KARACHI, June 20: Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Jam Madad Ali said on Friday it was strange that neither the home minister nor any other relevant home department official was present to respond to the concerns over the law and order situation expressed by members of both sides of the house during a general discussion on the budget statement.

He said that Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro had also taken notice of the absence of secretaries in the Governor’s gallery and had directed Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro to ensure the presence of relevant officials during the ongoing discussion on the budget 2008-09 but to no avail. Even during Friday’s sitting, representation of officials in the gallery was not adequate, he said, adding that most of them left the house as soon as the chief minister left.

The opposition leader was of the view that if the home secretary, due to his other pressing engagements, could not make it to the assembly, presence of at least some officials, IG or DIG must be ensured.

He, however, hoped that on Monday, when the house would reassemble to continue its discussion on the budget, the situation would be different from what it was on Friday.

Referring to the law minister’s complaint regarding his remarks on the alleged victimisation of the opposition members, he said in his point of order on Thursday, besides highlighting the issue of registration of FIRs against the nazim of Umerkot and former nazim of Taluka Tando Bago, he had also mentioned that the law minister had assured him of holding a fair inquiry if the copies of the FIRs were provided to him.

The opposition leader said that on Monday he would provide the copies of all the FIRs, which were being registered by the police.

Mr Ali, who is also the parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, thanked the two two MPAs of the treasury benches, Zareen Majid of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Amanullah Mehsood of the Awami National Party, for acknowledging the disciplined attitude of the members of the opposition during the budget speech of the chief minister.

He also contested the statement of the agriculture minister, who had claimed in response to a written question of Arif Jatoi of the National People’s Party that average wheat yield had been 31-32 maunds per acre in Sindh.

Terming the quoted figure wrong, Mr Ali challenged the minister if he could prove 31 maunds average per acre wheat yield in any tehsil of the province.