Divesting governor of chancellorship: opposition appeals CJ to take notice of proposed bill

The opposition in the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday appealed to the Chief Justice to take a notice of the PPP government's move of divesting the governor of universities' chancellorship, saying the proposed controversial legislation is a threat to democracy.
However, MQM's isolated lady lawmaker, Irum Azeem Farooqi lent her support to 'the Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018', saying that "I speak my mind today." She also criticized the opposition for staging a protest walkout from the house against the legislation, which they called the government's 'bad' intention.
The opposition, however, partly succeeded in mounting pressure on the treasury to delay the legislation for one more day. Now, it is set for Thursday (today), as MQM's Syed Sardar Ahmed said that it is difficult to understand 25 amendments to an existing law at once. "It is not possible to go through 25 amendments in a day," he added.
The veteran lawmaker said that the governor has always been chancellor of universities, and warned that the government's hasty legislation will threaten democracy. "We oppose this bill," he told the house, saying the treasury is abusing the democracy. He also questioned the government for its hastiness on legislation, saying, "it is not good to make an elected member a chancellor."
"The government is taking control of all universities and academic institutions which is not acceptable to us," PML-F's lady legislator, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi told the legislature while debating the controversial bill. She blamed the PPP government of 'destroying' the education sector of Sindh.
"The Sindh government is bent on sinking the education sector," she said and added, "taking charge of universities' chancellorship from governor and handing over to Chief Minister transpires the government's ill intention."
"We will not let this bill sail through the house," Dr Seema Zia of PTI vowed, appealing to the Chief Justice to take notice of this legislation. Khurrum Sher Zaman Khan of PTI also opposed the bill, saying that the Sindh government is bent on ravaging the education sector like it has done with other provincial institutions. "We will challenge this bill in the court," he said.
Opposition Leader, MQM's legislator, Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hasan termed the bill 'extremely inapt'. "We oppose this bill," he slammed the legislation, saying that the government has already failed in running its other academic institutions like schools and colleges, then how it is possible for it to handle the affairs of universities. "Keep embarrassing the government I feel myself embarrassed now," he said.
Later, he announced to stage a protest walkout against the bill, which the entire opposition except Irum Azeem Farooqi, supported and moved out of the assembly hall. The opposition tore and tossed up copies of the bill. Farooqi said that the opposition should not have left the house during the lawmaking. The bill was moved by Sindh Senior Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Nisar Khuhro and invited the opposition to discuss it.
Khuhro said that the legislation is due since 18th Constitutional Amendment ensures devolution of powers to provinces. He said that the Sindh Higher Education Commission Act has already taken place that spares the provinces from implementation of the Federal Higher Education Commission Ordinance 2002.
"This bill is considered under the 18th Constitutional Amendment," he told the house. He said that the Governor's slot is constitutional with its responsibilities, while chancellorship is a legal post with its similar nature of functions. "Appointment of chancellor is a legal matter," he insisted.
"Therefore chancellor's responsibilities and functions will be controlled by a legal institution," he added.