KARACHI: Opposition leader stands by his remarks: Censure motion slated
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 21: Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has defended his stand on the functioning of the house and rejected the treasury members’ reaction over his certain remarks. He said people were fed up with the rulers.
Mr Khuhro told a press conference in his chamber after the Friday session was over, that the remarks he had made during his press conference on Thursday and which had prompted the treasury to move and pass a censure motion against him on Friday were the same which he had been making on the floor of the house for long.
He repeated his words that “if the treasury benches are not serious in carrying out the house business, the assembly should be suspended.”
He pointed out: “In today’s sitting again, neither any bill was taken up nor was any problem faced by people discussed,” and questioned: “Why the public money is being wasted on holding such sessions if the house cannot deliver?”
Mr Khuhro was accompanied by PPP Sindh chief Syed Qaim Ali Shah and MMA parliamentary party leader Maulana Omar Sadiq.
He said that he was not the lone voice to call for the suspension of the assembly. “Before me, the same remarks were made by PML-F chief Pir Pagara, but nobody had taken notice of it.”
Criticizing the chair for the ‘unfair treatment’ with the opposition in the house, he recalled that during the Thursday session, he (Mr Khuhro) had sought the chairman’s permission for moving a substantive motion under Rule 179 but was not allowed to do so. Through this motion, he said, he wanted to highlight the need for coordination between the provincial education department and the district government. “But today, the chairman appeared prompt in allowing the censure motion against me,” he wondered.
Accusing the MQM of hypocrisy, he said that on the one hand, it showed interest in starting Sindhi classes at the ‘Nine-Zero’ for Urdu speaking people to promote understanding, and on the other, it resorted to exerting pressure on the government when there was a question of teaching Sindhi in educational institutions.
“While the governor favours introduction of Sindhi language, the senior minister describes the governor’s statement as against the policy.”
The PPP would not only raise the issue in the house to expose them, but would also hold an all-parties conference (APC) and mobilize intellectuals, NGOs and other groups and parties in this regard.
“Let them pass censure motions against us… people know very well how serious is the government in resolving their problems… we will continue our struggle along with our friends and will continue to raise public issues from every platform.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah pointed out that for the first time in 40 years of Sindh’s parliamentary history, a censure motion against a leader of the opposition had been passed. “It’s against all canons of democratic principles,” he added.
Highlighting the prestige held by a leader of the house and leader of the opposition in a democracy, Mr Shah said no one could intervene while any of them was delivering a speech in the house.
There was no justification for passing the censure motion without a proper reading and a debate, he contended. He called for the withdrawal of the motion.
