Bill passed to hold polls through show of hands

Opposition parties lodge strong protest, say they will move court against passage of the bill

Karachi

Amid opposition’s protest, a bill was passed into law in the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday that requires elections for the local governments’ reserved seats to be held openly instead of through secret balloting.

To protest against the passage of the bill on a private members day and the move to make it compulsory for voting in the reserved seats polls by a show of hands, the opposition lawmakers shouted slogans against the government and tore the copies of the bill.

Education and parliamentary affairs minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro presented the local government (amendment) bill even though it was not on the day’s agenda.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPA Khawaja Izharul Hassan, the leader of the opposition in the House, said the minister could not table the bill as it was a private members day.

Khuhro responded that as the elections on reserved seats were about to take place and nomination papers of for the seats of the mayor, the deputy mayor and chairpersons would be submitted by January 20 , it was important to pass the bill.

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani requested the opposition MPAs to cooperate with the treasury side.

However, the opposition members continued to protest until the speaker adjourned the session till January 22.

Opp to move court

After the House’s proceedings ended, opposition leaders told reporters that that the bill was passed illegally and they would approach the court against the move.

“The passage of this bill shows that the Pakistan People’s Party is continuing to usurp the rights of others and carry on with its corrupt practices similar to how it had passed the criminal prosecution bill in haste,” Hassan noted.

“The PPP has made it mandatory for the reserved seats polls to be held openly as it fears that its own people will vote against the party and the passage of this bill will allow it to intimidate and threaten such members.”

The Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPAs too expressed the same reservations over passage of the bill and said they would challenge it in the court.

Census

Earlier during the assembly’s proceedings, a resolution was unanimously adopted to express reservations over the federal government approving a revised timeline for the census without taking the provinces on board.

The resolution was presented by MQM’s Erum Azeem Farooq. Later, it was amended and tabled again after which it was unanimously passed.

.Through the resolution, the House demanded that the provincial government should ask the Centre to give representation to all provinces in the census process.

Hassan said the housing census was held in 2001 and billions were spent on the process. He questioned as to why the process was being conducted again.

The eductaiopn minister raised some points after which the MQM senior MPA Sardar Ahmed amended the document and presented it again.

VIP culture

The House also unanimously passed a resolution against VIP culture and protocol.

It was stated in the resolution that VIP culture had caused irreparable losses to the affected families.

The resolution was presented by MQM MPA Kamran Akhtar.

He said citizens had to suffer because of VIP culture and protocol as important roads were blocked and several lives in the process.

Ironically, after the passage of the bill, the MPAs left the assembly building with VIP protocol and police blocked the roads for them.