Sindh Assembly proceedings marred as MQM-P protests over poor HSSC exam results

The proceedings of the first sitting of the new session of the Sindh Assembly on Friday were marred due to pandemonium caused by a vocal protest by the opposition legislators belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

The MQM-P legislators resorted to vociferous agitation in the House as they were denied the opportunity to raise the issue of a large number of Karachi-based students showing poor academic performance in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (Intermediate) examinations at the outset of the session’s proceedings.

Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed told the opposition legislators that he would let them speak on the point of order once the question hour of the session was over. The opposition lawmakers kept on raising slogans during the question hour even though the excise and taxation minister, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, was present in the House to respond to the legislators’ queries.

Speaking on the issue, MQM-P legislator Ejazul Haq lamented that the Karachi-based students who had earlier secured A-1 grades in the matriculation examinations had failed the HSSC exams.

He said that an inquiry should be conducted into the poor HSSC examination results that had damaged the academic future of the students. He maintained that the opposition lawmakers could not remain silent on an issue about the academic future of Karachi’s students.

The MQM-P legislators kept on raising slogans in the House despite attempts by Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar to maintain order in the House after one of the MPAs on the opposition benches spoke on the issue on a point of order.

Later, the deputy speaker adjourned the session till Monday (January 6) at 3 pm. Talking to media persons after the session was adjourned, the leader of the opposition in the House, Ali Khursheedi of the MQM-P, said the opposition lawmakers should be granted permission to speak in the House on public issues to maintain decorum during the session.

He said the treasury’s side in the House should not run away from the vital issues concerning the academic future of Karachi’s students. He said the House should allocate proper time to thoroughly discuss the problems of Karachiites.