KARACHI: Opposition parties Monday clamored for a permission to speak in the Sindh Assembly as protesting lawmakers staged a mock funeral of “democracy”. Speaker Aga Siraj Khan Durrani took exception to the funeral in the house, giving a ruling for action against those lawmakers found in “serious contempt” of the provincial legislature.

Opposition did not step back from its protest in the house, chanting high pitch slogans “Jamhoriat Ka Janaza Hy Zara Doom St Nikly,” as lawmakers held inside the house a fake funeral. Haleem Adil Shaikh, Opposition Leader in the house, sought a permission from the chair for speaking out on an issue but was denied.

Instead, he was told to speak latter following questions and answers session. His microphone was also turned off, as he insisted “we must be heard”. This refusal triggered a protest from the opposition, resulting in wasting of questions and answers session that ended in no time.

MQM’s Muhammad Hussain asked the Speaker that the opposition leader should be given the right to speak. Amid screeching chants, the house re-adopted “The Sindh Protection of Journalists and other Media Practitioners Bill 2021 after the Sindh Governor tagged his reservations to give assent.

Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla told the house that his party supports journalists’ fraternity and therefore re-adopted a bill into law. The house was put off amid noisy protest until Tuesday.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021