KARACHI: Contrary to past traditions, the Sindh Assembly session on Monday turned out to be an exercise dominated by a measure of sobriety and sincerity on the part of almost all the members. Speaker Muzaffar Hussain Shah, probably learning from past mistakes, conducted himself with moderation and his performance added grace to the day’s proceedings.
This was evident in the way Muzaffar Hussain Shah managed to defuse the anger of some PPP members over an alleged interview of an official of the Punjab government in which the latter had suggested a parting of ways with Sindh over the Kalabagh dam and water issues.
Immediately after the oath-taking of five new members — Imtiaz Shaikh, Syed Sarfarz Shah Sheerazi, Faiz Mohammed Mahar, Abid Hussain Jatoi and Ehsan Jatoi — and other formalities, Tariq Masood Arain of the PPP rose on a point of order inviting the attention of the chair to the interview of Hamid Malahi, the Coordinator of the Punjab Water Council.
In this interview, published in the Sindhi daily Ibrat on Jan 22, the Punjab government official had reportedly said: “We are annoyed with the blackmailing of Sindh on water distribution. We are mentally ready to accept Sindh’s separation on the issue of Kalabagh Dam.” About port facilities for Punjab in the absence of Sindh, Mr Malahi had allegedly said: “We will use Gwadar, or hire a port in India.”
What was surprising for Mr Arain and other PPP members was that the Federal and Sindh governments had not taken any notice of it — neither denying, contradicting and clarifying it nor initiating action against the official concerned. Had any person from Sindh issued such a statement, he would have been subjected to stern action, said Mr Arain.
When the speaker sought the opinion of the minister of law, Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed, he turned out to be ignorant about it and wanted the issue to be buried under some technicalities. But the Leader of the Opposition, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, would not let him go that easily. He immediately produced a copy of the Sindhi daily and passed it on to the speaker, to be placed on record. The Speaker had no choice but to put Chaudhry Iftikhar on notice so that he could come out with the official position before the house on Wednesday.
Another important item on Monday’s agenda was the motion of senior minister Syed Sardar Ahmed desiring the house to debate on the law and order situation in the province. Muzaffar Hussain Shah successfully employed all his skills to trap Nisar Khuhro and his opposition to become co-sponsor of this debate. Mr Shah suggested to the Leader of the Opposition to seek an extension of two hours in the day’s proceedings for the purpose of a general debate on law and order. With slight reluctance Mr Khuhro obliged the Speaker. And on the invitation of the Chair, Syed Sardar Ahmed made the opening statement to set the debate in motion.
But why should the nascent government want a general debate on law and order? There was a clue to it in the opening statement of Syed Sardar Ahmed. He referred to new laws governing the present police and local government systems. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, for the first time being a major stake-holder in an otherwise fragile coalition in the province, must be finding the two systems a real obstacle to the consolidation of its rule and a hurdle in the way of establishment of its undisputed sway over the two real power centres — the police and city/district governments.
The controversial Legal Framework Order, now feared to be part of the Constitution, provides protection to the two systems and, therefore, cannot be dispensed with entirely. But since they are provincial subjects, Sardar Ahmed must be on a mission to bring in some changes in them through the provincial assembly, of course to enable the Muttahida to perpetuate its rule more properly and more effectively. — Abu Ayesha