KARACHI: Language issue, MP’s conduct stir rumpus: Sindh PA session
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, Nov 22: The issue of the implementation of the Sindhi Language Act dominated Tuesday’s proceedings of the Sindh Assembly during which, in the second half, the house witnessed a rumpus that heightened gradually to the extent that the speaker, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, had to warn the opposition of adjourning the deliberations for the day.
Opposition members continued to demand implementation of the Act despite categorical statements by Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Educational Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro that the government stood committed to do so. The government side maintained that the Act was not only being implemented in its totality, but had already initiated measures to introduce Salees Sindhi up to class XII.
Makhdoom Jamiluz Zaman of PPP, through a motion, sought the chair’s permission to move his resolution out of turn. The resolution would have recommended to the government to implement the 1972 Act in totality. However, when the motion was put to vote, the house rejected the same by a voice vote, disallowing Mr Zaman to move the resolution out of turn.
A similar motion moved by Humera Alwani of PPP also stood punctured when the speaker called it a day to meet again on Wednesday at 10am.
The house proceedings, from the start at around 11.35am, appeared a drab business until the break for Zuhr prayers. Even after the break, a few treasury members who had returned to the house at around 2pm, also left, as did Dr Hameeda Khuhro and Begum Gulzar Unnar. The opposition benches became a bit restive and started making efforts to complete the quorum. During such efforts, at around 2.40pm, Ms Shama Mithani, a member of the panel of chairmen from the opposition benches, crossed the barrier and resorted to occupying the speaker’s chair. She then asked the assembly secretary to count the members.
This was watched by all members in the hall, as well as those outside on close circuit TV. This also prompted treasury members to make a beeline and enter into the hall. A bitter match of shouting between the two sides followed amid which, at around 2.43, the speaker got in and the chief minister followed suit.
Treasury benches resented conduct of Ms Mithani in occupying the speaker’s chair. Law Minister Iftikhar Chaudhry and Mines and Mineral Resources Minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat demanded an apology from her before the house resumed deliberations.
Opposition members, with most of them on their feet, continued to shout down the treasury members. There was also an exchange of harsh remarks between leader of the opposition Nisar Ahmad Khuhro and the speaker.
Mr Khuhro, asked the speaker about the abnormal delay in resuming the proceedings after break, and pointed out that the break time was over much earlier.
The speaker argued that under the relevant rules, the chair would enter the house only when the quorum was complete.
The law minister described the opposition’s attitude as ‘highly objectionable’ saying that a member from the opposition having occupied the speaker’s seat was against all norms and parliamentary traditions.
The speaker also regretted Ms Mithani’s act of occupying his seat and said he had been informed by the assembly secretary that she had been occupying the chair while even the quorum was not complete.
The speaker’s remarks provoked an angry reaction by Mr Khuhro and about half a dozen of the latter’s colleagues. The chair asked them to adopt a decent way to express their point of view. However, when they did not heed his advice, the speaker gave Mr Bhurgari, Ms Sassui Palejo, Mr Murad Ali Shah and some other members to change their attitude. “The business of the house cannot be run under pressure,” he remarked.
Mr Hameedullah of MMA backed Mr Khuhro’s contention that the speaker had not been informed when the there was complete quorum twice after the Zuhr break.
Makhdoom Jameeluz Zaman, who insisted on presenting his resolution on the Language Act out of turn, moved his motion and read out the resolution.
Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad, speaking on a point of order, drew attention of the house to the sensitivity of the language issue and asked members not to pass any remarks which could create bitterness.
He requested the speaker that before seeking a division on the motion, the education minister should be asked to make a statement.
The minister, Dr Hamida Khuhro, stated that the government was now implementing the 1972 Act 32 years after it was enacted. Criticizing the PPP, she said that despite gaining power three times during this period, the party had never taken any step towards its implementation.
At present, she said, Sindhi Salees was being taught as compulsory subject from class IV to X and it would take two-three months to introduce the subject up to the intermediate level. “Textbooks are being published and lecturers inducted on ad hoc basis for the purpose,” she said, adding that there was, as such, no need for the opposition to move the resolution.
Making a statement, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim maintained that no single party was in a position to amend the Act on its own. He said that in order to resolve the issue, he had floated the idea of convening an all-parties conference but the same had been rejected by the opposition.
He observed that wrong handling of language issue in the past had resulted in bloodshed.
He regretted that a TV channel had been trying to making an issue of the non-issue. In this context, he pointed out that the MQM had also changed its name from ‘Mohajir Qaumi Movement’ to ‘Muttahida Qaumi Movement’ and Sindhi-speaking people were also now joining that party as everyone wanted to live in peace with others.
The chief minister’s statement did not satisfy Mr Zaman and other opposition members who expressed their apprehensions in this regard and maintained that the same could be removed only when a notification was issued.
Mr Khuhro referred to the issuance and withdrawal of several notifications, saying that this had created doubts over the government’s claim of being committed to the implementation of the Act.
The chief minister maintained that the notifications in question had been issued due to some misunderstanding and were withdrawn accordingly. He said that the Act was more important than the notification.
As Mr Zaman continued to insist on his resolution, his motion for permission for the same was put to vote. The house rejected the motion by a voice vote.
