KARACHI: PA unlikely to take up main items on agenda
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 8: The Sindh Assembly is not likely to make any headway when it resumes business on Friday after a two-day recess in the requisitioned session that had commenced on March 2.
However, if the treasury and opposition benches reach some understanding on taking up certain items on the agenda, the house could witness some fireworks.
The agenda, signed by 43 members from the joint opposition, includes the alleged rigging in the recently held by-elections for NA 250 Karachi and PS-71 Jamshoro seats, deteriorating law and order, gang-rape incidents and sky-rocketing prices.
On Tuesday, Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, before calling it a day, had advised both the benches to ensure meeting the quorum and prompt arrival in the assembly hall so that the items on the agenda could be deliberated upon.
He had also offered that he could facilitate a meeting of the House Advisory Committee in his chamber prior to the commencement of proceedings with a view to let both the sides set priorities.
The order of the day for the Friday session carries 25 items and if the committee agreed on taking up the privilege motion (item IV on the agenda) the debate could generate enough heat and the opposition members are likely to get emotional. In such a situation in the past, the chair would resort to adjourning or even proroguing the session.
The members who have submitted the notice for the privilege motion are Shazia Marri, Saira Shaliani, Humera Alwani, Shamim Ara Panhwar and Farheen Mughal. They have taken exception to Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim’s remarks against women in politics and have described his act as a blatant violation of the Constitution.
Another important item on the agenda is an adjournment motion submitted by Leader of the Opposition Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, Rafique Engineer and others. It pertains to the alleged rigging in the recent by-elections in Sindh.
Equally important is the question hour and the opposition would not agree to defer the item as it pertains to home department.
Time constraint could be a demerit for the opposition as the morning session would end by noon and if the treasury benches did not agree to resume the deliberations after break for Juma prayers and lunch, none of the items except for the question hour could be taken up during the day’s deliberations.
