Grabbing it with both hands

The Sindh Assembly, holding Friday’s sitting as its last, hurriedly tabled and passed into law more than half a dozen government and private bills to increase perks and privileges for the provincial lawmakers, ministers, chief minister, deputy speaker and the speaker.
The concluding day, which marked farewell thanks-giving speeches being made by the Leader of the House Qaim Ali Shah, Speaker Nisar Khuhro and lawmakers from the two divides, saw some nine bills being adopted with opposition members from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) complaining that some of the bills were incomplete and thus too “vague” to be passed.
“Should I read out what I have?” the speaker asked Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Qaim and Law Minister Ayaz Soomro before proroguing the house.
The speaker’s inquiry from the two Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwarts was deemed self-explanatory in terms of the government’s intention about dissolution of assemblies on the expiry of their five-year tenure on 16th March 16 (today).
Earlier, during their farewell speeches the CM and the speaker also highlighted the probability of Friday as being the last sitting of the legislature which’s constitutional tenure, however, would end on 14th April.
Amid hectic lawmaking, the provincial lawmakers also missed out the Friday prayer despite the fact that repeated reminders came from the speaker, though seemingly himself unwary of the weekly prayer that he ultimately did not offer. Many in the Press Gallery were heard quoting hadiths and Quranic verses terming all sorts of business as haram once “Azaan” for Jumma was heard.
The hurriedly-tabled bills were passed into law amid shouts of “Long Live Bhutto” with the PPP lawmakers, including Pir Mazharul Haq and Ayaz Soomro, placing party flags on their tables, while Rai Naz Bozdar was holding a portrait of Benazir Bhutto.
Three bills, Sindh Ministers (Salaries, Allowances, and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2008, Sindh Special Assistants (Appointment, Powers, Functions, Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2008 and Sindh Assembly Members (Salaries and Allowances, (Amendment) Bill, 2009, were passed with a majority vote.
However, Sindh Ministers (Salaries, Allowances, and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2008 and The Sindh Assembly Speaker’s and Deputy Speaker’s (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2009 were further amended by the passage of two private bills tabled by the PPP’s Mujadid Ali Isran and Dr Sikandar Mandhro respectively.
The two bills sought extended perks and privileges, including “life time police security” for the chief minister and speaker who had remained in office for not less than four years on the expiry of his term.
The law minister said that given the prevailing uncertain law and order situation the CM and the speaker must have enough security around them.
Another bill adopted unanimously was the Sindh Provincial Assembly (Members) Privileges (Amendment) Bill 2013. The bill entitled the Sindh lawmakers to have access to government guest houses, being able to use VIP lounges at airports and avail other privileges and facilities being availed by members of the senate, national and other provincial assemblies.
Opposition disapproved these bills with the MQM legislator Khwaja Izharul Hasan citing inflation for his party’s opposition to raise the salaries of lawmakers. “It does not suit us,” he asserted.
The MQM lawmakers, however, supported the Sindh Assembly Speaker’s and Deputy Speaker’s (Salaries, Allowances and privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2009.
One private bill tabled by the PPP minority lawmaker Saleem Khursheed Khokhar presented in the house, namely “The Protection of Communal Properties of Minorities Bill 2012” also received a unanimous vote and was passed into law.
A resolution, tabled by the PPP legislator Muhammad Nawaz Chandio and calling for establishment of the Indus International University’ in Tando Muhammad Khan, was also passed by the house unanimously.
However, a resolution by the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) lawmakers, namely Nusrat Sehar Abbasi and Marvi Rashdi, wanted to table a bill on Islands City project that was denied by the speaker.
“Stop political point scoring” were the speaker’s words when he found the protesting opposition lawmakers shouting in front of his rostrum.
As a result, the opposition legislators staged a walk out from the house.
The chief minister, in his farewell speech, lauded the leadership and lawmakers of the MQM, PML-F, PML-Q, NPP, ANP and his own party fellows and the media for their untiring efforts in strengthening the democratic norms during the last five years.
Calling upon all the parities to show magnanimity in the general election, CM Qaim urged the need for national institutions, including executive and judiciary, to function in their domains as defined by the constitution.
He was all praise for the policy of reconciliation envisioned by the PPP’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, which he said kept all political forces together to help the government complete its tenure.
CM Qaim also announced two months of bonus salaries for the staff of finance and law departments and the employees of provincial assembly secretariat.
Meanwhile, Nisar Khuhro in his last ruling said, “We are proud members who have spent five years in a genuine democratic government.” He said the political parties could now show the world that they were capable of running a democratic system in the country.
Others who spoke on the occasion included MQM’s Izharul Hassan, Pir Mazhar and Ayaz Soomro.