Karachi-The lone member of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) in the Sindh Assembly Syed Abdul Rasheed on Wednesday asked the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani to consider him separate from the joint opposition bloc.
The bloc comprises major opposition parties in the provincial assembly including Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).
The lawmakers came in response to the letters from the opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi to speaker a day before in which he has opposed the representation of MMA and TLP on opposition reserved seats in the business advisory council.
“Firdous Shamim Naqvi is not a joint opposition leader and being a parliamentary leader of my party, I do not accept him as the opposition leader,” he said adding that he should be dealt separately regarding any correspondence and consultation over the assembly business and other matters. He further clarified that he is part of the opposition benches and leader of his party in the provincial assembly.
The MMA and TLP has remained disassociated with the joint opposition bloc saying that rather than raising its voice over the issues, the bloc is the mouth piece of federal government led by the PTI.
The two parties also refused to boycott the elections of the standing committees on the demand from opposition and were blamed by the opposition parties for toeing the line of treasury in the house.