KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly, which meets here in its new hall on Thursday morning, may see legislators throwing brickbats at each other over Muttahida Quami Movement chief Altaf Hussain’s demand for carving out 20 administrative units in Pakistan if the issue will be raised through an out-of-turn resolution or by an adjournment motion.
The issue has already become a subject of heated debate in political circles.
Another issue that can draw criticism by members of the tiny opposition is the matter of resignation of PPP lawmaker Parveen Aziz Junejo from her constituency PS-76 Dadu-III. She claims the resignation was taken from her at gunpoint by her estranged husband.
The Parliamentary Party of the Pakistan Peoples Party, which met on Thursday night at CM House, considered all options and strategy to avoid attack from the opposition that is also likely to raise drought-like situation in Thar and the floods in northern parts of Sindh.
The MQM parliamentary party, which is a coalition partner of the PPP in the government, will meet in their chamber before proceeding to the assembly hall in the morning to join the session.
Another interesting situation may arise when the PML-N-led opposition parties PML-F and NPP would ask about the fate of three PTI lawmakers — Samar Ali Khan, Khurram Sherzaman and Dr Seema Zia — who had submitted their resignation two weeks back but so far the speaker has not decided their matter, while the ‘controversial’ resignation of Parveen Aziz Junejo, a woman lawmaker elected from PS-76, which was forwarded by the PPP only last Thursday was accepted and notified.
It is not yet clear whether Abdul Razzaq of the Jamaat-i-Islami, who was notified by the Election Commission as winner after declaring the election of PTI’s Syed Hafeezuddin rigged, would turn up to be administered the oath as a member of the assembly.
On the agenda
As far as the order of the day is concerned, it has 10 items in addition to other business that may be taken up with the permission of the chair. Items on the agenda include question hour about the Zakat and Ushr deparment, privilege motion of Leader of the Opposition Shahryar Khan Mahar regarding the railway authority. The adjournment motion on the order of the day has also been moved by Mr Mahar regarding scandalising the transfer of the Sindh police chief.
The other items included laying of reports of the Council of Islamic Ideology for the years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12, and the Dow University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Ordinance 2014 before the assembly and announcement by the speaker that the governor had given assent to five bills — The provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2014, The Sindh Criminal Prosecution Service (Constitution, Functions & Powers) (Amendment) Bill 2014, The Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Bill, 2013, The Sindh Shaheed Recognition and Compensation Bill, 2014 and the Sindh Finance Bill, 2014.
Altaf suggests four provinces in Sindh
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has said that four provinces — North Sindh, South Sindh, Central Sindh and East Sindh — could be created in Sindh without changing its name to allay concerns of Sindhi nationalists.
Addressing a function held in London to celebrate his 61st birthday on Saturday, he said that MQM never wanted any division of Sindh but new provinces were the need of the hour.
According to an MQM press release, Mr Hussain said he was not in favour of division of Sindh but asked, “If Sindh is one and people have no differences then why does the [rural and urban] quota of 60:40 still exist in the province.”
He said People’s Party, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek supported creation of new provinces in their manifestos.
Mr Hussain said new provinces would be created not only in two or three provinces but in all provinces of the country, including Sindh. Otherwise, he added, no province would be created at all.
He said that name of Sindh province would remain preserved if East Sindh, South Sindh, North Sindh and Central Sindh provinces were created.
He said MQM welcomed PTI chief Imran Khan in Karachi.
Mr Hussain said that some journalists and columnists had tried to create an impression as if the MQM and PTI were fighting over Karachi but they never considered his statements about the PTI and Mr Khan which were the evidence that MQM remained fair to the PTI.
He said that despite the PTI leaderships’ propaganda against him and various accusations, MQM had never reacted to them.
Altaf reiterates call for more provinces
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has once again said that more administrative units and provinces should be created for strengthening the country.
Speaking from London via video link to a large number of MQM workers and supporters who gathered at the Jinnah ground to celebrate his 61st birthday here on Wednesday, he asked the government to accept ‘legitimate demands’ of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek to end the political impasse.
He said that during its tenure, the PPP had tabled a resolution in the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly for creation of a south Punjab province, but today its leadership was opposing the creation of more provinces and administrative units.
“Don’t talk about things you don’t know...you are [too] young, go bring your dad here,” Altaf Hussain said sarcastically. Without naming Asif Ali Zardari, he said that since the “father does not have the courage to speak for himself, he uses his son (Bilawal) to air his views”.
The Muttahida chief said the so-called Sindhi nationalists wanted to pit Urdu and Sindhi speaking people against each other. “Seeing their opposition [for more provinces] it seems that they want to create a Mohajir province,” he added.
He said that no democratic government had ever held local government elections during its tenure. Without elected local governments democracy was worse than dictatorship, he said.
While Mr Hussain was speaking to his followers, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari made a comment on Twitter, apparently in response to Mr Hussain’s demand for more provinces. “Marsoon Marsoon, Sindh na Daisun [we will die but not surrender Sindh].”
When the MQM chief was told about the tweet, he said the PPP chairman had tweeted before he finished his speech.
He said that Mr Bilawal did not know about the importance of more administrative units or the local government system in spite of having acquired education in Britain.
“Don’t talk about things you don’t know...you are [too] young, go bring your dad here,” he said sarcastically. Without naming Asif Ali Zardari, he said that since the “father does not have the courage to speak for himself, he uses his son (Bilawal) to air his views”.
He said that new provinces, including Seraiki and Hazara provinces, would soon be created regardless of opposition from anyone.
He demanded that all army generals who aided and abetted former military dictator retired Gen Pervez Musharraf be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution. If this was not possible, Gen Musharraf should be released unconditionally, he added. Altaf Hussain asked youths to stand up to the “VIP culture”.
