KARACHI, May 19: The Sindh Assembly, which met here on Friday to start the current session with Deputy Speaker Rahila Tiwana in the chair, was adjourned till Monday morning without taking up any business as a mark of respect for MPA Dr Manzoor Leghari and a former member Khalifa Mohammad Aqil Hingoro, who passed away a few days back.

Although, the day’s proceedings lasted only 10 minutes, unruly scenes were witnessed as treasury and opposition members exchanged hot words over different matters.

The deliberations started with the recitation of the Holy Quran and Na’at which was followed by fateha for the deceased. The chair then announced adjournment of the day’s proceedings as the house traditionally does in the event of the death of a sitting member.

When Ms Tiwana took her chair and announced commencement of the proceedings, two hours and 45 minutes behind the scheduled time of 9am, there were 37 members occupying the treasury benches. It was during the recitation of Quran that opposition members started entering the house. They were led by Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, leader of the opposition.

However, after fateha was offered for the deceased and the chair announced the adjournment under Rule 30 of the Rules of Business, only two opposition members, one of them Rafique Engineer of PPP, were present in the house. Reacting to the chair’s decision to adjourn the session, he started shouting ‘shame… shame… shame…’ while the other opposition member, Jam Tamachi, remained silent.

Ignoring their protest, the treasury members started leaving the house. However, opposition members, including Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Makhdoom Jamiluz Zaman, Sassui Palijo, Dr Mehreen Bhutto, Shama Mithani, Nasrullah Shaji, Munawwar Ali Abbasi and Yunus Barai had already returned by then.

Members from the two sides were heard exchanging harsh remarks with each other. Some treasury members were engaged in altercation first with opposition’s Munawwar Abbasi and then Rafique Engineer for raising the issue of incomplete quorum.

Mr Abbasi was heard saying that the chair should be ashamed of presiding over the session without quorum, thus illegally. There were exchanges like “shut up… keep quiet… shame on you… leave the house…’ among Minister for Mines Irfanullah Marwat, Munawwar Abbasi, Rafique Engineer, Shakir Ali and some other members.

Earlier, the chair named Mohammad Hussain, Mir Naseer Khan Khoso, Rajveer Singh and Jam Tamachi as members of the Panel of Chairmen.

Law Minister Iftikhar Chaudhry sought permission to move a motion but the chair did not allow him, and called for offering fateha for those who died during the period the house was not in session.

Begum Gulzar Unnar gave the names of MPA Dr Manzoor Leghari and former MPA Khalifo Aqil in this regard.

Ehsan Jatoi then suggested that the day’s proceedings be put off as a mark of respect.

Rafique Engineer said that the proceedings be adjourned under Rule 193, because the quorum was not complete.

Faisal Sabzwari of the MQM invited the opposition to participate in fateha for the departed soul of MPA Dr Leghari.

When the members were offering fateha, there were 40 members in the house, two short of quorum.