A heated debate took place in the Sindh Assembly on Monday between Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Khawaja Izharul Hassan and Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon over recruitment in the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
Memon had claimed that in the past ‘terrorists’ had been recruited in the water board. The statement caused the MQM members to erupt in anger and engage in sloganeering during the assembly session.
Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani tried to pacify the opposing members of the House but to no avail as the ruckus continued even during the recess for Zuhr prayers and until provincial Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah stood up to address the assembly. Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza presided over the day’s session after the recess.
In his address, Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that political point-scoring was taking place over the Thar issue. He further said the provincial government was constantly providing assistance to the residents of Thar, and that Mithi was comparable to any other city in Sindh.
“Wheat worth Rs 2 billion was provided to 1.6 million residents of Thar as it was not easy to feed 1.6 million people in a single sitting,” Shah added.
“We did every possible thing for Thar. No child died of hunger but a disease. If anyone died of hunger, name any one of them,” the veteran leader said.
Addressing the House, MQM leader Izharul Hassan said members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) were concerned over reports circulating in the media relating to Thar. He also questioned if the media was lying on TV.
Utilising his discretionary powers as speaker, Shah refused to have a debate on his speech and said there should not be any unnecessary criticism on it.
Hassan said he only wanted to share a few historical phrases for the provincial chief minister but he respected him for being a senior politician.
On October 19, the MQM had decided to quit the PPP-led Sindh government only after six months’ coalition.
The party said it had taken the decision following the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s “persistent verbal attacks” on the MQM leadership. The PPP’s politics of “hatred and discrimination” had made it impossible for the party to remain in the Sindh government, it added.
Also during the day, PPP’s Ghazala Siyal submitted a resolution in the House which sought to ensure protection from the deadly Ebola virus. The MQM also approved the resolution despite having reservations on it.
Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza ruled out a resolution submitted by MQM MPA Mohammad Hussain over the Thar issue. She said the issue had already been discussed by members of the House and there was no need for any further debate on it.
