KARACHI, April 9: Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro has said the absence of government officials from the house during assembly sessions will not be tolerated. They have to furnish answers to questions asked in the assembly about the performance of their departments.

Mr Khuhro, who was talking to media men in his chamber after the session was prorogued on Wednesday, advised the would-be ministers to schedule their meetings in a manner that they could attend the session, which had only 70 sittings in a year.

“They would be ministers because of the assembly and have come here with the people’s votes who had a lot of expectations from them and the house. They could discharge this obligation of the electorate if they represent them by raising problems on the floor of the house to find solutions,” he added.

The speaker said he would strive to ensure that every sitting was of four-hour duration as problems being faced by the people could only be solved if deliberated upon at a platform. “If the session is delayed because of quorum issues, they will have to sit for four hours from the time the house is called to order.”

He said that during the last three days more than 135 members had delivered speeches on several issues, including resolutions asking the UN for an investigation into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, calling upon the federal government to apologise to the nation for the judicial murder of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Referring to the eruption of violence in the city on Wednesday, he asked civil society not to betray the people’s trust and play its due role by foiling efforts of vested interests to drive a wedge between urban and rural populations.

“It does not behove civil society to project Karachi, to satisfy the ego of someone, as a city where bodies are picked up every now and then,” he said.

Mr Khuhro pointed out that the PPP had taken revenge of the assassination of their leader Benazir Bhutto through the ballot, without harming anyone.

He appealed to the people not to deprive others of their precious lives on the pretext of a certain event as it was contrary to the principles of a cultured society.

He said the assembly had condemned the conspiracy to spoil the city’s atmosphere and people should also identify such elements as the city could not afford it.

In reply to a question, he said an inquiry had been ordered into the throwing of a shoe at Dr Arbab Rahim. He said the person who was involved in the incident had already been disowned by the PPP and as such no lenient view would be taken of the incident.

Mr Khuhro said that besides the investigation report, he had to take into account before fixing responsibility for the manhandling of Dr Arbab Rahim the losses which the building had suffered during Saturday to Monday’s sessions. Besides, it was also to be taken into consideration if there was a lapse on the part of the police officers responsible for his security.