KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan lawmaker Rana Ansar on Wednesday created yet another history by becoming the first-ever woman Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly after the Speaker declared Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Haleem Adil Sheikh to be removed from the coveted position.

The decision to replace Mr Sheikh with Ms Ansar appears to be a result of a tacit understanding between the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and opposition MQM-P to finalise with consensus the caretaker chief minister as the assembly is going to complete its five-year tenure next month.

PA secretary Umar Farooq notified the order of removal of Mr Sheikh and appointment of Ms Ansar as opposition leader in the assembly.

As many as 39 opposition members — 20 belonging to the MQM-P, 10 to the Grand Democratic Alliance and nine to the PTI — had moved a notice to the assembly secretariat for the removal of Mr Sheikh from the slot of the opposition leader saying that he had lost the confidence of majority of opposition members.

Nine PTI lawmakers among 39 opposition MPAs endorse removal of Haleem Adil Sheikh

They also moved an application for the appointment of the MQM-P leader as the leader of the opposition.

The PTI members have not been attending the assembly sessions since May 9 and the seat of the leader of opposition has remained vacant since then.

The nine PTI members who signed the notice for removal of Mr Sheikh and the application for appointment of Ms Ansar were Karim Bakhsh Gabol, Bilal Ahmed, Mohammad Ali Aziz, Syed Abbas Jafri, Umar Ammari, Imran Ali Shah, Rabia Azfar, Sanjay Gungwani and Sachanand Lakhwani Sachal.

During the proceedings in the assembly, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani informed the house that an application had been submitted by majority of opposition lawmakers for Ms Ansar’s appointment as the opposition leader.

Congratulating her in advance, the speaker said that he had instructed the assembly secretary to process the application according to the rules and regulations. “However, I congratulate Rana Ansar in advance that she has been elected as the first woman leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly,” Speaker Durrani remarked getting her seated on the opposition leader’s chair.

Separately, while talking to the media after the session, Rana Ansar thanked her party leadership as well as the GDA for nominating her for the slot.

She said that now the things would move ahead for formation of a caretaker government in the process.

“A name for caretaker chief minister would be decided by holding talks [with the incumbent chief minister],” she said, adding that a person who could run the caretaker government in a better way would be chosen.

Rana Ansar has been a member of the Sindh Assembly since August 2018.

She had been also previously elected on a reserved seat for women in 2013. Born on Aug 17, 1966 in Hyderabad, she did her master’s in Islamic Culture from the University of Sindh.

Concern over drug menace

Meanwhile, MQM-P lawmakers asked the provincial government to take effective steps to control the menace of drugs and worsening law and order situation in the city.

MPA Sadaqat Hussain said the district west had become a hub of illegal business of drugs and narcotics.

He alleged that illegal petrol shops were selling Iranian petrol openly in Orangi Town under the supervision of police.

The MQM-P member added that the area SHO had been suspended over complaints of drug business in the vicinity, but he was reinstated only after a day by the SSP West.

Responding to the call attention notice on behalf of the chief minister, who also holds home department portfolio, the parliamentary affairs minister said that the Iranian petrol was being smuggled earlier but now it was strictly prohibited.

He said that a high-level committee had also been formed to curb the drug menace.

Adeel Shahzad of the MQM-P in his call attention notice said that street crimes and sale of drugs were on the rise in the city particularly in district West and the law enforcers had failed to curb the same.

“The MQM-P lawmakers tried to approach the concerned SSP but he did not respond,” he added.

The MQM-P lawmaker said that there were four party MPAs in district West, but the SSP never attended their calls. “Nor is he ever available at his office,” he added.

Mukesh Kumar Chawla asked the MQM-P member to provide specific information to the provincial government regarding the sale of drugs, assuring that they would take strict action against it.

He said that he personally knew the SSP and he was a good police officer.

The minister said that a crackdown would be launched on drug mafia after Ashura.

Question Hour

Only one out of five starred questions was taken up during the Question Hour as most of the members who had forwarded written queries about the industries and commerce department were absent in the house.

The Speaker took exception to the absence of the members and said that the movers did not seem to be interested in getting answers to their questions.

Legislation

The house passed five government bills — The Sindh Medicolegal Bill, 2023; The Sindh Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Sindh Faculty of Paramedical and Allied Health Sciences Bill, 2023; The University of Mirpurkhas Bill, 2021; and The Sindh Higher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

The Sindh Immunisation and Epidemic Control Bill, 2023 was also introduced in the house and sent to standing committee.

Later the house was adjourned to Aug 2.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2023