November 26, 2008	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 27, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 25: Terming the treasury’s attitude as “unacceptable”, leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Jam Madad Ali reiterated the right of the opposition to raise issues in defence of Sindh’s interests on the floor of the house.

He was addressing the media after Tuesday’s assembly session and was speaking with particular reference to the adjournment motion moved by him – which he withdrew – regarding the privatization of the Qadirpur gas field, as well as several other resolutions that could not be moved by members of the opposition at the tail end of the day’s session.

“I had spoken for the people of Sindh. Do we not have a right to speak for Sindh? Why was there such stiff opposition to the adjournment motion? I did not suggest Qadirpur gas field be transferred to my name. We will put up this resolution and we will have it passed,” a defiant Jam Madad, who is also the Pakistan Muslim League Functional’s parliamentary party leader, told the pressmen gathered in front of the assembly’s entrance.

He claimed that though the opposition was willing to work with the government, members of the treasury kept pouncing on the opposition law-makers during question hour, and that the attitude of some government law-makers was quite hostile.

Condemning what he termed was the “unacceptable attitude” of the treasury, he rejected the government’s claim that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had nixed the privatization of the Qadirpur gas field. “The prime minister did not say Qadirpur will not be privatized. He has said the issue would be sent to parliament. However, it is our moral duty to speak for the rights of Sindh.”

Jam Madad said certain elements were bent upon sabotaging the policy of reconciliation being pursued by President Asif Ali Zardari. When asked to name names, he said “you can figure out for yourselves who is ruining the atmosphere of reconciliation.”

He also said that the late Benazir Bhutto opposed the privatization of national assets.

Jam Madad Ali was also critical of not being allowed to move resolutions, despite the fact that it was a private members’ day.

“When the Pakistan People’s Party was in the opposition, they used to say that the sitting during a private members’ day can be prolonged for as long as required. There is nothing wrong in sitting for long hours for one day. All the issues we wanted to raise are very important,” he said.

“Our resolutions would have hardly taken two minutes. But we were told there was no time. Time could have been extended. We wanted to raise the issue of sugar, as a shortage is on the horizon. We also wanted to raise the issue of wheat,” the leader of the opposition said.

He praised Dr Sikander Mandhro’s resolution, saying that “we strongly support it.”