Announcing initiation of the process to disqualify four Sindh Assembly members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who recently voted in favour of the Pakistan Peoples Party candidate in the Senate election against the party policy, Sindh leaders of the PTI on Saturday said the Sindh Assembly speaker had tarnished the legislature’s image due to his undemocratic attitude.
The said memories of the Quaid-e-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan were associated with the Sindh Assembly building but the incumbent speaker’s actions were damaging the sanctity of the House.
Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh, PTI parliamentary leader Khurrum Sher Zaman, MPA Raja Azhar and leader Haji Muzaffar Shujra said this at a press conference at the provincial assembly where they alleged that during the Senate election, a market was seen inside the assembly where four PTI MPAs — Aslam Abro, Shahryar Shar, Karim Bakhsh Gabol and Dewan Sachanand — sold their political conscience publicly.
“Those who sold their honour stubbornly and shamelessly took seats on government benches. Under which law did the speaker allow them those seats?” Sheikh asked.
“The opposition in Sindh has no representation in standing committees while the budget 2021-22 was passed without speeches of the opposition leader and parliamentary leaders of opposition parties,” he said.
Prior to the Senate election for the seat that fell vacant after the disqualification of PTI’s federal minister Faisal Vawda, Zaman in a parliamentary meeting of the party decided to boycott the election process and all the MPAs were asked to abstain from the polling. However, four MPAs came to the assembly and voted in favour of the PPP candidate. “Under the Article 63 A of the Constitution, those MPAs must be declared disqualified,” Sheikh demanded.
“If those MPAs have any self-respect, they should resign and contest fresh elections as it was against the law and a condemnable act to vote against the party,” the opposition leader observed.
He said that he had written a letter to the speaker demanding disqualification of those MPAs. “If due legal action was not taken, the PTI would register a historic protest in the Sindh Assembly and strong protest will also be recorded against the speaker,” he vowed.
He went on to claim that there was civilian dictatorship in Sindh and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had abandoned the ideology of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto as it was now following what he said Zardarism. “Bilawal Zardari’s march received a cold response from the public and he staged a flop show in Islamabad.”
Shiekh remarked that Bilawal took no action when under-nourished children were dying in Thar, Sindh was marred by corruption, Karachi turned into a garbage dump and all the necessary facilities were missing in hospitals and schools of Sindh.
No-trust move
Sheikh said the PPP believed in horse-trading and was also trying to buy MNAs of the PTI but not a single member of the National Assembly would sell his conscience. “All the PTI MNAs and masses of Pakistan are firmly standing with Imran Khan who also enjoys the support of all the coalition parties including PML-Q, GDA, and MQM-P.”
It was said that rumours about the PML-F died after Pir Pagara issued a statement assuring of his support to the prime minister.
Zaman claimed that the entire nation was supporting Imran Khan. “The largest public gathering in history of Pakistan will be held at D-Chowk Islamabad with participation of people from all over the country to express their support to PM Imran Khan”, he said.
He added that hundreds of caravans of people were ready for departing to Islamabad from Sindh.
The biggest issue of Sindh was Zardari who had ruined the province and multiplied the miseries of the people of the province, Zaman said, adding that clean water, flour, medicines, books and other basic facilities were not available to people of Sindh while corruption and maladministration were dominant everywhere.
He urged the people to strengthen the hands of the prime minister who had declared Asif Zardari as his first target after the failure of no-trust motion. “It was the responsibility of the people of Pakistan to contribute to the efforts of the PTI government to bring corrupt politicians to justice and support Imran Khan’s battle against Zardari, Shahbaz and Fazlur Rehman,” he said.
Shujra said the prime minister was a courageous and sincere leader who adopted a sovereign and non-partisan foreign policy.
He warned opposition parties to stop using foul and derogatory language against Imran or else he would disclose details of corruption and wrongdoings of the PPP before the people, saying that he was aware of the background of all the PPP ministers.
