19 November 2004	Friday	06 Shawwal 1425

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KARACHI, Nov 18: Opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of bulldozing the opposition's attempts of taking up very important issues on the floor of the house on Thursday.

Talking to a group of newsmen in his chamber at the assembly building after the day's deliberations, he pointed out that the opposition had included the matter of Ranger's attack on a village in the agenda when it had filed requisition for a session. However, he alleged that the MQM did not like the matter to be taken up in the house though the Rangers' action could have led to another tragedy similar to one that had occurred in Tando Bahawal where some army personnel had killed many innocent villagers and later labelled them as 'RAW agents'.

Regarding the arguments in the house on summoning of the session, Mr Khuhro expressed his astonishment over the law minister's statement that the governor had decided on Nov 4 that the session be summoned on Nov 18. "Why the decision had been kept secret?" he asked.

He insisted that the governor should have summoned a requisition session for which a request had been made on Nov 6.

Mr Khuhro said that by referring to the 'same practice' in the PPP government, the treasury member, Mohammad Hussain, had in fact conceded that the practice was followed to bulldoze the opposition business.

He pointed out that the opposition wanted to discuss the issue of recruitment after lifting of the longstanding ban. "We just want to acquaint ourselves with the relevant policy as the chief minister has on record cast doubt over the credibility of the Sindh Public Service Commission vis-a-vis the appointment of 750 lecturers."

He said that the opposition also wanted to ask the chief minister about the action taken against the DIG and 35 other police officers who had been maintaining links with underworld.

The other issues which needed to be clarified on the floor of the house included threatening remarks by the chief minister, the government's failure in taking action against those sugar mills which did not start crushing as on Oct 1, and the cancellation of Karachi nazim's leaves and accusing him of adopting inappropriate attitude, Mr Khuhro said.

The opposition leader also spoke of rising prices and pointed out that tomatoes were selling at Rs80-120 per kg on the eve of Eid in Karachi and Hyderabad whereas the prices of sugar, wheat flour and other essential commodities had also registered an increase. Such issues very much related to public, he said, adding that the opposition's agenda with such highly important items on it was bulldozed.

MMA leader Maulana Omar Sadiq told newsmen in his chamber that he wanted to raise the issue of his constituency PS-90 from where agency personnel in navy uniform picked up the Pesh Imam, Qazi Mohammad Ashraf, of Jamia Masjid Quba in Naval Colony on Tuesday night along with one of his colleagues, Qari Mohammad Swaleh and another man. The agency personnel, he added, visited the area on Thursday and told people that they would like to give them another person as Pesh Imam.

He said that the people appeared disapproved of their offer as Qazi Ashraf had been leading prayers in that mosque for more than 20 years.

Maulana Sadiq said that the 10-member committee, comprising notables of the area called on the GMWA, Asad Pathan, and asked about the whereabouts of Qazi Ashraf but he had no idea. "This situation has created unrest among the people," the MMA leader said, and pointed out that similar incidents had been taking place in different parts of the city where raids were conducted on houses in the night and people subjected to atrocities before being whisked away to an undisclosed location.

Maulana Sadiq regretted that the chair did not allow him to apprise the house of such a horrible situation that related to people's safety and security.