Technically speaking, there is no opposition party in the Sindh Assembly after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) returned to the coalition, except for a few members belonging to the Arbab Group led by former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim. The group, including four members in the House, including Rahim himself, however, has claimed that it is the only group not part of the government now and demanded the opposition leader slot.
Two of its lawmakers, Arbab Zulfiqar and Chetan Mal, have also moved a formal application to Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, demanding the slot for Rahim.
They argue that Rahim is the parliamentary leader of the PML-Likeminded in the House and as all other parties have joined the government, he is eligible to become the opposition leader. The provincial assembly’s record shows that all the parliamentary parties in the House are part of the government. The official record states that the parliamentary parties registered in the House are: Awami National Party, MQM, National People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid and the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians.
According to the record, all these parties are part of the government and there is no other party registered in the House. Technically, the assembly has become opposition-free now. Rahim’s group or the PML-Likeminded is not registered in the House, and according to the record, they are also part of the PML-Q.
Former member of the Arbab Group, Nuzhat Pathan, who has also joined the treasury benches, says that after the constitutional amendment, no forward block can be formed in a parliamentary party.
She says that technically, the Arbab Group should also be considered as part of the government as their party, the PML-Q has joined the coalition. She said that according to the constitution, no member can cross the floor and go against the party policy they belong to.
She also advised the Arbab Group members to follow the policies of the party led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
