KARACHI, Nov 7: Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah has said that the opposition benches could put the government on the defensive if they came to House fully prepared and having done the homework.

The Speaker was talking to a group of newsmen informally in his chamber in the assembly building after Friday’s session. Stressing that questions hour was a very important feature and could be utilized to grill ministers about their performance. However, he regretted, much of the time during session was wasted raising points of order, instead of concentrating on the day’s business.

Claiming that the opposition was ill-prepared for Friday’s session, Mr Shah pointed out that the questions put to the minister had come from opposition members and had the entire opposition been fully prepared, the government could have been made accountable for wrongdoing, if any.

The Speaker also criticized the way the opposition members behaved during the deliberations. Instead of making noise and standing up from their seats, the members should have allowed Dr Irfan Gul Magsi, the Minister for Religious Affairs, to respond to Ms Nuzhat Pathan’s point of order, he said, adding that this would have prevented any disturbance and the session would have proceeded smoothly.

An orderly proceedings during the session would also have enabled the House to take up the privilege and adjournment motions for which notices had already been submitted by the opposition members Humera Alwani and Rehana Nasreen, Mr Shah observed.

The Speaker maintained that he had to adjourn the day’s proceedings abruptly due to the constant slogan-raising by the opposition members which had created a situation where no member was audible to the House.

When many a members from either side are on their feet at a time and keep on shouting, it is not possible to maintain order, he remarked.

Mr Shah said that his responsibility was to facilitate members in expressing his views on his turn as per the business of the House.