Budget debate in Sindh Assembly: Opposition, treasury launch into a tirade

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Monday met a chaotic session with opposition and treasury lawmakers exchanging unparliamentary words and showed contempt for one another as debate on the fiscal budget 2021-22 continues.

Twice, Speaker, Aga Siraj Khan Durrani ordered turning off microphones of opposition female legislators after they indirectly criticised PPP leadership and gave a verbal derogatory impression to the treasury.

Speaker said that GDA’S Nusrat Sehar Abbasi will not have an extended time for budget speech and forced her microphone switched off for targeting his party’s leadership.

Opposition, in protest, stepped out of their seats and chanted before the Speaker’s desk, demanding of him to permit Sehar Abbasi for speech on budget since she was of the view that she has still time to speak on budget.

Durrani insisted on defending his decision that Sehar Abbasi speech time has exceeded the given period.

During her speech, she slammed the chief minister for presenting budget 2021-22 in English as citing that other provinces did it in the national languages.

“Whom the chief minister tried to please by giving budget speech in English,” she asked. Her remarks stirred up some displeasure to the house chair, resulting in a cut of her speech.

Durrani warned that party leadership cannot be dragged into the assembly discussion.

Abbasi also alleged the ruling PPP of corruption in the NICVD and criticised Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for “being silent” on rape incidents in Sindh.

PPP’s Munwar Ali Wassan indirectly said, without naming one, “daain” was born in Khairpur, Sindh. However, it is still unclear whether whom he referred the word “daain” to.

“The Sindh Healthcare Department should spray to get rid of the daain,” the PPP legislator said as he drifted away his speech from budget despite being given an opportunity.

In the President House of Pakistan, he said, a cage was built at a cost of Rs2.8 million. “It is requested that the Sindh Assembly’s “tooti” (female parrot) to be shifted there,” Wassan jibed.

Joining his party’s lawmaker, Durrani also gave a disdainful remark about opposition legislators. Some people have to perform “circus” to become member of the assembly, Speaker said. “If they don’t become MPA then will be useful for circus,” he maintained his approach.

During the speech of Dua Bhutto of PTI, the house again plunged into unparliamentary chants, as she called the treasury members “goats”.

In reply, treasury called her “female monkey”. However, Durrani ruled to expunge her unparliamentary expression and turned off her microphone.

Several other lawmakers from either side of the house talked more on political issues than budget. The assembly is now due to meet on Tuesday afternoon at 2pm.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021