KARACHI: Sindh PA pays respect to victims of blast
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, April 13: The Sindh Assembly, which reassembled on Thursday after a two-day recess, was adjourned till Friday morning after members offered fateha for the departed souls of MPA Anwar Adil Hingoro of PML-F, former MNA and MPA Hafiz Mohammad Taqi of JUP and all the religious figures and other people who lost their lives in the Tuesday blast at Nishtar Park congregation.
Before the house was adjourned, Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah pointed out that under its tradition, the house was always adjourned if a sitting member passed away. On Wednesday also, the National Assembly session was adjourned as a mark of respect for its ex-member Hafiz Mohammad Taqi, who was among those who died in the Nishtar Park tragedy. The deceased had also remained a member of the Sindh Assembly as well as a provincial minister, he added. Besides, he said, a sitting MPA Anwar Adil also passed away and the house should follow the tradition to pay respect to him.
The chair then gave floor to more than a dozen members from treasury and opposition benches to speak on their adjournment motions on the Nishtar Park tragedy.
The speaker also referred to the adjournment motions moved by leader of the opposition Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, Shazia Marri, Shama Mithani, Nasrullah Shaji and Rafique Engineer on the Nishtar Park blast, and stressed the need for discussing the tragic incident on the floor of the house because such a big tragedy had taken place in the capital of this provincial.
He cited the Rule 76(3) which prescribed not more than two hours for a discussion, and said that the house could also take up other adjournment motions on Friday to listen to those who could not participate in Monday’s discussion.
The speaker, after consulting the law minister and leader of the opposition, also announced that Tuesday and Wednesday next would be the private members’ days in lieu of this (today’s) one.
The ministers for law and mines and mineral development suggested that today’s private members’ day could be put off to tomorrow and the discussion on adjournment motions could be held on Monday. They did not agree with Mr Khuhro’s suggestion that Friday session be held after Jumma prayers.
Mr Khuhro also suggested that adjournment motions should be admitted in today’s session with mutual consultation and the same be taken up for discussion in Friday’s proceedings.
Mr Hameedullah of MMA suggested that the Friday session be put off as ulema had given a call for a strike while the MMA and ARD had given a call for observing Friday as a day of protest. Besides, he added, Friday happened to be the last day of the three-day mourning announced by the government and the MQM.
Nasrullah Shaji of MMA endorsed his colleague’s views, and pointed out that even today they had faced great hardship in reaching the assembly because of the transport problem. He said the session could be held on Saturday, instead of Friday.
Senior parliamentarian Syed Qaim Ali Shah of PPP also did not favour the assembly to meet on Friday as PPP is part of the ARD, which is observing Friday as a day of protest.
Maulana Umar Sadiq pointed out that Friday sittings would usually last 15 minutes. Therefore, he added, it would be better to put off the discussion to Monday.
Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad said that during the three-day mourning, all functions stood postponed, but routine business was continuing. The house should meet on Friday and discussion be held for two hours on adjournment motions by suspending the question hour. He argued that the MMA would usually observe protests after Jumma prayers which could not affect morning sitting of the house.
Mohammad Hussain of MQM said that a discussion on the Nishtar Park tragedy be held on Friday morning. He said the discussion should not be put off, arguing that some other organization might give a call for protest on Monday also.
Abdul Rehman Rajput of JUP said it was difficult for him to attend the session on Friday as his party supported the call for protest on the day.
Shazia Marri of PPP maintained that any discussion on the tragedy should be held after mutual consultation. She suggested the discussion to be held on Saturday.
Irfan Ali Shah of PPP pointed out that due to deteriorating situation in the city, the army had already been alerted. “We should not give the army any chance to claim that politicians had failed to run the affairs of the government.”
Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, Humera Alwani, Sardar Jam Tamachi, Rafique Engineer, Dr Mehreen Bhutto, Munawwar Ali Abbasi, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Begum Gulzar Unnar, Maulana Umar Sadiq, Nasrullah Shaji, Begum Kulsoom Nizamani, Qamar Mansoor, Faisal Sabzwari and Shakir Ali expressed their heartfelt sorrow and grief over the death of noted ulema and other innocent people in the Nishtar Park blast. They also expressed sympathy with all those who sustained injuries in the incident.
