Treasury members on Tuesday did not allow opposition to table an out of turn resolution demanding implementation of Sindhi Language Act, 1972. Makhdoom Jamil of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) wanted to move the controversial resolution. The motion to suspend rules and take up the resolution out of turn was put to vote and rejected by the house.
Opposition and treasury members exchanged heated arguments and labelled irritating charges against each other. The speaker and opposition MPAs including leader of the opposition Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Sassui Palejo were seen engaged in the most provocative arguments that were mostly out of context and harsh.
Sindh chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and education minister Dr Hamida Khuhro informed the house about the implementation of the Sindh Language Authority Act, 1972, but it did not bring respite and heated arguments continued for quite sometime before fading out.
All this confusion and uproar began in the second half of the session when the assembly proceedings resumed at around 2:45pm. Chairman of the panel PPP MPA Shama Mithani occupied the seat of the speaker and tried to commence proceedings as treasury members were still to come.
In the meanwhile, speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah came to take control of the house and said the assembly secretary had told him that when Shama Mithani was sitting in his chair, the quorum was incomplete.
His remarks led to uproar and shouting from opposition benches and the leader of the opposition accused treasury benches of being irresponsible, coming late to the house and jeopardising democratic norms of the house.
Members from treasury benches tried to explain their position and objected to irresponsible remarks from the opposition.
These remarks irked law minister Chaudhry Iftikhar, who demanded an apology from Shama Mithani, who had occupied the chair of the speaker during his presence in his chamber.
Mines and mineral minister Irfanullah Khan also contributed his share in the debate and asked Shama Mithani to apologise for her uncalled for conduct. The chief minister demanded expulsion of Shama Mithani from the house.
The house remained uncontrollable for more than fifteen minutes and nobody wanted to hear to what members were saying to each other.
MMA MPA Hameedullah Advocate told the speaker that quorum was completed twice but the secretary of the assembly did not inform the speaker, which compelled Shama Mithani to occupy his seat.
Later, the speaker asked Makhdoom Jamil of PPP to present his resolution for relaxation of rules for presentation of the actual resolution regarding implementation of Sindhi Language Act, 1972.
In the middle of uproar from the opposition, Syed Sardar Ahmed of Muttahida Qaumi Movement said it was a sensitive issue and should be handled carefully.
Dr Hamida, giving policy statement, informed the house there was no need of allowing the resolution as the government was taking steps for implementation of 1972 Act, which was not implemented for the last 33 years.
The chief minister took notice of delay in its implementation and said they were now publishing books and arranging teachers to start teaching Sindhi language in class 11th and 12th in the province, she added.
Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said one of the TV channels in the private sector was giving air to lingual feelings and was trying to pitch one group of people against another.
He accused the opposition of politicising the issue and assured the house the government was taking steps for the implementation of 1972 Act.