KARACHI: Petty issues stir repeated commotion in Sindh PA
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, May 11: The Sindh Assembly witnessed acrimonious scenes twice during the proceedings on Wednesday. A rumpus was first witnessed when leader of the opposition Nisar Ahmed Khuhro drew the attention of the chair, Mohammad Hussain, to the rearrest of MPA Ghulam Quadir Chandio after he was granted bail. The action was described as victimization on the part of the chief minister.
Later, when the house reassembled after Zuhr break, Ms Bilqees Mukhtar of the MQM raised the issue of gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in Rato Dero. Remarks by some members on the issue provoked another round of commotion.
Criticizing Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Mr Khuhro referred to Mr Chandio’s arrest after the latter was granted bail, and accused the CM of resorting to victimization. He recalled that Mr Arbab had on record declared that he had been appointed chief minister on the recommendation of Gen (r) Yusuf.
Mr Khuhro maintained that Mr Chandio had been arrested in a false kidnapping case as the person shown as victim had stated that he had never been kidnapped.
When the opposition leader accused the chief minister of instituting a false case to victimize Mr Chandio, members from treasury benches strongly protested his remarks. However, the opposition benches responded in the same manner which led to a rumpus.
Mr Mohammad Hussain, who was chairing the session at that time, asked Mr Khuhro to come out with some document to support his allegation against the chief minister.
Mr Khuhro pointed out that Mr Chandio’s name was not mentioned in the original FIR. Later, he added, Mr Chandio’s brother, Ghulam Haider, a low-grade employee in the revenue department, had also been implicated in a murder case.
Minister for Law Iftekhar Chaudhry asked why the chief minister would implicate MPA Chandio in a false case when the former never felt threatened by the latter. Mr Chaudhry advised the opposition to approach the court if it though that Chandio had been implicated in a false case. His remarks resulted in a repeat of the uproar from the opposition benches.
When the house re-assembled after the Zuhr break, Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah took the chair. Ms Bilqees Mukhtar (MQM) from the treasury benches spoke on a point of order and drew the chair’s attention to the gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in Rato Dero. She maintained that since members of some influential families were involved in the incident, attempts were being made to hush up the case. The member claimed that certain women, who portrayed themselves as champions of the human and women rights, also resorted to harassing the victim.
Ms Mukhtar’s remarks drew sharp reaction from women members of PPP. Ms Sassui Palejo said: “If the MQM or other components of the treasury benches have sympathy with the girl, they should observe a hunger strike outside Karachi Press Club,” she said, prompting the women members of the treasury benches to shout slogan of shame … shame… , and creating a rumpus.
The situation aggravated when Syed Shakir Ali of the MQM remarked that champions of Sindh rights had bargained over the ‘daughter of Sindh’ for Rs0.6 million.
Before any other member could join the discussion on the issue, the speaker got the mikes switched off. Later, he called it a day.
Earlier, a resolution moved jointly by the opposition and treasury condemning the desecration of Holy Quran in Guantanamo was unanimously adopted by the house.
KARACHI, May 11: The Sindh Assembly witnessed acrimonious scenes twice during the proceedings on Wednesday. A rumpus was first witnessed when leader of the opposition Nisar Ahmed Khuhro drew the attention of the chair, Mohammad Hussain, to the rearrest of MPA Ghulam Quadir Chandio after he was granted bail. The action was described as victimization on the part of the chief minister.
