KARACHI, March 1: The joint opposition in the Sindh Assembly and a major coalition partner, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, staged separate walkouts on Tuesday in protest against the steep rise in the prices of petroleum products.

Despite having similar views on the impact of the sudden increase announced by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, the opposition and the MQM could not make a joint move for want of coordination.

When MQM lawmakers Abdul Moeed Siddiqui, Muqeem Alam and Nadeem Maqbool jointly moved a resolution against the hike in petroleum products prices, Parliamentary Party leader of the Pakistan Peole’s Party Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq asked them to defer it till tomorrow so that he could consult the party high command and get the federal government’s stand before making any commitment on the resolution.

The resolution reads: “The increase in the prices of petroleum products by 9.9 per cent will raise the consumers’ prices including bus and train fares further and have irritated and annoy common men who are already agitating against the alarming price hike. It is , therefore, proposed that government of Sindh recommend to the federal government to withdraw the increase in petroleum prices forthwith”.

After a few speeches by the MQM legislators, Dr Saghir Ahmad of the MQM announced a token walkout before the matter was deferred for tomorrow.

Speaking on the issue, Shazia Marri said that there was no doubt that any increase in the prices of petroleum products multiplied the miseries of the people. However, she suggested that being in the coalition government the parties had to act with responsibility and collective wisdom.

Pir Mazhar said the walkout was also part of democracy. He hoped that now when the MQM had recorded its protest, they would agree to defer further discussion on the resolution till Wednesday.

In the beginning when the house was called to order at 10.15am, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi announced that the opposition was staging a walkout in protest against the unjust increase in the prices of petroleum products by Ogra.

Resolution against PML-N tactics adopted

The house adopted a resolution jointly moved by the PPP and MQM condemning the PML-N attempts to derail the entire democratic dispensation.

The resolution was passed in the absence of the joint opposition comprising members of the PML-F, PML-Q and the National People’s Party.

Dr Sikander Mandhro was presiding over the session in the absence of the speaker and the deputy speaker.

The joint resolution signed by Farheen Moghal, Aisha Khoso, Dr Sikander Shoro and Salim Khurshid Khokhar of the PPP and Dr Nadeem Maqbool and Rashid Khan of the MQM reads: “ This assembly expresses its deep concern over the attempt of PML(N) for introducing horse trading/floor crossing in the Punjab Assembly/inciting ethnic polarisation and condemns such act of PML(N) which is immoral and against the spirit and settled principles of democratic values and against the stability of federation including the threat of long march, which is an attempt to de-rail the entire democratic system by such illegal activities creating impediments in the way of Parliament from completing its constitutional tenure”.

MPAs Ferheen Moghal, Dr Nadeem Maqbool, Dr Sikander Shaoro, Salim Khurshid Khokhar, Aisha Khoso, Rafique Engineer, Agha Siraj Durrani, Pir Mazhar and Ayaz Soomro strongly criticised what they described as horse trading tactics of the PML-N.

Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah termed the resolution very important and said supremacy of the Constitution be upheld and the government be allowed to serve people and complete its five-year term.

Before the chair called it a day at 1.25pm to meet on Friday at 10am, the assembly passed the private resolution of Ghulam Mujadid Isran unanimously after speeches by Ayaz Soomro, Anwar Mehar, Rehan Zafar, Aisha Khoso, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi, Syed Sardar Ahmad, Bachal Sha and Salim Khurshid Khokhar.

The resolution called upon the provincial government to ensure the 60:40 ratio in appointments and promotions of employees in the government departments as well as autonomous bodies.