KARACHI: Treasury members, particularly the lawmakers belonging to the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), in the Sindh Assembly (SA) on Tuesday strongly reacted against the judiciary and its recent verdict on the contempt of court legislation.
They include senior members and provincial ministers from the PPP. They showed such anger over the judiciary while participating in the first day proceedings of Sindh Assembly’s current session.The session convened during Ramazan started in aftermath of the Supreme Court verdict against the contempt of the court legislation, and a day before the NRO proceedings in the court.
SA Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro presided over the house proceedings. First day was private members day, therefore, the house was not supposed to take up any government business, but provincial ministers were seen more active in speaking in the house.Usually, Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza presides over proceedings held on private members days. Khuhro, who is also a senior member of the PPP, not only was present on his seat but also joined voice of his party colleagues in favour of the ‘parliament’s right to legislate’. “Parliament can make legislation which is its prerogative”, Khuhro said while supporting Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon’s point of view.
Memon, who was clearly seen charged, said that nobody can deprive lawmakers of making legislation, and they will not allow anybody for this. He went on to say that a ‘judicial martial law’ is always imposed during PPP’s government.“Another person wants to get the parliament locked after Mian Nawaz Sharif (former premier)”, he alleged without mentioning Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry’s name.“Despite that we had continued legislation while sitting on footpath”, remarked Khuhro, while recalling the mock house proceedings of the PPP members had made in capacity of opposition members during Mian Nawaz Sharif’s last tenure.
Another provincial minister belonging to PPP, Rafique Engineer, complained that judges were passing surprising remarks for the parliament. According to those remarks, he added, they (judges) opined the speakers of the assemblies were bound to send references against those members speaking against judges. He went on to say that verdicts of current judges are being aired on media.“Attempts are being made to spread anarchy in the country”, said Provincial Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. He went on to say that official residence of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry was used as ‘credit card’ but nobody took notice of it. He, however, did not mention the name of CJP’s son Arsalan Iftikhar. He also said that the parliament was empowered to amend the constitution.
“Judges should take part in elections if they are keen to be parliamentarians”, said Pir Mazharul Haq, senior leader of the PPP and provincial education minister. He said that the National Assembly is mother of all assemblies in the country, and if it could not make legislation what importance of other assemblies is left.“Neither judiciary nor parliament”, remarked the MQM’s parliamentary leader, Syed Sardar Ahmed. He opined that only the constitution is supreme in the country. He reiterated his party’s stance that confrontation among institutions would not be beneficial for the country at this stage when the country was facing internal and external threats.
Earlier different MPAs, including PML-F’s Nusrat Saher Abbasi, PPP’s Shehla Raza, MQM’s Heer Sohu strongly protested over providing complete police protocol to suspended SHO and his staff of Gambat, Khairpur who were involved in humiliating a couple publicly in the area. They demanded strict action against the police party.Earlier newly nominated member by the PPP on reserved women seat, Saira Shahliani, took oath of affirmation. – Dailytimes
