KARACHI, April 26: Physical assault on several opposition members, exchange of vulgar language, boycott by opposition benches and complete chaos marked the Thursday proceedings of the City Council.

The trouble started when Convenor Nasreen Jalil did not allow a newly-elected member of the City Council from Baldia Town, Haji Yaqub, to sit in the house because he could not produce the notification confirming his being declared elected. A little earlier, Javed Jadoon, another newly elected member from the same town, was warmly welcomed by the treasury benches and allowed by the chair to take his seat.

When the convenor asked Haji Yaqub to leave the house, the opposition benches erupted in protest accusing the chair of practising double standards.

Ms Jalil maintained that she had received the notification pertaining to Mr Jadoon’s election but did not receive the one confirming Haji Yaqub’s election. Therefore, she explained, she could not allow Haji Yaqub to sit in the house.

Her statement did not satisfy the opposition benches which challenged her contention.

Leader of the Opposition Saeed Ghani of the Awam Dost Group led all the opposition members in the uproar insisting that the convenor must quote the rules in support of her contention. Some members from the treasury benches rose from their seats and exchanged hot words with the agitating members. The verbal exchanges heightened tension and the convenor had to intervene. She asked all members to maintain decorum of the house and refrain from indulging in such practices.

However, neither side paid heed to her repeated directive, rather the exchange of hot words and abuses led to a free-for-all involving several members from both the sides.

Surprisingly, the convenor left the house instead of announcing adjournment of the session. As soon as she left, some treasury members made their way into the opposition benches and physically grabbed Mr Saeed Ghani, Sheikh Mehbubur Rehman, Ramazan Awan and Haji Yaqub. They gave a severe thrashing to the opposition members until all the opposition members withdrew from the house. A treasury member was seen beating up some women councillors with his belts causing bruises to at least one of the women, Ms Farida. During the course of the assault, opposition members were subjected to threats of dire consequences.

Finally, the opposition announced boycott of the session.

Later, in the absence of the opposition, treasury benches resumed the session to adopt several resolutions, one of them calling for an inquiry into the ugly incident and condemning the opposition for its shameless act of challenging the chair’s ruling.

Another resolution called for the withdrawal of Pemra notices to two electronic channels. Yet another resolution condemned the reported use of unfair means by students in connivance with the Board staff at an examination centre, and demanded stern action against those involved.

PRESS CONFERENCE: Rafiq Ahmed of the opposition Al-Khidmat Group told newsmen that it was the worst ever day in the history of the City Council when treasury members resorted to hooliganism even in the elected house.

“Whatever happened today was the treasury members’ deliberate attempt to throttle the voice of opposition, which has constantly been exposing the misdeeds of those who have ruined the city,” he remarked.

He accused Asif Siddiqui, Masood Mehmood, Suleiman Mujahid and Abdul Jalil of subjecting Saeed Ghani, Haji Yaqub and several other opposition members to physical assault.

He also condemned treasury members for using abusive language and serious threats against opposition members, including women.

He said the situation could have been averted had the chair played an impartial role and suspended the house proceedings in order to reduce tension.

“The show of muscle power and the way it was applied was dangerous for democracy… we are being compelled to agitate against this attitude,” he added.

Leader of the Opposition Saeed Ghani held the convenor responsible for the ugly incident and accused her of being behind it, arguing that the treasury members started shouting and beating up the opposition members as soon as she left the house. He alleged that Asif Siddiqui, Masood Mehmood, Suleiman Mujahid and Abdul Jalil led the group which had resorted to a worst sort of hooliganism. He said the victims of thrashing intended to lodge an FIR.

“We make it clear that we will not succumb to their pressure.

PPP: President of the PPP, Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali has condemned the alleged attack on leader and members of the opposition in the City Council, and called for conducting a judicial inquiry into the incident.

Addressing a hurriedly called press conference on Thursday night at his residence here, he termed it ‘an act of terrorism’ committed within an elected democratic house.

Mr Shah noted that for quite some time, the opposition leader, Saeed Ghani, had been receiving threats for raising his voice in the City Council and outside against the injustices by the ruling parties.

He said that what happened in the City Council on Thursday was a part of the conspiracy hatched by the ruling parties to suppress the voice of dissent across the country.

He reaffirmed the PPP’s resolve to continue to resist the regime’s dictatorial policies tooth and nail in its struggle for the restoration of democracy.

Saeed Ghani, Rashid Rabbani, Rafiq Engineer, Waqar Mehdi and several other PPP leaders were present on the occasion.

Mr Ghani announced that a rally would be held in front of the City Council building on Friday to condemn the attack on opposition councillors.