KARACHI, Aug 18: The Sindh Assembly, which met in a requisitioned session here on Friday, was adjourned for 10 days amid protest from opposition benches after a brief uproar.

The opposition had requisitioned the session on Aug 6 to deliberate upon the issues of bogus voter lists, ban on teachers’ unions, law and order, and the situation arising out of the monsoon rains, besides other issues of public interest.

The day’s proceedings started almost two hours behind the scheduled time of 9am and adjourned by Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah till Aug 29 less than an hour later.

After the formalities and fateha for Allama Hasan Turabi, Abdul Sattar Gabol, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur, the victims of Fokker tragedy in Multan, Israeli aggression in Lebanon, rains and flooding in Pakistan, etc., the proceedings got under way with the nomination of the Panel of Chairmen.

Law Minister Iftikhar Ahmad Chaudhry, who was first to get the floor, drew the attention of the house to the widespread rains and flooding in the country over the past few weeks. He pointed out that Sindh was getting abnormal rains these days and the torrential rains on Thursday had aggravated the situation with the Met office forecasting more rains to lash the province. He told the house that the rains in Karachi had turned many thoroughfares of the city into rivers. The situation in Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Dadu, Badin and Sanghar was no different, he added. He pointed out that high floods in River Indus were passing through the provincial limits and summoned immediate attention.

The law minister suggested that keeping in view this critical situation, the session be prorogued or adjourned enabling the members to look after people of their constituencies.

Opposing the minister’s suggestion, Leader of the Opposition Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that a discussion on the requisition session’s agenda and the government’s handling of the emergency situation in the province was all the more necessary because this could help the government restrain and discipline the officials showing negligence. He maintained that the opposition had somehow managed to reach the assembly hall by wading through the rainwater, mud and filth that had accumulated all the way only to discuss and find ways to resolve the pressing issues of public interest.

The treasury benches also took exception to opposition’s contention that the chief minister had okayed the sale of Pakistan Steel in exchange of his continued stay in his office.

Irfanullah Marwat and Mohammad Hussain from the treasury benches reacted angrily and their other colleagues also joined them in an uproar.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that rains were playing havoc with the whole province and, as such, the matter deserved to be discussed in the house. He argued that the monsoon rains had been posing threat to Sindh since July 29 but no member of treasury benches had bothered to visit his constituency to look after his electorate. “Why have they decided to leave now when the assembly is in session?”

Mr Shah’s remarks triggered a pandemonium from the treasury sides which was matched by the opposition members.

Rafique Engineer of PPP insisted on being allowed to speak on a point of order and defied several verbal warnings given by the speakers to stay calm and not to disrupt proceedings.

When the member paid no heed, the speaker threatened to issue him a notice and even to adjourn the session. However, he continued with his defiance while Hameedullah advocate of the MMA was speaking on his motion.

Finally, Mr Engineer staged a boycott of the proceedings in protest against the speaker’s unfavourable attitude.

The chair asked the secretary of the assembly to issue him a notice under Rule 206 for repeatedly interrupting the proceedings.

“Due to the non-cooperative attitude of the opposition, the house is adjourned till August 29,” the speaker announced and left the house.