The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday passed a unanimous resolution requesting the Sindh government to approach the federal government for the arrest of those involved in the Kirani Road bombing in Quetta, while hot words were exchanged between treasury and opposition benches over the development budget.
According to media reports, the joint resolution was moved by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Deputy Parliamentary Leader Faisal Sabzwari, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) member Mujadid Isran, and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) leader Marvi Rashid.
During the debate, some MPAs demanded that Quetta be placed under the control of the armed forces. “Why are you opposing the army’s deployment and have made it an issue of self-esteem?” PML-F leader Jam Madad Ali asked. “The civilian government has lost its writ in the province as innocent people are being killed. We demand that the city’s control be given to the armed forces for a while until the situation returns to normal,” he added.
Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza, who belongs to the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), said that the heirs of the blast victims had not demanded the army’s deployment, but were asking for a targeted action against the culprits with the help of the armed forces.
Another PPP MPA, Imdad Pitafi, while criticising the role of intelligence agencies and armed forces, said that the government had spent huge national capital on them, but they had totally failed to secure the lives of the citizen. “It is the prime responsibility of the intelligence agencies to prevent such incidents, but they are getting incentives and doing nothing,” he said.
On the other hand, the MPAs belonging to the PPP and the MQM called it a “conspiracy” against the democratic government and said that national, local and foreign hands were behind the incidents to defame Pakistan and destabilise its economy.
“Why does the government always pledge to take steps after the massacre of innocents? Nothing tangible will come out after suspending some police personnel and removing the IG. We demand the armed forces to take action. No harm will come from our forces being temporarily deployed over there,” Nuzhat Pathan of the PML-Q said.
FISH MARKET:
On the other hand, the assembly resembled a fish market, as members of the treasury and opposition benches exchanged barbs over the disbursement of development budget to MPAs, and calling two female MPAs from the PML-F “Benjamin sisters”, which sent the session into a pandemonium due to the ensuing rhetoric attacks and counterattacks between the members of the treasury and opposition benches.
Opposition member Arif Mustafa Jatoi, raising the development fund issue, passed derogatory remarks against the Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah. He complained that the CM’s promise of giving Rs 20 million development fund had not yet been fulfilled, while the financial year was coming to an end. He remarked that the CM should be ashamed.
Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro retorted, “Should he carry Rs 20 million to your house?”
Provincial Minister Ayaz Soomro also strongly criticised Arif Jatoi for his remarks, saying, “It seems he is drunk.”
This sparked a wave of protests as the opposition members from the PML-F and the National People’s Party (NPP) rose from their seats and started shouting at the members of the treasury bench. Jam Madad Ali suggested blood tests of all the members.
Ayaz Somroo on one occasion called the PML-F’s two female members “Benjamin sisters” and wondered about Nusrat Sehar Abbasi’s possible state of mind if she had been made the opposition leader.