KARACHI, May 5: Seeking to end the prolonged impasse in the City Council, Convener Nasreen Jalil has constituted a five-member house committee to investigate the April 26 incident in which several opposition members were beaten up by some treasury members during the proceedings of the house.

The committee, headed by Nazim of New Karachi Town’s UC-8 Mohammad Nazim, comprises two members each from the treasury and opposition benches. Ahsan Ahmed Siddiqui and Dr Nikhat Shakil from the treasury benches have been nominated. While the other two members from the opposition, Mir Ismail Brohi and Abdul Rashid Beg, have been officially proposed, they have not given their consent. The committee has been directed to submit its report by May 15.

Meanwhile, 10 more members of several house committees from various opposition groups tendered their resignations on Saturday in protest against the manhandling of their colleagues during the April 26 incident. The council’s secretariat received the resignations in the absence of the convener.

Later, Abdul Rashid Beg, accompanied by Leader of the Opposition Saeed Ghani, talked to newsmen and announced his disassociation from the inquiry committee. Ismail Brohi also said he had nothing to do with the committee.

The opposition leaders said that their protest would continue until those involved in the incident were taken to task. They said all treasury members were equally responsible for that unpleasant episode, adding that they would not enter into any dialogue on the issue.

Meanwhile, the council’s finance committee, which met here on Saturday to discuss the draft CDGK budget, criticised the opposition for quitting house committees.

Chairman of the committee Mirza Afaq Beg said there was no justification for tendering resignations at a time when the draft budget was being presented before the council for a debate.

He was of the view that the opposition should not continue to reject the treasury’s offer of dialogue on the issue.

BUDGET: Convener of the City Council Ms Nasreen Jalil has extended the date for submitting suggestions on the draft CDGK budget from May 6 to May 8.