KARACHI, March 6: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday again failed to take up the business, sans a privilege motion, for which the session was requisitioned by the opposition.
On Tuesday, the PA’s third working day since March 2 when the House was summoned by the Speaker, the treasury benches refused to extend the time beyond 2pm as Minister for Mines and Minerals Irfanullah Khan Marwa,t who had drawn the attention of Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah that as he had to go for signing an agreement and had also to make preparations along with other colleagues for the all-parties conference scheduled for Wednesday to consider the issue of provincial autonomy, they were not in a position to extend the time of sitting.
When Mr Marwat drew the attention of the chair towards the the clock which had struck 2 pm, the health minister had taken his seat after opposing the privilege motion moved by Rafique Engineer of PPP against Medical Superintendent of the Government Spencer Eyes Hospital M. Zafar Farooqui for his contemptuous behaviour for the MPA.
The health minister opposed it saying that it was the practice in every hospital including private hospitals like Aga Khan that before doctors, technicians prepared the case for doctors by using drops to dilute the eye to determine the problem. Later they refer the case to the doctor who rechecks the patient before suggesting treatment.
Mehreen Bhutto of PPP, who is a practicing doctor, drew attention of the chair that if this was a practice as mentioned by the health minister, it was a wrong practice and should be stopped as without determination of the problem, use of drops could be injurious for the eye.
Before Leader of the Opposition Nisar Khuhro could make arguments, Mr Marwat proposed the chair to adjourn the session till Thursday as they would not be available on Wednesday as they would be hosting the APC. He further argued had the opposition been serious in taking up their business, they should have ensured their presence in the House by 10am.
Mr Khuhro was in favour of extension of time so that adjournment motion could be taken up. He drew attention of the chair that today was the fifth day since the requisitioned session and the government had spent lot of public money therefore the time be extended.
The Speaker reserving his ruling on the admissibility of the privilege motion, suggested both -- opposition and treasury members – to try to reach the assembly earlier on Thursday as only in this way would the problem of deliberation on the agenda be solved.
He sought opinion from PPP Sindh President Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Leader of Opposition Nisar Ahmad Khuhro if they would be attending the APC, called by the government on the quantum of provincial autonomy. The response of from the opposition benches was a vociferous no.
Makhdoom Jameel-uz-Zaman suggested to the chair that if the house was being adjourned, it should be till Thursday as their colleagues would be busy on Thursday with the party meeting.
The chair suggested to hold a meeting of the House Advisory Committee at 10.15am before going to the session called it a day around 2.10pm to meet again on Friday at 9am.
Earlier, the House resumed business 75 minutes behind the scheduled time of 10 m with Speaker Muzzaffar Shah in the chair. After recitation from Holy Quran and Naat, the house offered Fateha for deceased persons whose names were mentioned by members from both sides.
Sajid Jokhio of PPP recalled that one year ago on this very day, MPA Abdullah Murad was murdered but so far his killers had not been arrested.
Rafique Engineer of PPP referred the on-going war between underworld gangs operating in Lyari had taken the lives of dozens of people. He included these deceased for fateha including the two small girls who were killed in bomb blast last night and one girl this morning.
Local Government Minister Muhammad Hussain tried to provoke the opposition pointing out that those who were in power in the past had patronised those who were creating problems. On these remarks when some members from the opposition benches, particularly from the PPP tried to protest, they were stopped by Leader of the Opposition.
Before the chair could take up questions hour as per the agenda, Minister for Inter–provincial Coordination Sohrab Sarki made a statement on the floor of the House under Rule 215. He said that the government had summoned an all parties conference on the important issue of provincial autonomy which was an important point in the manifestos of every political party. The government had invited all parties in the province including nationalists and religious parties who had no representation in the House.
He said the ruling coalition was of the view that all problems could be solved after getting provincial autonomy. He said the invitation had been delivered to the party leaders and if any one had not received it so far he was extending them an invitation. He also invited the PPP to attend the APC hosted by the government in Sindh’s interest and ignore petty political considerations at this juncture.
