Muzaffar vows to run Sindh Assembly under rules

Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah said he would run the affairs of Sindh Assembly strictly in accordance with the rules of procedure and take along with him all those who want to uphold management of assembly sessions by rules. He was talking to newsmen in his chamber after the defeat of no confidence move of the opposition on Thursday. Shah said no confidence resolution was moved to pressurise him and to hold him hostage of whims so that the assembly could be run according to the wishes of a few members.
He said the defeat of the resolution was the success of the House. The House would always uphold the principles of democracy, decency and co-operation.
Shah said the majority played decisive role in democracy and those who were in minority should realise that rule of the game in a democratic set-up.
He said it was a simple resolution, as the opposition was required to produce simple majority that came to 85 in a house of 168 members to dislodge him.
To a question he said the opposition had come up with the resolution and it was its responsibility to prove its simple majority in the House to make the resolution effective.
He said the treasury rightly decided to refrain from balloting as it had nothing to do with the resolution.
"The treasury has clear majority in the house and in a house of 168 members 93 members of the treasury are sufficient to defeat any move of no confidence." Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah said in fact against 93 votes of the treasury against nil from the opposition were enough to prove the strength of the treasury.
Shah said the opposition should realise that democratic institutions did not function in isolation and on whims.
The two sides, treasury and the opposition, had their role and both should it. They should contribute their share of good work to make the assembly effective and representative of the people who had voted us to this house.
He said the members were invited thrice to participate in secret balloting but they did not pay heed to the calls.
But after the names had been called, they insisted on casting votes and asked for ballot papers. "Now this is mockery of prestigious institutions. We won't let this happen."
When asked about the purpose of the resolution, he said it was to browbeat him and pressurise him to listen to their unlawful demands. I won't let this happen and ensure that rules of procedure are held supreme."
He said that the democracy should be respected and protected. Commenting on a single vote, a member of the opposition cast, Shah said it was secret balloting.
Any member grabbing a ballot paper, putting stamp on it, marking column and putting it into the ballot box was uncalled far. It should not have been done. In any case it was neither secret nor a valid vote.