KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmakers on Tuesday stood up from their seats, gathered near the rostrum of the speaker to lodge protest before staging a walkout from the house against the remarks of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah who said the MQM’s recent ‘dharna’ was an attack on CM House.

The disturbances, however, did not overawe the chief minister who continued his speech recalling the background of the ongoing operation that brought down targeted killings, terrorism, extortion and kidnappings for ransom.

He said the improvement in law and order was not only appreciated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but also by Chief of the Army Staff Raheel Sharif in presence of all the four chief ministers and military commanders at a recently held meeting in Islamabad where it was agreed that next meeting would be held at the CM House in Karachi.

Although there was no item on the order of the day on the private members day but soon after questions hour, MQM lawmaker Abdul Haseeb protested against Additional IG Police Ghulam Quadir Thebo over an interview given to a foreign channel. He termed it a conspiracy against the MQM and counted extrajudicial killing of its six workers in 2015, 25 activists last year and four workers who were found shot dead after being kidnapped in 2013. He said the police chief blamed grouping within the MQM for the killings but he must know that the MQM was as united as it always had been in the past under the leadership of Altaf Hussain. He said the police had killed MQM worker Sarfraz and demanded investigation of their party workers extrajudicial killing.

MQM parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahamd demanded action against the police chief as no bureaucrat was entitled to make such a political statement.

MQM deputy parliamentary leader Khwaja Izharul Hassan said that no one even denied the police chief’s statement that the plainclothes kidnappers of MQM workers also belonged to the MQM. He said they had gone with four bodies to the CM House where they stayed for 10 hours at the gate. But no one turned up to redress their grievance after which they were compelled to say that the bodies of Urdu-speaking people had no value in the eyes of the rulers, he said.

Responding to the MQM complaint, the chief minister said his party could feel pain of every one, as it was the PPP that suffered the most, with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and thousands of PPP activists who laid down their life for the sake of democracy.

The decision for launching the operation in Karachi was taken one-and-half years ago in a meeting at Governor’s House, the chief minister said.

He added the meeting, which was chaired by prime minister, was attended by all major political parties, including the MQM, and it was decided in that meeting a targeted operation should be launched against terrorists, militants and hardcore criminals. Since the launch of the operation, he said, meetings were held to evaluate and assess the progress and success of the operation. He recalled that Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad also had expressed his satisfaction on the performance of the operation.

The chief minister then recalled the time when the MQM was in power and said it was during that period that May 12, April 6 massacre and Eid Miladun Nabi killings had been carried out. He said the PPP was not in power when Gen Pervez Musharraf, US consulate, Karachi corps commander and a bus of French engineers were attacked. He said more than 600 workers of PPP were killed in targeted attacks. Even a brave police officer Chaudhry Aslam was martyred, he recalled.

He said he was not present in Karachi when Sarfraz was killed. As he returned from Sukkur, he came to know that CM House had been surrounded. He said: “The sit-in was not for a complaint but an attack on the CM House.”

Hearing the remarks, MQM lawmakers stood up from their seats and gathered around the rostrum of the speaker to lodge protest against the CM. At one time it was felt that PPP and MQM lawmakers were about to grapple with each other, as the PPP legislators encircled the chief minister.

Mr Shah, however, continued his speech by pointing out that when he informed the governor about the MQM action, the governor promised him to send them back. “I made contacts with the governor six to seven times during the night. TV footage could be seen how the activists climbed ladders and crossed the barriers and reached the gate of CM House, he said.

He said that the police chief statement was correct that “over 300 terrorists have been arrested and if I mention their names what would be the reaction of our friends.”

The MQM lawmakers, meanwhile, staged a walkout from the assembly.

Following CM’s speech, PML-F lawmaker Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh suggested to the PPP lawmakers that the MQM protesters be brought back to the house. Senior Minister Nisar Ahmad Khuhro said the MQM lawmakers did not want to hear the speech of the chief minister. They could come on their own, he added.

After the speech, the rest of business was taken up by the house.

The house on a suggestion of the finance minister adopted a resolution, which was tabled by Senior Minister Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, recommending to the government to approach the federal government to continue to supply of 650megawatts from the National Transmission and Dispatch Company to K-Electric.

The Sindh Institute of Management and Technology Bill was introduced, while two private resolutions of Saira Shliani and Khairunnisa Mughal were carried pertaining to opening of burns centre in all districts and imposing ban on staging sit-ins on roads, respectively.

Five private bills were referred to respective standing committees for consideration and to report back within a week. After completion of the agenda, the session was adjourned at 1.30pm to reassemble on Friday.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2015

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