Opposition parties - Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, Pakistan Muslim League-Likeminded (PML-L) and National People's Party (NPP) staged walkout from Sindh Assembly in protest against the 'alleged' deal of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) with a builder for sale of two islands of the province.
NPP's lawmaker, Arif Mustafa Jatoi, tabled an adjournment motion against the 'deal', which he said, was an understanding between Federal Government and Malik Riaz. He said that the islands could not be sold at any cost, as these are the property of Sindhis. The house witnessed pandemonium as opposition parties including NPP, PML-F, PML-Q and MQM protested against the news items on the "Island City" project deal.
The lawmakers from ruling PPP including Sindh Culture Minister, Sassui Palejo, Muzafar Shujra and MQM's Syed Sardar Ahmed supported the adjournment motion by Arif Jatoi. An MoU has been signed between Port Qasim Authority and foreign company and Malik Riaz for the joint venture on thousands of acres of plot to construct island city. He said the project would be developed and then sold.
He said President Asif Zardari had handed over the islands against the property which Riaz gave to him in Lahore. Opposition leader Syed Sardar Ahmed called the islands sale issue 'important' saying that these were the lands of Sindh government which were being "encroached upon". He said the PQA had the only right to use the area for navigational and operational purposes.
Sindh Law Minister, Ayaz Soomro objected to the adjournment motion, saying that it failed to meet the conditions of admissibility as it raised a number of issues instead of one. Sindh Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq said the adjournment motion was a political tactic against the ruling PPP. Speaker Sindh Assembly, Nisar Khuhro, rejected the motion saying it failed to qualify for admission.