaffar Hussain Shah reminded the members that assemblies were meant to express one's views and at the same time listen to the opposing point of view. He pointed out that it was imperative that everyone should listen to each other's point of view.
Mr Shah, while asking the law minister to bring his side in order asked the MQM why the opposition member should not be allowed to speak. MQM legislators said there was no need for them to speak. "They are terrorists and should be arrested," contended Mustafa Kamal.
Nasrullah Shajji, who stood his ground, retorted by saying that "terrorists are sitting in London". This remark infuriated the MQM members who took it as an aspersion on their party founder.
They hurled bitter allegations against the Jamaat-i-Islami leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad and other MMA leaders. The MQM reaction was very vociferous as the speaker watched in disgust. Shajji responded by calling the MQM an American agent.
When the situation became unbearable, he adjourned the proceedings till 1.30pm. Earlier, Ehsan Jatoi from treasury benches and Nawaz Chandio from the opposition side raised the issue of water shortage in rice canal in Dadu and Badin and its non-availability for the crop. Speaker Muzaffar Hussain Shah asked the law minister to note down these points.
