KARACHI, April 8: Though the atmosphere in the Sindh Assembly’s special session on Tuesday evening was much calmer compared to the bedlam of the past few days, the continued boycott of the house — led by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement — left only the Pakistan People’s Party, aided by the ANP’s two members and reportedly two Q-leaguers, on the assembly floor to repose their confidence in Syed Qaim Ali Shah as Leader of the House.
Mr Shah, the newly sworn in Chief Minister of Sindh, won the vote of confidence comfortably, with 92 MPAs voting in favour of the motion. Yet the PPP’s efforts to bring the MQM back into the fold failed to bear fruit on Tuesday, even though before the session several PPP MPAs had said the lines between their party and Nine Zero were still open.
However, Pir Mazharul Haq, the leader of the PPP’s parliamentary party in the Sindh Assembly, had no kind words for PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and on the floor of the house, condemned the Chaudhry’s Tuesday visit to Karachi in no uncertain terms.
Speaking after the vote of confidence motion was carried, the Pir condemned Monday’s incident where former chief minister and PML-Q Sindh chief Arbab Ghulam Rahim was attacked inside the assembly. But he was also extremely critical of Chaudhry Shujaat’s visit, inferring that he had no business being here. While using much milder language, Pir Mazhar also regretted PML-F chief Pir Pagara’s reportedly negative statements about the PPP. Mr Shujaat had met the PML-F chief earlier in the day.
At the beginning of the session, one could clearly feel a difference around the assembly premises. There was plenty of pushing and shoving at the assembly gates as policemen were not letting anyone apart from MPAs and staff concerned through. A few overzealous cops even gave journalists a hard time, refusing to recognise their press passes.
But inside the assembly hall, there was not a jiyala in sight – at least till then – and it looked like an altogether different assembly when compared to the ugly incidents of Saturday and Monday. There was even a single flower placed on the desk for each MPA, though there would be no one from the MQM, PML-F, NPP or most of the PML-Q to appreciate the gesture.
At 7.10pm Qaim Ali Shah, along with other MPAs, entered the hall and at 7.25pm new speaker Nisar Khuhro entered, as the proceedings began with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an followed by a Na’at. Fateha was offered for late TV artiste Anwar Solangi and other ‘martyrs’ named by the MPAs.
PPP minority MPA Khursheed Saleem Khokhar moved a motion out of turn after a relaxation of the relevant rules under Rule 211 of the Rules of Procedure condemning the blasphemous caricatures published in the European press, saying they had widened the gulf between religions. Supported by other MPAs, the motion was carried.
After the panel of chairman was announced by the speaker, Pir Mazharul Haq moved the confidence motion in terms of Article 130, Clause 3, of the Constitution. Backed by a total of 27 MPAs, the motion was carried unanimously.
Sloganeering broke out as Qaim Ali Shah secured the vote of confidence, but was quickly suppressed.
Though all MPAs wanted to offer felicitations to the new chief minister and highlight the problems of their constituents, the speaker appealed for brief speeches and gave MPAs who had not spoken in Monday’s session a chance to speak.
‘The politics of revenge’
Though the speeches were largely congratulatory, a few indicated that the spirit of reconciliation amongst political forces the PPP’s central leadership is constantly referring to may not have filtered down to many of the party’s MPAs.
Agha Siraj Durrani said he wanted those police officers who had allegedly ‘terrorised’ PPP workers brought to book legally, while Manzoor Wassan condemned the division of land by the revenue department, the ‘victimization’ of party MPAs and MNAs, the promotion of the ‘corruption culture’ and the appointments made by the previous government allegedly based on favouritism. He added that inquiries would be launched to probe these issues.
As one observer in the press gallery grimly remarked, “it seems the politics of revenge is about to return.”
Earlier in the day, after Qaim Ali Shah was sworn in as chief minister in a ceremony at the Governor’s House, PPP MPA Dr Zulfiqar Mirza told journalists that contacts were being maintained between his party and the MQM to resolve the boycott issue.
The MQM had walked out of Monday’s session in protest over the treatment meted out to Arbab Ghulam Rahim and the reported misconduct by activists with their female MPAs.
“We have talked to the governor and are in telephonic contact with both London and Nine-Zero. The boycott issue should be resolved either today or tomorrow,” he said.
‘Love and affection’
Asked what the talks centred around, he said “everything between the sky and the earth was discussed,” but remained mum about when the cabinet would be announced and what the division of ministries would be should the MQM-PPP power sharing deal go through, simply saying “they are with us” referring to the MQM.
He also wouldn’t comment on whether Dr Ishratul Ibad would continue as governor and said what the MQM needed at the moment was “love and affection.”
Dr Mirza said Monday’s attack on Arbab Rahim had nothing to do with the PPP. Identifying the attacker as Agha Jawaid from Shikarpur, he said the man had worked with Arbab Rahim previously and was also associated with the splinter PPP-Shaheed Bhutto.
Agha Siraj Durrani also distanced himself from the attacker when a journalist asked him if Agha Jawaid was associated with him, saying that since he was a public person, people came to him to resolve their issues constantly. “We can’t stop people from visiting us,” he added.
He also said Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad was “the link” between the PPP and MQM.
ANP Sindh president Shahi Syed also condemned the attack on Arbab Rahim in the assembly but said it was the result of the “lava brewing inside the people,” due to his alleged misrule.
He said though his party had reservations about talking to the MQM because of the May 12 incident and the “target killings” of ANP workers, it was not against dialogue in principle, but it was up to the PPP to carry out dialogue as it was the majority party in Sindh.
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