Acting Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Shahla Raza formally announced on Saturday that members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will sit on opposition benches in the provincial legislative house. Addressing media personnel at the Assembly Chambers after the MQM members submitted a requisition to convene the SA session, the deputy speaker said she had formally decided to sit on opposition benches. “MQM members will sit on opposition benches from the forthcoming Sindh Assembly session,” she added. The Pir Pagaro led PML-F has already announced joining of the treasury benches in the Sindh Assembly. After the development, MQM will be the main opposition party in the provincial legislative house. .
Office of the Opposition Leader will also be filled with a member of the MQM as current leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali will quit the slot. It seems the ruling PPP is planning to isolate MQM in the Sindh Assembly after MQM quits the government. In this connection, the party first convinced the PML-F chief Pir Pagaro for completely joining the government as his party is already partially a part of the government in the centre and the provincial government. The PPP has already made PML-Q and NPP a part of the government in the Sndh Assembly. Only four members from the Arbab Rahim led group are left in the opposition, besides the MQM. According to PPP sources, the party’s leadership is also in contact with Dr Rahim.
Abdul Razaque Rahimoon, an MPA of the Arbab led group, told Pakistan Today that he was unaware of any such contact. However, he said every thing is possible in politics. The Sindh Assembly consists of 168 members, while the MQM has 51 members in the house. The ruling PPP has a total of 93 MPAs. If the Arbab Rahim group continuous to sit on the Opposition benches, the Opposition’s will become 55 in the Sindh Assembly
