KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday adopted a censure motion criticising Leader of the Opposition Shahryar Khan Mahar for tearing up the book of rules of procedure of the assembly and throwing it away a day earlier.

The censure motion, tabled out of turn at the fag-end of the day’s proceedings by Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Dr Sikander Shoro, was carried with voice votes amid intense protest from opposition legislators of the Pakistan Muslim League-F and PML-Nawaz, who converged in front of the rostrum of the speaker, raising slogans of “No, No”.

Speaking on the motion, Dr Shoro said Monday was an extremely sad day when the leader of the opposition insulted the book of rules of business of the assembly. That, he said, unmasked the face of the anti-people and anti-democracy forces as the alleged offender had insulted the entire house and as such had no right to be its member. He should submit an apology to the house or the speaker ban his entry to the assembly for the entire session or at least for a day.

He said everybody knew that who did politics during the dictatorial rules and took out rallies in support of the Kalabagh dam.

The motion reads: “This house strongly condemns and censures Mr Muhammad Shahryar Khan Mahar, MPA/Leader of Opposition, Provincial Assembly of Sindh, for the gross disorderly behaviour of tearing the prestigious Book of Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh and throwing it away in the air. This is a dangerous trend towards damaging the parliamentary practices in democracy.”

With the adoption of the motion with majority votes, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani called it a day to reassemble on Friday at 10am.

Earlier, the day’s business started at 10:30am when the speaker, recalling Monday’s unpleasant incident, deplored the attitude of the leader of the opposition and asked him to apologise to the house for insulting the Constitution.

Mr Mahar admitted that it was an unpleasant event and should not have happened. But, he said, the house business was also not being run in accordance with the rules.

“If we are not pursuing the rules, why don’t you bring a vote of no confidence against us?” remarked the speaker.

Mr Mahar said the opposition did not have a majority and, therefore, could not move a no-confidence motion. However, the rules of business should be followed.

The deputy speaker said: “We have not done anything against the rules. Everything was recorded by the media that who had torn up the book of the rules of business. I would not take dictation from them.”

When Shahryar Mahar tried to respond, his mike was switched off. On this PML-F and PML-N lawmakers protested and there was uproar in the house.

PTI resignations issue

MQM parliamentary party leader Syed Sardar Ahmad, raising his point of order, referred to the rules of assembly and said the resignations of the four legislators of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had been accepted and it was announced by the speaker in the house.

Speaker Durrani admitted that he had announced the acceptance of their resignation, but despite his announcement, the secretary of assembly sent a note that the lawmakers wanted to have a personal hearing. “When I summoned them, they requested me not to accept their resignations,” he said.

Tuesday being the private members’ day, after the questions hour the adjournment motion of Leader of the Opposition Shahryar Mahar was taken about shifting of the Baldia Bus Terminal in Hyderabad for being a security hazard for the Hyderabad jail.

He said the government needed to satisfy concerns of citizens and transporters that if it was a security concern or there were some influential people wishing to grab the valuable land. Moreover, if it was to be shifted, why was the government not providing an alternative land for the purpose.

The motion was opposed by Parliamentary Minister Dr Sikander Mandhro by pointing out that it was a sub judice matter and could not be discussed in the house. Besides, he said the government had provided a seven-acre plot near the Hatri police station but the transporters did not like to shift there and had filed a petition in court against it.

After some arguments from both sides, Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza ruled the motion out of order.

A private bill of Syed Khalid Ahmad of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was introduced without any opposition by which an amendment had been sought to the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University Act 2009 at Lyari by deleting the clause 6 (11) pertaining to the allocation of 50 per cent seats for candidates of four towns of Karachi –– Lyari, Keamari, Malir and Gadap –– to make the admission process transparent.

Resolutions passed

The house passed unanimously three out of five private resolutions. One of the resolutions, tabled by Nusrat Sultana of the Pakistan Peoples Party, demanded that in all private and public high-rise buildings the provision of emergency exit routes be ensured. Over half a dozen speakers supporting the resolution severely criticised the Sindh Building Control Authority for not fulfilling its responsibilities.

Local Bodies Minister Sharjeel Memon endorsing the resolution said the Sindh government had constituted the High Density Board, which would not approve any plan of a high-rise building without the provision of emergency exit routes. Besides, the builders would also have to ensure provision of water, power, gas and sewerage facilities, and also to buy snorkels and fire tenders to meet emergency situations.

One of the two other resolutions, tabled by minority member Dewan Chand Chawla of the MQM, called for the allocation of funds for the construction of minorities’ worship schemes. He said that since 1947 worship places of the minorities had suffered a lot. “We are the sons of the soil but our lands linked with worship and cremation places are being grabbed by influential landlords,” he said.

Minister Dr Mandhro said the PPP government during its seven-year rule had allocated unprecedented amounts of funds for repair and renovation of temples and other worship places of the minorities. He said if there were specific cases of occupation of their lands by anyone, they should be brought to the notice of the government and he would have them restored.

The other resolution, tabled by Nand Kumar of the PML-F, the mover appreciating the announcement made a couple of days back by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah about recruitment of 2,000 constables from the minorities for the security of their worship places, demanded implementation of the announcement.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2015

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