ISLAMABAD - The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, on the penultimate day of the 14th National Assembly session, made a failed attempt to move a resolution for formation of a separate province (Southern Sindh).
The MQM-P, in the absence of lawmakers from other parties, initiated the move for a new province when their senior party member S Iqbal Qadri was chairing the house.
MQM MNA Ali Raza Abidi, at the fag end of the proceedings, requested the chair to allow him to move a resolution regarding Southern Sindh province. As many as 11 lawmakers including eight MQM-P lawmkers were present in the house when the resolution was moved. “I may be allowed to move the resolution for a new province by suspending the rules,” Abidi requested the chair, taking advantage of his party’s majority in the house at the particular session.
The chair was seen interrupted by the National Assembly Secretariat staff not to allow the MQM-P member to move the resolution. “Where is your resolution? First, you (MQM-P member) will have to submit it to the secretariat and after examining the status the permission will be given,” said the chair. The MQM-P member suggested the chair to take the sense of the house and he might be allowed under the rules.
The chair, ostensibly having no solution to tackle the situation, immediately adjourned the proceedings of the House.
The MQM-P had earlier faced much criticism even to speak in favour of new provinces in the country, as their party members were, many times, interrupted on the particular issue.
The house on the second last day of the 14th National Assembly session saw lawmakers of almost all parties greeting each other.
The role of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq during the five years was highly appreciated by all the political parties.
PPP-P’s Aijaz Jhakrani, MQM-P’s Saman Sultana Jeffery, Sahibzada Tariq Ullah, Jamaluddin Afghani and others also lauded the National Assembly speaker for smooth running of the house. MQM-P’s Waseem Hussain said that there should be accountability of all including politicians. They said the speaker, during his tenure, carried out the entire legislative process in a well and coordinated manner.
The National Assembly speaker thanked all the lawmakers and also lauded the participation and performance of some prominent MNAs. A photo-session in which three parties’ chief whips including Aijaz Jhakrani (PPP-P), Shireen Mazari (PTI) and Sheikh Aftab Ahmed (PML-N) stood together to award them (good performers) on the directions of the chair.
PTI’s Arif Alvi, on his turn, proposed that there was a need to resolve the issue of ‘Durand Line’ after a big step to merge the Fata with KP. He further said that load-shedding, water shortage and other related matters might be a big challenge for the caretaker setup.
MQM’s Sheikh Salahuddin expressed strong reservation for not conducting a third-party audit of five percent blocks of the 6th Population Census by the government. “Should we contact the Supreme Court as the census was conducted on the direction of the apex court,” he said.
Capt (r) Muhammad Safdar said that the parliament would decide action against Lt-Gen (r) Asad Durrani over his co-authored controversial book. “Next parliament should summon him to ask questions about his book,” Safdar said mentioning that it was not enough to put his (Durrani’s) name on the ECL. He also congratulated the house for mainstreaming Fata. He also suggested that the apex court should ask the chair before summoning any parliamentarian.
MQM-P’s Kishwar Zehra said that the lawmakers had failed to deliver in the parliament. “Voters send us (MNAs) to perform but we could not properly deliver,” Zehra admitted.
The house observed one-minute silence over the killing of social activist and trader Charanjeet Singh in Peshawar.
The house also passed The Service Tribunals (Amendment) Bill, 2018, moved by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed.