19 September 2004	Sunday	03 Shaban 1425

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KARACHI, Sept 18: Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, criticizing attitude of a member during the ongoing session, said on Saturday that being the speaker and custodian of the house, it was his responsibility to safeguard the prestige and traditions of the house.

Talking to a group of newsmen in his chamber at the assembly building after the day's proceedings, Mr Shah said that despite his indulgence towards the opposition, Mr Rafique Engineer of the opposition resorted to an attitude that was not only detrimental to the decorum of the house, but also insulting, as well as violative of rules. His behaviour, the speaker said, had forced him to warn the member. A notice would also be issued to him on Monday, he added.

In reply to a question, Mr Shah pointed out that the Rule 197 of the the Rules of Procedure authorized him to direct a member showing disorderly conduct to withdraw from the house.

"The speaker, under certain rules, can also ask a member already ordered to withdraw from the house more than once during the same session to abstain himself from the sittings of the assembly for a period of up to 15 days."

Justifying his warning to Mr Rafique Engineer, the speaker spoke of the chair's patience saying said that the opposition leader in the house, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, took the floor soon after the session commenced, as he usually did, although there was no basis for raising a point of order. More than 12 opposition members, as against only three from the treasury side, were allowed to speak, he pointed out.

In spite of this, when Hafiz Muhammad Naeem was given the floor, Mr Rafique provoked a flare up and his own conduct appeared inappropriate and insulting towards the chair, Mr Shah said.

He recalled that over the past 18 months, he had been allowing more time to the opposition than to the treasury benches.

He maintained that his efforts had always been to accommodate both the sides with the aim that the opposition and treasury sides could fully understand each other's point of view.

Unfortunately, he regretted, they did not like to learn the rules.

In response to a question, the speaker stressed: "Assemblies are constitutional institutions and running their business was the responsibility of both, government and opposition benches, which also bear the responsibility to ensure the quorum."

The speaker said that it was obligatory on his part to follow the timings, i.e. from 9:30am to 1:30pm in summers and from 10:00am to 02:00pm in winters, for normal proceedings. It was up to the members to ensure the quorum. He also pointed out that whenever a session started late, he had sought opinion of all the present members on time extension. However, when members did not agree to continue deliberations in the afternoon, he could not allow such an extension on his own, the speaker added.