KARACHI: Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani said on Wednesday that he would allow an opposition resolution against Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain over his controversial remarks if it was tabled in accordance with the assembly’s rules.

Speaking to newsmen after offering condolences to provincial minister Javed Nagori whose brother was recently killed in a grenade attack, the speaker, in response to a question, explained the reasons for not allowing the opposition lawmakers to table a resolution against Mr Hussain in the Monday sitting of the assembly.

He said on Monday the opposition tried to move the resolution out of turn after he announced the questions hour.

Also read: PTI resolution in NA demands action against Altaf Hussain

He said he told the opposition lawmakers that they would be given a chance after the completion of business from the order of the day, but they decided to protest, shouted slogans and walked out of the house and used inappropriate language against him at the entrance of the assembly while talking to the media.

Mr Durrani said that if the opposition members were so eager to table the resolution they could have submitted it for balloting the next day, i.e. Tuesday, which was the private member day. But instead of following the laid down procedure for consideration of their resolution they asked for his ruling for a resolution that was not even moved in the house, he added.

“I have no objection if they [opposition] bring their resolution according to the laid down procedure,” he said.

Reference against three PML-F lawmakers

Mr Durrani said that he had decided to file a reference with the Election Commission of Pakistan against three lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional —Shaharyar Khan Mahar, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi and Nand Kumar — for their misconduct.

He said that the three opposition lawmakers tore up the book of the rules of procedure of the Sindh Assembly in the house and flung it on his desk.

He said he had asked the law department of the assembly to prepare the reference with documents, photos and videos.

He said although he could exercise his powers to debar a member from the session for up to one month on account of his misconduct in the house, he had never used his authority against anyone during the last two years.

Mr Durrani agreed that in a democracy members had the right to record their protest but it should be within certain norms.

In reply to a question, he said that Mr Mahar had conceded that their act was not appropriate but refused to extend any apology to the house.

He was asked if there was any precedent in the history of the assembly of sending such a reference to the ECP. The speaker replied that there was no precedent, but tearing up the book of the rules of procedure of the assembly was also unprecedented as only copies of the agenda were generally torn up.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2015

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