KARACHI, Sept 19: The Sindh Assembly session, which resumed after an eight-day break on Tuesday, was adjourned without taking up the agenda by Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah as a mark of respect for Agha Tariq Khan, a senior parliamentarian of the Pakistan People’s Party. He died late on Monday night after a protracted illness at the Aga Khan Hospital.

Agha Tariq Khan, who hailed from a political family of Shikarpur, before becoming the member of the present house by returning from the general elections in 2002 was also elected as MPA in 1990 and 1993. He served as a minister in the PPP cabinet. He was earlier elected as MNA in 1988 and appointed as federal minister in the Benazir cabinet. His father late Agha Ghulam Nabi Pathan had also distinction to be a member of the Sindh Assembly before getting elected to the Senate.

The speaker before adjourning the house allowed members from both sides to recall the names of those who passed away during the period when the assembly was not in session. Over a dozen members from both sides one after another took the floor and paid tribute to their late colleague while recalling his services as a member of the assembly. Some of them, including leader of the opposition Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, also suggested to remember those who died from waterborne diseases in Hyderabad and elsewhere.

As per practice in the house when some members also mentioned names of the relatives of some MPAs, who passed away during the period, Jam Tamachi of the PPP drew attention of the speaker towards the practices of the parliament saying that only those names should be mentioned for Fateha who had made contribution to the province or the country in any field.

Before the prayer leader was asked to offer Fateha, over one-and-half dozen members were recognized and given floor by the chair.

Earlier, when the house reassembled at 10.48am with the speaker in the chair, after recitation from the Holy Quran followed by Naat Sharif, law minister was the first to take the floor who drew attention of the house towards death of the sitting member Agha Tariq and asked the chair to offer Fateha for the departed soul.

Nisar Khuhro, who was recognized by the chair soon after, recalled the services of Agha Tariq and paid tribute to his late colleague. He also requested the chair to include the names of those who died of waterborne diseases after rains in Hyderabad.

Mines and Mineral Minister Irfanullah Marwat said apart from politics Agha Tariq was one of his close friends for the last 20 years. He said that he had lost a good friend and the house a good parliamentarian.

Saifullah Dharejo, Anwar Mehar, Sasui Palejo, Ayaz Soomro, Najmuddin Abro, Mr Bantwa, Sardar Manzoor Panhwar, Begum Kulsoom Nizamani, Zahid Bhurgari, Nawab Wasan, Nasrullah Shaji , Naila Inam, Sardar Naseer Khan Khoso and others also paid tribute to their late colleague.

Before the speaker called it a day at 11.10am, Nisar Khuhro drew attention of the chair towards private members day which was missed during the last budget session and was yet to be compensated. The speaker pointed out that tomorrow was also a private members day and the agenda of today would be taken up tomorrow.