KARACHI, Feb 7: A special committee of the Sindh Assembly, constituted to examine a draft resolution opposing an amendment to Article 239(4) of the constitution, held its first meeting at the assembly building on Tuesday and elected Senior Minister and PPP Parliamentary Party leader Pir Mazharul Haq as its chairman.

The meeting, which began 30 minutes behind schedule at 11am, remained in session for over an hour and a half. According to sources, the committee and its terms of reference were read out at the meeting under directives of Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, and it decided to meet on Wednesday to weigh a likely impact of the resolution if passed in its present form.

But according to observers familiar with the background of the resolution and the PPP leadership’s approach to the issue, no progress is likely at the Wednesday meeting as its mover, Masroor Khan Jatoi, and another NPP leader Arif Khan Jatoi, were clear that no change in the stand taken in the resolution would either be acceptable to the NPP or its supporters in the ruling coalition.

They said except for President Asif Ali Zardari no leader in Sindh could afford to amend the core of the resolution which was against any amendment to Article 239(4) of the constitution. However, the observers said, the PPP would buy time until the proposed 20th amendment to the constitution was approved and the scheduled senate election held because at this stage the PPP leadership could not antagonise any lawmaker and coalition partners.

When NPP lawmaker Arif Jatoi was contacted to seek his opinion, he said he had nothing to say on the meeting as that was the first session, which after initial deliberations elected the committee chairman and was adjourned for Wednesday. He added that if he felt the need to give his opinion about progress at the meeting on the draft resolution, he would talk to the media after the Wednesday meeting.

In reply to a question, Awami National Party representative on the special committee Amir Nawab told reporters that his name was not in the notification of the committee because he was unable to officially communicate the name of a party representative on the committee.

But when the name was given in writing, it was notified and he attended the meeting.

According to insiders, Pir Mazhar’s name as chairman of the committee was proposed by MQM Parliamentary Party leader Syed Sardar Ahmad and endorsed by PML-F Parliamentary Party leader Jam Madad Ali.

Those present at the meeting were Syed Murad Ali Shah, Ayaz Soomro, Shazia Marri and Dr Sikander Mandhro of the PPP, the MQM’s Syed Sardar Ahmad, the PML-F’s Jam Madad Ali, the PML-L’s Abdul Razzaq Rahimoo, the PML-Q’s Shahryar Mahar and the ANP’s Amir Nawab as well as the mover of the resolution Masroor Jatoi and NPP representative Arif Mustafa Jatoi.