Senior Sindh Education & Literacy Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, who is chairing a special committee formed by the Sindh Assembly to look into the legality of a National People’s Party (NPP)-backed anti-20th amendment resolution, is allegedly violating the privilege of the provincial legislature. The allegation was raised by the NPP which believes that the education minister is not running the proceedings of the special committee’s meetings according to the defined terms of reference (ToR). “Instead of looking into the legality of the resolution, the chairman is questioning the legitimacy of the committee which was formed by the august house,” said NPP leader Arif Mustafa Jatoi. Raising such doubts, he said, was tantamount to violating the privilege of the 168-member provincial assembly which had unanimously voted in favour of the house committee. “The chairman has put the ball in the court of the speaker [Nisar Khuhro],” he added. The NPP leader said he believed that as a party policy, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is not in a mood to refer the resolution – which demands the deletion of a certain clause in the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-backed 20th amendment that calls for the deletion of Article 239(4) – back to the provincial legislature for voting. He made it clear outright, however, that his party and its supporters from the Awami National Party, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML)-Quaid, the PML-Functional and the PML-Likeminded would never compromise on Article 239(4). “Article 239(4) is not negotiable,” Jatoi said. The NPP leader, who is a member of the committee, said the meeting of the house body on Wednesday lasted over four hours, with the committee chairman avoiding to come on the agenda. “The participants of the meeting, which started at 9:45 am and ended at 2:00 pm, could not even hold a discussion as per the agenda,” he claimed. “The chairman is raising questions about the legality of the committee formed by the house as well as its authority to make decisions,” he added. Throughout the meeting’s proceedings, Jatoi said, he and other likeminded members of the body kept urging the chairman to talk about the agenda, but in vain. “I understand that the PPP would not bring this resolution in its current form, but we would resist tooth and nail any attempt to abrogate Article 239(4),” the NPP leader vowed. The committee would meet again at 10:30 am on Monday at the Sindh Assembly Secretariat.
