November 14, 2008	Friday	Ziqa'ad 15, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 13: The city council adjourned its session, which was called by Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil, till Nov 17 when it emerged during Thursday’s sitting that the session was inquorate.

In the absence of the house convener, the session was presided over by the senior presiding officer, Masood Mehmud.

When the house was called to order, a large number of council members did not turn up due to which the presiding officer had to suspend the business for half an hour.

However, when the house reassembled, there were only 115 members in the house, including four opposition members, while 122 members are required for continuing the session.

Taking a serious note of the disappointing situation, the presiding officer asked the leader of the house, Asif Siddiqui, to ask the opposition members whether they were interested in continuing the session. But the effort could not receive a positive response as they did not turn up.

Thereafter, the presiding officer adjourned the house till Nov 17 at 2.30pm.

The absence of a large number of treasury members raised many eyebrows.

Some opposition members attributed it to the issue of a land scam of a treatment plant which was raised by them during Tuesday’s session.

Earlier, Mohammad Ramzan Awan, the nazim of UC-11 Kehkashan Saddar Town, on a point of order drew the attention of the presiding officer to acute water shortage in his union council.

He said the water shortage problem had been persisting in his UC for the past two months.

Mr Awan urged the presiding officer to summon the managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board or some other officials to explain the water supply position.