KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Grand Democratic Alliance on Friday staged a walkout as the Sindh Assembly adopted a resolution, demanding the Election Commission of Pakistan to pronounce its verdict in the PTI ‘prohibited’ funding case terming former prime minister Imran Khan a ‘security risk’ to the country.

The house witnessed ruckus immediately after Question Hour when Deputy Speaker Rehana Leghari gave the floor to Opposition Leader Haleem Adil Sheikh to speak about his arrest and subsequent release.

He started with heavy criticism on the provincial government in draining out the rainwater, which according to him, had flooded the entire province, including major cities.

“Even your home city Sujawal and other cities including Thatta, Badin, Larkana and district East of Karachi are flooded,” the opposition leader told the chair. ““Even streets surrounding the Sindh Assembly are still inundated.”

GDA terms issue irrelevant; PPP lawmakers say delay poses a further risk to our national security

However, his remarks on the provincial government’s performance during the recent spells of monsoon did not please the chair who interrupted him to remind that he wanted to talk about his arrest.

“I wanted to talk about the problems of people of the province first before I speak about myself,” he retorted and said that he was being victimised for his five-hour speech on the provincial budget.

He said that he was implicated in a 31-year-old case and the judge discharged the case against him as nothing was found against him by the investigators.

Parliamentary Leader Mukesh Kumar Chawla rose to term the opposition leader as ‘the biggest land grabber’. “First return the land you have illegally occupied,” he asked Mr Sheikh.

The PTI lawmakers gathered in front of the speaker’s rostrum chanting slogans against the government and then walked out from the house and boycotted the proceedings as the chair allowed an out-of-turn resolution of a PPP member.

PPP’ Sadia Javed moved the resolution stating that the ‘prohibited’ funding case against the PTI was of great national importance and had remained pending disposal for years before the ECP.

‘Irrelevant matter’

Shaheryar Khan Mahar of the GDA termed the resolution irrelevant and against the assembly rules, asking the chair to take up any other agenda which was in the interest of the people of Sindh.

“The entire Sindh has submerged and the provincial assembly is talking about an irrelevant matter,” he added.

Mr Mahar said that it was illegal to discuss the issue as the matter was subjudice.

“According to Rules 125(7) and 126 of rules and procedures of the Sindh Assembly, any matter which is pending before the court or statuary body cannot be discussed in the Assembly,” he said, brandishing the assembly rules book to the chair.

Disputing the stance of the GDA lawmaker, Women Development Minister Syeda Shehla Raza said that they were not discussing the conduct of judges, but were just demanding immediate pronouncement of the reserved verdict.

“The case has been pending disposal before the ECP for the last eight years and now the verdict is reserved,” she added.

The resolution read: “The case has been delayed on one pretext or the other. The indecision poses a further risk to our national security since the foreign powers through such funds are in a position to influence the political discourse of our country.”

It said that there were sufficient pieces of evidence showing that the PTI got funds from foreigners to run political campaigns in Pakistan. “As per the laws of Pakistan, funds received from foreign governments and multinational corporations are deemed as foreign funding. The leading British newspaper Financial Times, in its report has also disclosed complete details of how PTI received funds in the name of charity and later utilise them for political purposes,” the resolution added.

Speaking on the resolution, Labour Minister Saeed Ghani said that the case was pending for the last eight years and the PTI had been exposed for its ‘malpractices’.

He said that the PTI had indulged in ‘malpractices’ ever since its inception, adding that huge amount of money was used by the top party leaders in the PTI’s intra-party elections. “Arif Alvi, Pervaiz Khattak and Imran Ismail used money to manipulate the PTI’s intra-party elections,” he alleged.

He said that the PTI was targeting the chief election commissioner to get a decision in their favour in the foreign funding case.

He said that when the ECP initiated the probe into the foreign funding, the PTI had concealed its accounts, adding that the PTI would hardly get a way out in the foreign funding case as the ECP had enough evidence in the case.

“Honourable judges have strange wisdom. They brought him [Imran Khan] up as blue-eyed. The courts are making decisions on pick and choose basis. The country cannot be run with this attitude,” he added.

Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah said that Imran Khan was suffering from ‘grandiose narcissism’ and a threat to the national security.

Later, the resolution was adopted unanimously in the absence of all opposition parties as the GDA was the last one to walk out against what they termed ‘irrelevant’ discussion.

Following the adoption of the government resolution, the chair took up the six call attention notices of as many members who all were absent in the house.

Two privilege motions, one given by Syed Abdur Rasheed of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and the other by PPP’s Sharmila Faruqui, also did not come up as both the members were not present in the house.

Later, the sitting was adjourned to Monday.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2022