Karachi - Sindh Assembly on Monday echoed with the slogans of Go Zardari Go following ruckus over lack of funds under community development schemes for the constituencies of opposition lawmakers.

Members of the opposition not only raised slogans against the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership, but also staged a sit-in in front of the dice of the speaker, which was being chaired at that time by Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza.

The treasury benches also responded with the slogans against Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

The ruckus became so uncontrollable for the deputy speaker that she had to postpone proceedings of the House for 10 minutes.

However, it failed to woo the opposition lawmakers, who continued their protests even after the resumption of proceedings, forcing her to adjourn the session for Tuesday morning.

The provincial assembly session on Monday started hour and a half late and even at the initial stage only around 30 members were present.

Soon after the prayers and other items on agenda, MQM members raised the issue of custodial killing of their activist Muhammad Hussain in Central Jail Karachi, and sought progress report on probe into the case.

The deputy speaker said that Minister for Prisons Ziaul Hassan Lanjhar was not present and their queries would be addressed when he would come to the House after the question and answer session.  This infuriated the MQM legislators who staged a walkout from the assembly.

Later, after the question and answer session, the House once again witnessed an uproar when a member of MQM, Muhammad Hussain, spoke on his call attention notice regarding ignoring the opposition MPAs constituencies in the provision of funds under community development schemes.

He said that Rs eight billion had been earmarked for the community development project under which development schemes were to be initiated in the constituencies of every member of provincial assembly. He, however, said that unfortunately Rs2.8 billion earmarked for opposition lawmakers’ constituencies had not been released as yet.

Responding to it, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that a 15-member committee was present in every constituency for development programmes under community development and the funds had been released after reports by the concerned deputy commissioners were submitted.

“This process is followed in entire province without any discrimination,” he said. However, this explanation from the minister did not pacify the opposition lawmakers, who raised slogans against the provincial government and PPP leadership. They accused the government of looting the provincial exchequer.

The deputy speaker tried to calm down the situation and asked the PML-F lawmaker to speak on her call attention notice but she refused and also spoke about lack of funds under the community development.

The deputy speaker turned her mike off, forcing members of the opposition to raise slogans of Go Zardari Go and furthermore gather in front of dice of the speaker to record their protest.

The call attention notices from PTI lawmaker Seema Zia and MQM lawmaker Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani and an adjournment motion from Khurram Sher Zaman over cheating in the intermediate examination in Sindh lapsed during the protest.

The slogans against top PPP leaders created panic among PPP lawmakers who tried to woo the opposition, but in vain, prompting the deputy speaker to postpone the session for 10 minutes.

After the break, MQM Parliamentary Leader Syed Sardar Ahmed said that the opposition lawmakers had only tried to divert government’s attention towards the lack of funds.

The deputy speaker responded that she would run the House as per rules and no one was allowed to speak on a call attention notice after the lapse of time. “If you do not want to follow the rules, then you should tear this book of rules and regulations,” she said. This once again infuriated members of the opposition who raised slogans of Go Zardari Go and ‘Jo Bikay ga, Us ko Milay ga’.

Responding to it, PPP minister for parliamentary affairs said that MQM would not be able to save Nawaz Sharif from these tactics.

He ridiculed PML-N lawmaker Sorath Thebo for joining in the protest despite the fact that she was receiving the funds. “She is lying like her leader Nawaz Sharif,” Khuhro taunted.

The opposition lawmaker tore copies of the agenda over these remarks.

The treasury benches also raised slogans of Go Nawaz Go. This situation led the deputy speaker to adjourn the sitting till Tuesday morning.