KARACHI, Nov 30: When it resumes business after a two-day break on Monday, the Sindh Assembly session is not likely to have the smooth sailing it has enjoyed since its swearing in, as the eruption of violence in the city is sure to provoke heated discussions in the house.

The session will be presided over by Deputy Speaker Syeda Shehla Raza as Speaker Nisar Khuhro has gone to perform Haj.

Jam Madad Ali, Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, talking to Dawn on Sunday evening recalled that on Friday, a couple of members from both sides of the house had already drawn the attention of the speaker to the deteriorating law and order situation and had expressed apprehensions about the growing ethnic tension in the metropolis and called upon the government to take effective steps to control the situation.

He said that although leaders of the ruling coalition parties met and together visited some violence-hit areas and made appeals to the people to foil the designs of miscreants, it appeared the appeals had gone unheeded by the perpetrators of the mayhem.

Mr Ali said that in view of the rising temperatures between Pakistan and India over the Mumbai terror attacks, the government must immediately move to rein in the situation at the earliest in Karachi.

He said by another point of order, he would again seek a joint resolution against privatisation of the Qadirpur gas fields as had been agreed upon in the house.

The business enlisted in the order of the day for Monday includes questions hour on the health department. The others items on the agenda – deferred business from Friday – are: introduction and consideration of Government Bill No 13 of 2008 – the Sindh Public Property (Removal of Encroachment) Amendment Bill, 2008; consideration of Government Bill No 12 of 2008 – the Sindh Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2008; nomination of a woman MPA as a member of the Pakistan Nursing Council, Islamabad; nomination of four MPAs on the board of governors of the Sindh Coal Authority and election of standing committees and other committees as laid down in the rules and any other matter with the permission of the chair.