KARACHI: A PTI legislator Tuesday announced his resignation for not being permitted to play his role in the Sindh Assembly, as opposition party - GDA condemned the mock funeral incident. Firdous Shamim Naqvi, who has also served the Sindh Assembly as an opposition leader, announced his resignation as a lawmaker from the provincial legislature for not being permitted to play his role.

GDA's Nand Kumar condemned the 'mock funeral' by the PTI legislators the other day, saying "it was childish" to show a disrespect of the assembly and "undemocratic".

"We are not with them (PTI lawmakers), he told the house, saying that "the assembly has its sanctity". The Speaker showed his gratitude to the opposition's GDA, which a coalition partner with the PTI in the federal government.

TLP's Mufti Qasim Fakhri said that the mock funeral incident should have not happened, yet, closing down the assembly gates is 'unconstitutional".

MMA's Syed Abdul Rashid also called the incident "sad" but likened the police attitude outside the assembly building to "jiyalas" - PPP activists.

The house remained tense after the incident in the last assembly sitting on Monday. The PTI's several legislators were banned from entering the assembly, as others boycotted the proceedings.

Strict security arrangements were made out and inside if the assembly building, as PTI members had come with drums and musical instruments to protest against the Sindh government.

However, police let none of them enter the legislature, who eventually staged a sit-in at the main entrance. Police also manhandled opposition legislators, as Syed Abdul Rashid and PTI's Adeel Ahmed had to jump off the gate to make it to the session.

Speaker Aga Siraj Khan Durrani termed the mock funeral incident "shameful" and "deplorable", saying that the main entrance of the assembly was shut down to bar the drums from the house.

Even women legislators have also taken part in the mock funeral, he claimed that the PTI's legislators "threatened" the security and other assembly staffers and used "abusive" language.

Later, outside the assembly building, PTI's Firdous Shamim Naqvi along with Haleem Adil Shaikh and other members told reporters that he is resigning as a lawmaker because "I an not being permitted to play my role in the house."

He said that neither the opposition leader is being permitted to speak in the house nor any of their members are part of the standing committees.

"I have been seeing funeral of democracy in the assembly for the last three years," he said, "he could not serve public of his constituency from this legislature".

Firdous said that he has announced his resignation in protest from the assembly in the floor. He said that his party's members banned from the house. MQM's Kunwar Naveed Jamil called the barring of the PTI lawmakers from the assembly as "unlawful". The house will now meet on Friday at 2pm.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021