Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) on Saturday announced that it would approach the Supreme Court for obtaining the seat of the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly. This was announced by PML-F leader Senator Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah at a press conference held here at the Functional House, the PML-F's new office.
Flanked by Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, Jam Madad Ali and Shehryar Ali Khan Mehar, Muzaffar Shah said that the decision was taken during a meeting of the party's lawyer wing held here before the press conference. "According to law, the seat of the leader of the opposition in any assembly used to be allotted to an opposition party or alliance which applied first so it is our right to get it in the Sindh Assembly...PML-F and its allies had applied for the post much before the MQM," he said.
He said that PML-F and its allies had nominated Nusrat Sehar Abbasi for the post and an application was also submitted at the Assembly secretariat, but action on it had deliberately been delayed. He said that MQM had opted to sit on opposition seats just to capture the post of the leader of the opposition in the provincial assembly, adding that PML-F and its allies could demonstrate that they were the real opposition in the assembly.
Senator Shah said that PML-F had formed a panel of senior lawyers which would submit a petition in the Supreme Court on March 4, Monday (tomorrow). Expressing the hope that they would get justice, he said that he hoped that the Supreme Court would issue a verdict in favour of the Functional League. Secretary-General of PML-F Sindh chapter Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh said that several PPP MPAs had approached "our people to join the Functional League". According to him, talks are being held within the party and a formal announcement would be made soon after the approval of the party chief, the Pir Pagara.