KARACHI - The Sindh Assembly proceedings took ugly turn on Thursday when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers attacked Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) lone MPA Syed Abdul Rasheed as he was moving a privilege motion against Opposition Leader for calling him and the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Paksitan members ‘Lap children’ of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Major opposition parties including the PTI, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and the Grand Democratic Alliance, started their protest soon after Dua on Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairmanship issue. However, the MMA and the TLP distanced themselves from joint opposition citing reasons of discrimination. Speaking on a point of order, Opposition Leader Firdaus Shamim Naqvi said that the house was not being run according to rules, adding that they would follow the precedence set by the PPP in the National Assembly and would not let smooth running of the proceedings, if their demands were not met.

Naqvi also questioned the formation of the Business Advisory Committee, saying that ‘one-member party’ has also been included in the committee. Amid protest, the Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani carried out the Question Hour and calling attention notices within a span of five-minute as all the questioners opted to continue the protest instead of raising their queries.

The situation became worst when the chair gave floor to the MMA lawmaker Syed Abdul Rasheed to move his privilege motion against Naqvi for calling small opposition parties ‘Lap children’ of the PPP. Just as Rasheed started reading out his motion, the PTI lawmakers, who were already protesting in front of the Speaker’s dice, went to Rasheed’s seat and turned his microphone off. Khurram Sher Zaman, Arslan Taj, Adeel Ahmed, Bilal Ahmed, Raja Azhar and other PTI members in an argumentative way moved towards Rasheed and even tried to beat him up. In a response, the PPP lawmakers came for Rasheed’s rescue and surrounded him so that he could read out his motion.

“Opposition Leader in a sitting held on 4th March 2019, had said that the MMA and TLP members are lap children of the PPP and we should be allotted treasury seats instead. These remarks of the Opposition Leader are against the parliamentary traditions and breached my and my voters’ privilege. He should tender apology on his statement,” the privilege motion read.

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs did not oppose the motion and the Speaker sent it to seven-member select committee-Convener Ghulam Qadir Chandio, Syeda Marvi Faseeh, Raja Razzaq, Awais Qadir Shah, Qasim Siraj Soomro, Khawaja Izharul Hasan and Muhammad Qasim for further course of action. Condemning the attitude of the protesting members, Durrani said that bullying would not be allowed in the house.

After the sitting, Rasheed filed a complaint to the Speaker’s Secretary and sought disciplinary action against the members who damaged the sanctity of the house and the parliamentary practices.

“It is submitted I was moving a privilege motion enlisted in the orders of the Day for 7th March 2019 in the House according to the provisions of Rules of Procedure during that the opposition members including Mr. Arslan Taj Hussain, Mr. Adeel Ahmed, Mr. Bilal Ahmed, Mr. Raja Azhar Khan, Mr. Ali Aziz and Mr. Hussain Khan attacked me and used abusive language. They also threatened me to cause harm to my life. This attitude of the Public Representatives against a Public Representative is alarming. These members have damaged the sanctity of the House and the parliamentary practices of the House. It is therefore requested that strict disciplinary action be taken against the said members as per the provisions of law and the Rules,” the complaint reads.

Earlier speaking on a point of order, Naqvi said they respect the Durrani as he is ‘inherited’ Speaker. “Your family had produced many Speakers of the provincial assembly but undeclared jewellery has been found only from your lockers,” Opposition Leader said while mocking the Speaker.

Terming the remarks a personal attack, Durrani hit back at Naqvi and said, “I know very well how much you people respect me. This is our ancestors’ jewellery and more than 100 year. All those things are tax paid and declared,” Durrani added.