KARACHI, Oct 4: The Sindh Assembly set a new record of legislation by adopting two bills amid uproar by the opposition on the very first day of its new session that began on Thursday.
The bills, which were passed despite protest from the opposition benches, were: “The Sindh Finance (Amendment) Bill, 2006 to rationalise the cess for special maintenance and development of infrastructure,” and “The Sindh speaker’s and deputy speaker’s (salaries, allowance and privileges) Bill, 2006”.
The government bills, which were the eighth items on the order of the day, were taken up soon after the law minister returned to the House after reaching an understanding with the opposition for deferring the questions hour till Friday.
Naseer Khan Khoso, who was in the chair after Speaker Muzaffar Hussain moved to his chamber, gave the floor to Law Minister Iftikhar Chaudhry, ignoring Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman, who was on his feet.
Without paying any heed to the protesting members from the opposition benches, the law minister hurried through the three readings of the bill before their adoption by a voice vote.
Anti-govt slogans
When the law minister was reading out the bills, opposition members who were protesting against the chair’s attitude had moved from their benches towards the speaker’s rostrum. They started raising slogans “Stop the murder of law”, “Fake bills not acceptable”, “Restore the sanctity of the House”, “Chacha Khoso not acceptable”, etc.
The law minister was about to move the motion to take up the third bill, “The societies Registration (Second Sindh Amendment Bill 2006)”, when Azan for Zuhar prayers led to a session break.
The speaker returned to his chair at around 12.45pm and called the house to order. After sanity returned to the house, he gave the floor to Makhdoom Jamil who pointed out that the law minister was ignoring the understanding about deferring the questions hour and taking first adjournment motions, and had jumped over to item 8 by moving a motion for considering the finance bill.
The law minister rising in his seat said the opposition did not stand by the commitment. Before Makhdoom Jamil could respond to the law minister’s charge, Ghulam Quadir Chandio, Ayaz Soomro, Rafique Engineer and Sassui Palejo from the opposition benches, one after another, started speaking without seeking permission from the chair.
Failing to restore discipline despite repeated warnings that he would adjourn the session, the speaker said he could only conduct the business if there was order in the House.
At around 12.55pm, he called it a day to meet again on Friday at 9.30am.
Earlier, at 11.05am the house was called to order with Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah in the chair. After recitation from the Quran and rendering of a Naat, Fateha was offered for those who had died when the House was not in session.
The speaker announced the names of the panel of chairmen — Nasir Khan Khoso, Talib Imam, Murad Ali Shah and Humera Alwani. He briefed the house on the procedure of the presidential election on Oct 6.
‘Press freedom’
Soon afterwards, Sassui Palejo, rising to her feet on a point of order, tried to raise the issue of the use of brute force against journalists and lawyers in Islamabad. Saifullah Dharejo criticised the government for its tall claims of the freedom of the press and expression by pointing out the brutality of police force against journalists and lawyers.
Makhdoom Jamil announced that he was staging a token walkout from the House as an expression of solidarity with the journalists and lawyers communities.
When opposition members were staging a walkout through one door and entering from another, Minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat drew the attention of the chair saying that on the one hand the opposition was criticising the government and, on the other, they were busy making a deal with the same government and asking for withdrawal of the cases against them and seeking the repeal of Article 58/2-B. If the government was so bad, why they were making deals with it, he said.
Law Minister Iftikhar Chaudhry termed the walkout uncalled for as not only the federal government but the Supreme Court had already taken notice of the incident.
Makhdoom Jamil and Rafique Engineer said the PPP was not seeking any favour for the party but for the restoration of true democracy in the country and that the indemnity bill would benefit Liaquat Jatoi, the MQM and Rao Sikander also. They termed it a piece of disinformation by the government that the indemnity bill was for the benefit of the PPP leadership alone.
Anwar Ali Mehar, as the chairman of the standing committee on food and agriculture, presented the committee’s report out of turn after seeking permission under rule 211.
Referring to the recommendations of the committee for suo motu powers to the committee, the speaker said the committee could not make recommendations to the government unless the report was adopted by the house. He suggested that its recommendations should be presented in the form of a resolution before the house on Friday for consideration.
Anwar Mehar also wanted to present out of turn another report on government bill 8 of 2005 to amend the Sindh Cotton Control Ordinance 1996. On the suggestion of the chair, it was also deferred to Friday.
Saifullah Dharejo on a point of order referred the statement of the Ghotki DPO who blamed the worsening law and order situation on the government’s favouritism in posting and transfer of officials. In this connection, the DPO had named Sardar Ali Gohar Mehar and Nadir Akmal Leghari.
Ayaz Soomro said that in Larkana low-ranking officials were being posted under the influence of leaders of the ruling party to use them against the opposition.
Sassui Palejo deplored the mistreatment of a French scholar in Thatta by DPO Shaukat Shah, and said Sindh was known for its hospitality and not for a hostile attitude towards women.
Pir Amjad Shah Jilani said that Badin which used to be relatively peaceful was now facing a law and order situation so much so that two journalists had been kidnapped and now people were holding rallies.
Journalists’ walkout
Soon after the recitation from the Quran, journalists in the press gallery staged a token walkout to protest against use of force against journalists and lawyers in Islamabad and elsewhere in the country and an attempt on the life of KUJ President Shamim-ur- Rahman.
They met in the press room of the assembly building and adopted a condemnation resolution, demanding arrest by Saturday of those involved in the attempt on the life of the KUJ president.
The meeting also called for the arrest of the Islamabad IG for the maltreatment of journalists and lawyers.
