Pandemonium in Sindh Assembly: PPP, PTI verbal blows turn into scuffle

KARACHI: Members of the PTI and Sindh government representatives locked horns during a session of the Sindh Assembly on Friday, with a heated verbal exchange quickly giving way to physical blows.

The session started with a delay of one-and-a-half hours and was presided over by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

As it progressed, things turned sour and there was shoving around between both the opposition and the government lawmakers. The president of PTI's Karachi chapter Khurram Sher Zaman and PPP's Mukesh Kumar Chawla ignored parliamentary etiquette and argued loudly at length.

Zaman told APP that he had "only said" that "it seems that dogs are kings nowadays in Sindh" (in reference to the high incidences of dog bites), while requesting the speaker to recite a prayer for a two-year-old girl who died due to unavailability of the anti-rabies vaccine in Jamshoro.

He said during the current year alone, over 1,200 such cases had been reported in Larkana.

“People of the province have elected us to represent them in the House, and when we talk on core issues being faced by the masses, PPP leaders get offended and try to attack us,” said Zaman.

The Sindh government has to answer about the corruption scam in anti-stray dog campaign, he added.

Meanwhile, Mukesh Kumar Chawla said: "Tell these thieves to take our leaders' names with respect."

The Speaker directed the members to remain silent but no one listened, to the point where prayers had to commence amid the noise. Later, the rowdy members were taken by surprise when the Speaker voiced extreme displeasure and indignation at the behaviour demonstrated by lawmakers.

The commotion continued into the Question Hour, where during questions from the IT Department, the members continued to exchange sarcastic remarks.

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani adjourned the session till 11am on Monday.