KARACHI, April 27: The Sindh Assembly meets on Friday in a session requisitioned by 53 opposition MPAs and summoned by its Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah.
The joint opposition comprising the Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal had submitted the requisition for the session for debate on two issues – the Nishtar Park bomb blast tragedy and demolition of old villages in Sindh.
The issues, being sensitive, are expected to generate heat in the house as members seemed set to make emotional speeches.
Although the agenda issued for the session carries more than 25 items, including laying of ordinances, consideration of various bills and resolutions, the opposition’s has attached priority to the two issues it has specified.
The joint opposition had held a meeting within the assembly hall soon after the session was prorogued on April 17. It had protested against the governor’s order to prorogue the session even before winding up the discussion on the Nishtar Park blast. The opposition has now chalked out its strategy for the requisitioned session.
The MMA members, Yunus Barai, Nasrullah Shaji and Hameedullah Advocate have also submitted adjournment motions on the killing of a student by terrorists in the Government College of Commerce and Economics. But under the Rule 73, not more than one adjournment motion could be taken up. As such, the motion regarding the killing of the student, Akmal Shirazi, is not likely to be taken up. The issue may, however, be raised by the opposition through a point of order. If allowed by the chair, the issue is likely to trigger off firework from both the sides.
The Friday deliberations will not allow the house have a detailed discussion on any of the sensitive issues owing to time constraint, as the session will be adjourned at noon if both the benches did not agree to reassemble after the Jumma prayers.
The PPP parliamentary party on Thursday met at the residence of the leader of the opposition, Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, and formulated its strategy for the session. “All our efforts will be to press the chair to admit the adjournment motion on the Nishtar Park tragedy,” Mr Rafique Engineer said.
The joint opposition is to meet in the chamber of the opposition leader to adopt a joint stand on the issues and ensure that the treasury benches did not get any chance to run away from the discussion.
The coalition parliamentary party met at the CM’s House on Thursday afternoon under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim and discussed various parliamentary affairs. It also drew its strategy for the requisitioned session.
Those who attended the meeting included ministers Syed Sardar Ahmad, Dr Hamida Khuhro, Sardar Manzoor Panhwar, Irfanullah Khan Marwat, Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmad and Rauf Siddiqui, besides the MPAs belonging to the PML, PML-F and PPP Patriot.
