KARACHI, Sept 11: Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah has expressed his regret over the opposition’s undemocratic attitude during the Monday proceedings of the house, saying that they appeared not ready to allow Deputy Speaker Rahila Tiwana despite the fact that he and the treasury benches patiently heard as many as 14 opposition members who spoke on a resolution aimed at unseating her.
Addressing a news conference in his chamber soon after adjourning the day’s proceedings, Mr Shah said the no-confidence motion had been presented by the opposition and it would have been fair if the movers of the resolution would have obliged her to defend herself.
During the six-hour proceedings, the opposition members made every allegation against her known to the house but when it came the turn of the deputy speaker to defend herself, the opposition refused to let her do so, Mr Shah observed.
He held that democracy could not function unless tolerance was exercised by all sides in a dispute. He said that democratic traditions called for listening to others.
Mr Shah pointed out that after participating in the day-long discussion on the no-confidence motion, the opposition was supposed to take part in the voting but by opting to stay away from the same, they rendered the entire process an exercise in futility.
Mr Shah pointed out that he had allowed two opposition members to speak before giving floor to one treasury member in the day’s proceedings. He said the opposition was supposed to maintain the decorum of the house and facilitate the proceedings because it was a requisitioned session. However, he said, it was opposition that resorted to disrupting the proceedings and creating a situation where the speaker had to exercise his powers to prorogue the session. Despite this, he added, the session was adjourned and not prorogued.
Justifying the adjournment for eight days, Mr Shah said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was due in the province to visit the areas devastated by the current monsoon rains, especially the torrential rains on Sept 8 and 9. Therefore, he pointed out, most members wanted to remain in their constituencies to apprise the prime minister of the plight of the people of their respective areas.
The speaker said that he was striving hard to set good traditions under which the dignity and prestige of the house could become exemplary. He said slogan-raising, rumpus and pandemonium would not help setting such traditions. He stressed on tolerance and democratic values to be upheld by each and every member.
In reply to a question, he said that under the Rule 14(5) of the Rules of Business of the Sindh Assembly, voting on a no-confidence motion had to be held through secret ballots, though the National Assembly’s rules called for a division for the purpose.
In reply to another question, he said that a resolution could be passed in the Sindh Assembly if it was supported by at least 85 members whereas the opposition had 65 members present in the house on Monday.
