The Sindh Assembly on Monday unanimously passed Govt Bill No 25 of 2014, The Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2014, amid boycott of the Muttadiha Quami Movement (MQM).
The house started two hours late than its scheduled time of 10:00am. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sikandar Mandhro tabled the bill which was passed unanimously. Two more bills, Bill No 19/ 2014, The Sindh Workers Welfare Fund Bill 2014, and Bill No 26/ 2014, The Dow University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Bill 2014, were also the agenda but they were deferred to next session on the request of Sikandar Mandhro.
In the beginning of the proceedings after Fateha, MQM parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmed stood sides as their party has decided to part ways from the PPP. He told the speaker that they had already submitted a written application in this regard. The speaker assured him that he would decide the application as per rules. Syed Sardar Ahmed in his speech told the reasons why their party decided to leave the government.
Later, MQM PMA Khuwaja Izharul Hassan stood and delivered a long speech bitterly criticising the PPP and their policies. He alleged that the urban areas of Sindh were being ignored. At the end of his speech, the MQM members boycotted the session as their protest against the government. Later, PPP ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon and Nisar Ahmed Khuhro delivered long speeches and defended their party. Then stood Mahtab Akbar Rashidi of the PML-F and criticised both the PPP and MQM. Finally, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah stood and also delivered a long speech defending his policies and criticised the MQM.
The house passed five resolutions unanimously. Khairurnisa Mughal (PPP) and others tabled a resolution to congratulate Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on his formal debut in October 18 massive rally. The PPP members also delivered long and emotional speeches on their resolution which was adopted by the house. The House also passed a resolution of Nusrat Bano Seher Abbasi (PML-F) and others to condemn the Indian army attack on the civilian areas of Pakistan and paid tributes to the Pak Army.
A resolution of Mahtab Akbar Rashdi (PML-F) and Dr Sikandar Mandhro was also passed unanimously and the assembly resolved that the government should establish Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo Bureau of Translation at the earliest. The house passed a resolution of Syed Nasir Hussain Shah (PPP) that this assembly recommends to the Sindh government to approach the federal govt to raise support price of cotton and rice.
The House congratulated Malala Yousafzai for winning Nobel Prize. A resolution in this regard was tabled by Iram Khalid (PPPP) and it was passed unanimously.
Fayyaz Ali Butt (PPP) raised a privilege motion that he made several phone calls to Senior Member of Board of Revenue Sindh Malik Israr but he did not respond. Minister of parliamentary affairs Dr Sikandar Mandhro requested the mover to give him two days to probe into the issue. The mover agreed to this suggestion. During the last hour of the sitting, the quorum was not there and PPP MPA Nawaz Taimoor Talpur also pointed it out but the chair opted to ignore it. Lastly, the chair adjourned the house till Tuesday 10:00am.
