In an indirect bid to fail the passage of a proposed 20th Constitutional Amendment, which the ruling coalition party MQM had tabled in the National Assembly days before, the Sindh legislators on Friday moved a pre-emptive resolution in the Provincial Assembly to somehow stop the amendment to Article 239 (4) to disallow the "break-up of Sindh".
Though, the Speaker Sindh Assembly, Nisar Khohro gave his ruling to declare the resolution not permitted, despite its one of the movers, NPP's Masroor Ahmad Jatoi read it out on the floor which had signatures from scores of PPP lawmakers. Khohro said it could be taken up next session, which Sindh Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Ayaz Soomro also supported to be deferred till Monday's sitting; despite he had already termed it a "good" resolution.
Speaker said it was a time for Friday's prayers and he had to adjourn the house. Meanwhile, Jatoi read it out despite his microphone was turned off, but members of PML-F, PPP, ANP and others showed a clear support by thumbing their desks. Khohro advised him to seek the permission of the house before making a speech on the resolution to support it.
It is pertinent to mention about the proposed 20th Constitutional Amendment which the MQM has lately introduced in National Assembly to form new provinces in the country. It is expected the speaker would allow debate on the resolution on Monday.
Talking to reporters, Sindh Information Minister, Shazia Atta Marri said the ruling PPP was supporting the resolution on which the house would debate in the coming session. The resolution forwarded by the NPP's lawmakers including Arif Mustafa Jatoi and Masroor Ahmad Jatoi which had also signatures of PPP and PML-F's legislators, states "This Assembly recommends to the Sindh Government to inform the Federal Government, National Assembly and other Federating Units that it is opposed to any amendment to Article 239 (4) which was specially included in the Constitution by its founders and signatories including Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Qaim Ali Shah, Hakim Ali Zardari, Makhdoom Muhammad Zaman, Talib-ul-Mola, Ata Muhammad Marri and Abdul Hafiz Pirzada to give strong Constitutional protection to the borders of Sindh and that nay step which may facilitate the future break-up of Sindh will never be allowed either by this Assembly or by people of Sindh".
It is now expected the house will take up the resolution on Monday, as it had a greater support from the ruling PPP, PML-F and ANP. Earlier, Arif Mustafa Jatoi asked the Chair to explain why Sindh Ministers for Irrigation, Human Rights and Population Welfare Departments had not appeared during the Sindh Assembly question/hours to reply the queries about their departments since the government had formed.
He said no answers from them had so far come on questions forwarded by him and other members of the house. Discussion on admissibility of adjournment motion by PPP's Imran Zafar Laghari and Introduction of the government bill No 33: The Indus University Bill, 2011 could not take place with other matters listed on the order of the day. Latter, Nisar Khohro adjourned the house till Monday morning, January 23.