KARACHI, June 20: The opposition in Sindh Assembly on Monday accused the ruling coalition of bulldozing democratic norms for getting the ‘unjustified’ supplementary budget of Rs26 billion approved in less than 25 minutes, and for using abusive and unparliamentary language against the opposition.

Leader of the opposition Nisar Khuhro, accompanied by Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Malana Umar Sadiq (MMA’s parliamentary leader), Makhdoom Jameeluz Zaman and Syed Murad Ali Shah, was addressing a news conference in his chamber after the session was adjourned.

The PPP Parliamentarians demanded immediate resignation of the government as the cut motions pertaining to demand No.1 of the supplementary budget was passed by house.

They said that Mohammed Hussain, who was chairing the Monday proceedings, had put the cut motions in demand No.1 — Organs of State (Excluding Law Department and others) — moved by Nisar Khuhro, Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Shazia Marri and Murad Ali Shah, and the house voted in favour of the cut motions through a voice vote as the chair confirmed the vote by ruling: “the Ayes have it, the Ayes have it”, thus declaring the cut motions ‘passed’.

Mr Khuhro challenged the government, insisting that he possessed the proof of the chair’s confirming a ‘Yes’ vote for the cut motions. As such, he said, the government had a moral obligation to step down gracefully.

He gave the press and treasury members an ‘open invitation’ to examine the record of the proceedings in this regard.

Mr Khuhro rejected the budget and slammed the chief minister for using abusive language against PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Zardari. He said that such things would not be tolerated any more.

All the PPP legislators accused the chair of being partisan, not allowing the opposition to present its case while giving a free hand to the treasury benches in hurling abuses and violating rules. They said that since everything said on the floor of the house became part of the record, such unparliamentary practice was a right legacy to leave for the future generation.

Mr Khuhro said that the opposition had submitted 169 cut motions for the supplementary demands for grants, and wanted to expose the government but the treasury benches approved the supplementary budget in the absence of the opposition.

He criticized the attitude of the chairman of the penal, Mohammad Hussain, who was presiding over the session in the absence of the speaker.

He said that the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had issued order for the arrest of Dr Arbab but the then chief minister, Liaquat Jatio, saved him. He also quoted a newspaper report suggesting that a human right activist, Ansar Burney, had recovered 60 poor peasants from the private jail of Dr Arbab Rahim who, he claimed, was also involved in criminal cases, especially of kidnapping and trafficking of women.

Mr Khuhro said that on Saturday, the chief minister had been spitting venom against the PPP leadership and using abusive language against Ms Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, although according to rules, he could not have done so because they were not present in the house. He regretted that the chair became part of the unparliamentary conduct of the chief minister.

Senior PPP leader Syed Qaim Ali Shah, criticizing the budget, said that despite a huge allocation of Rs11 billion, no improvement could have been brought about in law and order.

Rejecting the finance minister’s claim that it was a tax-free budget, Syed Murad Ali Shah said the next generation would pay more taxes and refund the banks loans which the government was acquiring today.