KARACHI: Three major opposition parties — the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-P (MQM-P) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) — boycotted the proceedings of the Sindh Assembly on Friday, which was the first day of pre-budget debate, when the chair denied their demand for a comprehensive presentation from the provincial government on the upcoming budget.

The proceedings also witnessed the lethargic attitude and disinterest of the lawmakers from both sides of the aisle as only three members from treasury and five of opposition were present in the house when Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani began the session at 10:55am with a delay of 55 minutes.

Sensing a severe lack of quorum at the outset, PTI lawmaker Firdous Shamim Naqvi rose to ask the chair to allow the members present in the house to deliver their pre-budget speeches.

“You can see their seriousness,” a visibly irked speaker told the PTI lawmaker before he adjourned the house for half an hour so that the members could turn up to participate in the pre-budget discussion.

The attendance of the lawmakers from the two sides showed a little improvement when the speaker started proceedings after a break of 55 minutes instead of 30 minutes with 17 treasury and seven opposition members.

Speaker denies demand of PTI, Muttahida and GDA regarding comprehensive presentation by govt on next budget

The speaker asked the parliamentary leaders of the opposition parties to ensure the presence of their MPAs in the house before asking PTI’s Naqvi to start the pre-budget discussion with his speech.

The PTI member, however, could not deliver his speech as the situation turned unpleasant after MQM-P’s Muhammad Hussain’s demand for the provincial government presentation ahead of the pre-budget session.

The MQM-P lawmaker was of the opinion that the members would be in a better position to give their suggestion for the forthcoming budget if the provincial government gave a comprehensive presentation on its fiscal plans.

Referring to a meeting of treasury and opposition members with the speaker, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla said they had decided and agreed upon certain things regarding the pre-budget session in the meeting. If such a demand had been made by the opposition in the meeting, the provincial government would have fulfilled it, he added.

While the MQM-P member was still insisting for a presentation on budget, GDA’s Shaheryar Mahar rose to complain that he was not duly intimated about the pre-budget session.

The situation turned ugly with an exchange of harsh words between Mr Mahar and Minister Chawala.

The minister said the GDA member remained absent in the house while his other party fellows had been duly informed about the session.

Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh also joined Mr Mahar and said he was not informed either. In the meantime, all opposition members rose and started shouting.

The opposition leader requested the chair to adjourn the house to Monday to begin the pre-budget session.

Speaker Durrani, however, made it clear that he had already called PTI’s Naqvi to deliver his speech and the proceedings would continue.

The parliamentary minister alleged that the opposition did not have any interest in forwarding their suggestions in the pre-budget discussion. “There seems to be a lack of coordination among the opposition parties,” he said, adding that the treasury members were ready to participate in the pre-budget debate.

His remarks did not please the opposition members who started thumping desks and then staged a walkout.

Only one Qasim Soomro of the PPP delivered his speech that mainly encompassed the destruction of floods and the relief and rehabilitation activities of the provincial government.

Criticising the PTI members, he said they did not have any knowledge of public issues in their respective constituencies as they were not elected, but ‘selected’.

The PPP MPA said that small dams were established in Tharparkar, which generated economic activity in the area.

He said the infrastructure had been also damaged in the rains and its restoration should be included in the upcoming budget.

Later, the sitting was adjourned to Monday.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2023