KARACHI, Oct 3: The Sindh Assembly meets on Thursday in a regular session summoned by Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad amid intense politicking preceding the Oct 6 presidential election.
Its order of the day is to carry out routine business and though the political climate in the country is incredibly charged, the situation in the house is likely to be a tame affair. The fireworks, which were witnessed during its almost five-year term, will be missing because an important segment of the house -- the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal parliamentary group -- has tendered its resignation from the assembly in protest against the acceptance of President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s nomination papers for re-election in uniform.
The group was numerically small, with eight members on the opposition benches, and its strength was further reduced to seven as one of its members, Abdul Rehman Rajput, refused to resign and announced his intention to vote in favour of Gen Musharraf.
Though the fate of their resignations is yet to be decided, legally the MMA contingent has a right to attend and take part in the assembly’s business, but, according to MMA Parliamentary Party Leader Maulana Omar Sadiq, as a matter of principle none of the legislators who have tendered their resignations will attend the session.
However, the major parliamentary opposition group, the Pakistan People’s Party, comprising 57 members, will be in the house. But they too appear undecided about their response on various issues because of the ongoing negotiations between their leadership and the government.
Even the half a dozen or so PPP firebrands, known to be quite vocal on issues, will be ill at ease in the house for want of a clear-cut line. A strategy is likely to be formulated by the group when they meet before going in to the house.
In the absence of Leader of the Opposition Nisar Ahmad Khuhro and Sindh PPP President Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who have left for London to attend the party high command meeting, the house proceedings should be easily handled by the chair.
In the order of the day, which has 27 items, the question-hour pertains to the excise and taxation department, an adjournment motion of Nisar Khuhro, laying of seven ordinances, introduction of five government bills regarding the Sindh Development Authorities’ (Revival and Amendment) Bill 2007, the Sindh Consumer Protection Bill 2007, the Comecs Institute of Business and Engineering Sciences Bill 2007, the Sugar Factories’ Control (Sindh Amendment) Bill 2007 and the Sindh Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority Bill 2007.
The seven government bills included in the agenda for consideration are the Sindh Finance (Amendment) Bill 2006, the Sindh Speaker and Deputy Speaker’s (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Bill 2006, the Sindh Local Government (Fourth Amendment) Bill 2006, the Societies’ Registration (Second Sindh Amendment Bill) 2006, the Sindh Development Authorities’ Laws (Revival and Amendment) Bill 2006, the Sindh Public Procurement Bill 2006 and the Sindh Criminal Prosecution Service (Constitution, Functions and Powers) Bill 2006.
The other items on the order of the day include the presentation and consideration of the reports of the standing committee on food and agriculture on Government Bill No 8 of 2005 to amend the Sindh Cotton Control Ordinance 1996, presentation of the report of the standing committee on education to amend the Pakistan Institute of Management Bill 2005, laying of the auditor general’s report, nomination of members on various committees and extension of the date of the presentation of the report by the standing committee on services, information, land utilisation, education, health and services, food and agriculture and special committees regarding attempts of physical assault on the finance minister, amendments in the rules of procedure, development of Hawkesbay plots and the Tenancy Act.
