Sindh Assembly on Monday rejected leave applications of former Chief Minister Sindh, Dr Ghulam Arbab Rahim with majority vote. Pakistan Muslim League-Likeminded (PML-L) MPA Abdul Razzaq Rahimoon had forwarded the applications first on February 15 and the second on March 5 (Monday) for leave, citing medical grounds.
The applications state that the former CM Sindh could not attend the assembly for having poor health as he at present stays in Dubai. Speaker Nisar Khohro asked the Sindh Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ayaz Soomro to decide on the former CM application. Upon which, the minister said the application should be put to vote in the house to decide whether or not it granted the leave. The house, however, rejected the application overwhelmingly.
Ayaz Soomro said it was unclear what sort of illness the former CM had which hampered his travel to Karachi for attending the session. On which Rahimoon said it was not anyone's business to raise questions on the leave application in the house. "It is the house discretion to allow or reject application," he added.
The house also witnessed a brief mayhem when Ayaz Soomro criticised Arbab Rahim for his public statement against the PPP government and its present leadership soon after Nisar Khohro left the house and Dr Sikandar Mandhro took over as chairman. As Pakistan Muslim League Functional's (PML-F) lawmaker, Marvi Rashdi and PPP's lawmaker and Sindh Transport Minister, Akhtar Jadoon raised their concerns over some issues, which led the house to chaos. Akhtar Jadoon said the people of his constituency, Keamari town were being deprived of potable water by KWSB and threatened if the supply did not resume the residents would seize Karachi port's operations in protest.