KARACHI – A privilege motion submitted by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Shaharyar Mahar -bedded in a controversy over land utilised by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Sukkur – triggered a fracas at the Sindh Assembly session on Tuesday.
Acting Speaker Shehla Raza rejected the privilege motion despite acquiescing to allow a discussion on the matter to go ahead while she deliberated with the Assembly secretary whether the motion was permissible in the fist place. The discussion immediately turned acrimonious, with the culmination of the conflict being a token walk-out staged by the opposition.
Shaharyar Maher, the son of Sardar Ghous Bux Maher of the PML-Q, had moved the privilege motion, claiming that his privilege has been breached as an elected member due to allegations made by IBA-Sukkur’s Director Nisar Siddiqi. He said that Siddiqi not only accused him of encroaching IBA land, but also got him nominated in an FIR registered over an attack on the life of the IBA Registrar last December.
Maher claimed that he was the legal owner of the land, and the matter was sub judice. He urged all members to set aside their political differences, and prevent the IBA director from issuing defamatory statements.
PPP’s Sharjeel Inam Memon responded that for the privilege motion to stand, Maher should first apologise to the PPP for blaming Federal Minister Syed Khurshed Shah for the issue. Anwar Maher, elected from Sukkur on a PPP ticket, added his two cents, labelling Shaharyar Maher a liar.
Members from both the treasury and the opposition then got involved in a slinging match, and the house echoed with slogans of “shame, shame” on almost every statement issued. Leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali also lambasted the secretary for “issuing directions to the speaker, claiming that he had breached the trust of 168 members of the Sindh Assembly.
Education and Literacy Minister Pir Mazharul Haq said that an attack was made on the life of the IBA official simply because he had issued a statement against a “sardar” of the area. He said that the IBA is perhaps the only institution that provides quality education in Sukkur, otherwise the standard of education had declined after devolution of education to district-level under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO)-2001, a law introduced by former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
Law Minister Ayaz Soomro said that a dispute on the land between the IBA and Maher family is continuing, and two FIRs have been lodged in the case.
PPP’s Agriculture Minister Syed Ali Nawaz Shah and MPA Anwar Maher advised the speaker to constitute a special committee to determine whether the member’s privilege had indeed been breached, or whether he was involved in the destruction of an educational institution. PPP’s Maher also warned the PML-Q’s Maher not to use intimidating language in the Assembly since it was not his area of influence.
Clearly uninspired by proceedings, PPP MPA and Public Accounts Committee Chairman Jam Tamachi Unnar said that the session was a “waste of time.” He suggested that a committee comprising all parliamentary leaders of the house should fix days to discuss the burning issues that plague the province.
Acting Speaker Shehla Raza put the suggestion before Law Minister Ayaz Soomro but failed to get a positive response. “Yes, yes, excellent suggestion,” Soomro said. “This is no response,” replied Unnar. In an irony of sorts, the exchange was cut short by the Azaan.
