KARACHI: Based on its numerical majority in the house, the Pakistan Peoples Party on Tuesday managed to get passed a censure motion against the combined opposition, particularly the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, in the Sindh Assembly for using what it called unparliamentary language against Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani a day earlier.

Signed by several members of the treasury benches, PPP’s Ghanwer Isran moved the censure motion in the house, saying that calling the speaker a “dictator” was a serious breach of the rules of procedure of the assembly and parliamentary practices.

“The language which was used by the opposition members yesterday for the speaker and against the overall democratic order is highly objectionable,” said Mr Isran while reading out his motion.

The motion reads: “This assembly censures the objectionable remarks, behaviour and use of unparliamentary language by the members of opposition against the honourable speaker, provincial assembly of Sindh, in the house in its sitting held on Monday, the 28th January, 2019. The utterance is highly objectionable and speaks of hatred.”

A resolution calling for parole to prisoners in event of death or ceremony in family also passed

It further said: “Such attitude of members of the provincial assembly of Sindh damages the dignity of the chair of the speaker, sanctity of the house and the parliamentary practices in democracy.”

The motion was tabled out of turn in the house referring to Monday’s proceedings in which the opposition members belonging to the PTI in particular congregated in front of the chair, chanted slogans, tore up agenda’s copies and expressed their anger in strong words — some of them audible to the galleries — directed against Speaker Durrani.

The opposition members wanted the speaker to allow them to move a resolution against an attack on PTI lawmaker Ramzan Ghanchi, who was shot at and injured last week in a quarrel with a vice-chairman of a union committee belonging to the PPP.

After moving the censure motion, Speaker Durrani said: “They called me a goonda (ruffian) and dictator, yet, I don’t bear any grudge for this.”

He said the tradition of hurling abuses in the house had been introduced by certain opposition members of the current assembly.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Chawla said such negative traditions would not be tolerated.

“The opposition should learn where their limits are,” he said, adding that the assembly censured the PTI members particularly, as members of other opposition parties were not involved in Monday’s raucous proceedings.

Shehla Raza, minister for women development and a former deputy speaker, appreciated the patience of the speaker, saying it was pre-planned on part of the PTI lawmakers to create a scene in an assembly which had been the “most efficient” for the past full decade.

Opposition Leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi, however, reminded the speaker that “your rulings [negatively] affect the opposition more”.

MQM-P’s Mohammad Hussain requested the house to show grace and leniency towards the issue for the time being as such things happened in other assemblies as well.

Mr Durrani said it was not a matter of his personal prestige or ego as it involved the sanctity of the chair. Yet, he added, that the motion could be withdrawn if the PTI members apologised for their behaviour.

Minister Chawla said during their protest, the opposition members even misbehaved with the PPP’s female lawmakers.

GDA’s Arif Jatoi tried to defend the PTI members by saying that every action had exact and opposite reaction. This did not go down well with the chair who deplored that the opposition members had no qualms about their “wrong” actions.

Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu said it was opposition’s right to protest, yet it had certain limits which should not be crossed.

Later, the chair put the motion to voice vote and was passed with majority.

Resolution seeking parole for prisoners passed

A private resolution moved by MQM-P’s Mangla Sharma vis-a-vis granting parole to prisoners in event of death or a ceremony in their families drew extensive debate in the house before it was passed unanimously.

Prisons Minister Nasir Shah while wrapping up the debate told the house that the provincial government was in process of introducing a “landmark” bill that would change the century-old system and take care of many rights prisoners were entitled to.

“A bill has been drafted and [received the] nod from the cabinet, which will soon be presented in the house. This bill is designed to carry landmark reforms regarding prison system in Sindh,” he said.

Ms Sharma said every prisoner should have the right to get parole when needed. She added that instead of transporting a dead body to the prison for an inmate it was befitting and humane to grant parole to such persons to be in the midst of their loved ones in such events.

Opposition Leader Naqvi said it was about time to change everything inhumane.

PPP’s Murad Shah from Naushehro Feroze said reforms should be introduced to ensure that individuals thrown in prisons for years without trial should get speedy justice.

Marui Rashdi said the government should support those prisoners who could not contest their cases or those who had no money to furnish bail amounts.

MQM-P’s Rana Ansar supported the bill, while her fellow lawmaker Jawed Hanif, who languishes in the Karachi central prison along with PPP’s Sharjeel Memon, gave his personal account with teary eyes.

“There are 5,000 prisoners in that jail; there are 5,000 miseries in that jail,” said Mr Hanif while wiping his eyes brimming with tears.

He said the present system was based on punishing people, which should instead be reforming people. “The world has procedures for suspended sentence; they have system for punishing people who have committed minor crimes by serving communities, but we believe only in punishing people.”

Mr Memon said the provincial government was trying to change the system, which included amendments in jail manual and prisons laws. He said a prisoner should be granted at least three-day parole in event of a death or ceremony in the family; and also when one’s parents were seriously ill.

Kulsoom Chandio said that the home secretary was entitled to allow parole to prisoners, but in case of emergencies such procedures proved lengthy and cumbersome. She said jail superintendents and prisons chief should be authorised to grant parole to prisoners.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2019