KARACHI: Amid strong protest by the members of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-backed Sunni Ittehad Council, the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday condemned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for his outburst against women and media practitioners in a rally in Islamabad and adopted a resolution urging the Election Commission of Pakistan and relevant institutions to take strict action against the PTI and its leaders.

While the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Jamaat-i-Islami lawmakers fully supported the resolution tabled by Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Sadia Javed, the three PTI-SIC members present in the house opposed the resolution and fully supported Mr Gandapur’s controversial remarks with one of them even terming the KP chief minister a “lion”.

As the PPP MPA moved her resolution, PTI Parliamentary Leader Shabbir Qureshi rose agitating against the resolution. But he was interrupted by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia Lanjar, who said the way PTI members were opposing the resolution, it clearly showed how much they respected women.

Muttahida, JI support PPP resolution against KP CM’s diatribe; PTI member says PPP being used by PML-N

During Ziaul Hasan Linjar’s speech, PTI members stood up from their seats and started shouting.

Speaker Syed Awais Shah asked them to take their seats. “Is there any problem with your chair?” he jibed.

Opening discussing on the resolution, Ms Javed said that the KP CM must tender an apology for the “derogatory” remarks he had made about women, journalists and state institutions.

She claimed that the PTI founder had declared his support for Mr Gandapur.

“Instead of condemning the bad-mouthed leader, the PTI leadership is appreciating him for his remarks,” she said.

The PPP MPA demanded of the ECP to take immediate actions against the KP CM and de-seat him.

The resolution said: “This House strongly condemns the derogatory remarks used by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur against women and journalists at the so-called Islamabad Jalsa [rally]. It has been observed that numerous incidents of desecrating women’s dignity and attacking journalists have occurred at Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s rallies, processions and meetings in the past. It appears that such actions have become a norm of the party. Therefore, this House once again condemns Ali Amin Gandapur’s speech in the strongest terms and this House urges the Election Commission of Pakistan and relevant institutions to take immediate and strict action against the said political party and its leaders, including but not limited to, imposing penalties, sanctions and other measures as deemed appropriate under the law.”

PTI Parliamentary Leader Shabbir Qureshi opposed the resolution and alleged that the PPP was being used by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on this issue.

PPP’s Tanzeela Qambarani said that she was not surprised at all over the remarks of the KP CM, but she was hurt.

MQM-P lawmaker Kiran Masood said that the remarks of the KP CM were highly deplorable as he used equivocal words for women and the chief minister of Punjab.

PTI’s Sajjad Soomro also opposed the resolution against Mr Gandapur and used controversial words in his speech, inviting intervention by the law minister who requested the chair to expunge the utterances of the PTI member.

The speaker switched off the microphone of the Mr Soomro, asking him to take his seat.

PPP’s Agha Siraj Durrani, MQM-P member Shariq Jamal, PPP’s Dr Sikandar Shoro, MQM-P’s Bilquees Mukhtar and Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also spoke.

PTI member Sajjad Soomro presented a resolution against K-Electric, which was later amended to include Hesco and Sepco on the advice of the law and parliamentary affairs minister.

The speaker decided to form an 11-member special committee consisting of members of the Sindh Assembly on the issue of loadshedding on the proposal of the law minister.

The committee will review the entire issue and call the heads of the electricity distribution companies and talk to them.

Later the house was adjourned to Friday at 10am.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2024