Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Syeda Shehla Raza on Tuesday called Leader of the Opposition Sheheryar Mehr ‘beta’ (son), causing him to refer to her as ‘ammi ji’ (dear mother) in his response.
The comic exchange occurred during the seventh session of the assembly which commenced on Monday, prompting several lawmakers to chuckle in their seats.
Mehr was complaining about the treatment of the opposition in the assembly, saying “We are not getting worked up, they are getting worked up and crossing their limits, saying ‘you sit down’ ─ what kind of behaviour is this?”
Shehla Raza responded to Mehr, “Beta [son], listen to me”. When she asked him to sit down, he replied “Yes, ammi ji [mother dear], whatever you say.”
During the session on Monday, lawmakers belonging to the combined opposition parties surrounded the rostrum, tore up copies of the agenda and staged a walkout in protest over the attitude of Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani for not allowing the opposition lawmakers to speak.
After Question Hour, taking up the call-attention notice, the chair gave the floor to MQM’s Waqar Hussain Shah, but Muhammad Hussain ─ also of the MQM ─ stood up and tried to raise the issue of the resignation of the PTI lawmakers.
Shehla Raza did not allow him and there was an exchange of harsh words between them when Hussain alleged that she was not running the house in accordance with the rules. She said being a senior member of the House he must know that so far no notification regarding the resignations of the PTI members was issued. She reminded Hussain that he could not talk to the speaker like this and sarcastically advised him to go and take some tuition classes. On protest of Hussain, she said he had wasted the time of the House.
As some of the opposition lawmakers converged around the rostrum and shouted slogans, she once again tried to give the floor to Shah, but failed to restore order and adjourned the session for 10 minutes.