The session, which lasted about 90 minutes, failed to deliberate upon any of the issues for which the opposition had requisitioned it.
In the absence of Speaker Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Deputy Speaker Rahila Tiwana took the speaker’s seat to preside over the proceedings when the house met at 10:10am. After nomination of the Panel of Chairmen, comprising S. Iqbal Qadri, Rajveer Singh, Syed Murad Ali Shah and Saira Shalyani, the newly-elected MPA Taimour Agha of PPP from Shikarpur was administered the oath.
The questions hour followed after which Ms Tiwana left the house and Iqbal Qadri took the speaker’s seat for the rest of the business.
Mr Shaji sought the chair’s permission to present his point of order on suppression of MMA’s protest march from Lahore to Gujarat. The chair turned down his request but he kept insisting that he must be allowed to raise the issue in the house. When he ignored the chair’s orders repeatedly, his mike was switched off. However, he started speaking loudly to record protest on behalf of the MMA over the arrest of many MMA leaders and workers in Lahore. He condemned the baton charge, teargas shelling and other excesses by law enforcement agencies to foil the march against the women protection bill. They also deplored registration of false cases against MMA leaders and activists who had staged a similar protest rally in Hyderabad.
Other MMA members also started shouting and making noise in support of Mr Shaji’s contention. However, the PPP members on the opposition benches did not back MMA and stayed calm.
While a beaming Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim looked enjoying the split in the combined opposition in the house, many members from the treasury benches responded to the MMA uproar in the same manner, which led to a complete chaos in the house.
Amid the rumpus, the chief minister told the house that there was no ban on taking out processions and holding public meetings in Karachi. He advised the MMA to approach him for getting their complaints entertained. Criticising the MMA members in the house, he said the opposition must maintain discipline and order if they were interested in their issues discussed as it was a requisitioned session. “And if they are not, the session better be prorogued,” he added.
Some members from the treasury benches kept bullying the MMA members. In a chorus, they reminded MMA’s ultimatum of quitting the assemblies in case the women protection bill was passed into law. “Now when it is done, why don’t you people quit at once?” they roared.
Local Government Minister Mohammad Hussain, who was leading them, was heard saying: “If your have moral courage, you should carry out the ultimatum now, instead of indulging in creating rumpus in the house and staging rallies outside.”
Irrigation Minister Sardar Nadir Akmal Leghari, picking up his files, said “it’s better to prorogue the session.”
Iqbal Qadri, who was presiding over the session, tried to restore order but in vain. He then read out the prorogation order at 11:40am.