A provincial lawmaker, who defected from MQM to PSP, refused to leave Sindh Assembly hall as a token of protest against acute shortage of potable water in Orangi Town - the city's western outskirt. Saifuddin Khalid first staged a sit-in, in front of the Speaker's desk with other legislators during the session, to demand adequate water supply to the constituency from where he was elected as MPA. He continued protest staying inside despite adjournment of the session till Monday.
The protesting lawmaker has brought clothes and edible grains to stay in the house until Monday, as assembly stands closed on weekends. "We made huge efforts to persuade him to leave the house but he is resisting our requests," an assembly official told Business Recorder.
"He has considerable arrangement for staying in the house with edible stuff," the official said, adding that "this man has created huge problem for the assembly's staff." He said he is also trying to contact the PSP leaders to seek their help to persuade him to leave the assembly building. Since the MPA is diabetic, it increases staff's concerns about his health. "There is a deep apprehension about his health since he is inside without any cooling and lights as he is diabetic. We have also called a doctor to the assembly with an ambulance in case of emergency," he said, adding that there are also about four more PSP lawmakers inside with Saifuddin.
The official said Saifuddin was not attending even telephone calls by Sindh Local Bodies Minister, Jam Khan Shoro and Managing Director, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, who are trying to convince him to meet his demand for 100-water tankers supply to his area. He said defiant legislators also refused to leave the house after PPP, MQM and even some PSP members tried to coax him.
There is just a bit more wait for Dr Sagheer Ahmed - who is a PSP leader to reach the assembly to take him out. He said the speaker, PPP members and ministers are also trying to solve the standoff. However, if the deadlock persists till night, then the security officials would have to make a different arrangement to vacate the hall.
Some security officials are also stationed outside the hall to meet any untoward situation. The official said the MPA was saying 'take money from me but dispatch water tankers to my area." It will be quite impossible for the water board or Sindh government to fulfill his 100-tankers demand at once since the entire city needs water through such transportation around the clock, said the official.
After session, Speaker, Agha Siraj Durrani told newsmen he would never bow down to one's demands at gunpoint. He said he would exercise his authority as per law and would run the house as per rules. He threatened to send a reference to the Election Commission about the defected legislators to unseat them as members of the assembly, if they continue to create such dramatic crisis for him. He accused Saifuddin Khalid of holding the house hostage.
The lawmakers who defected to the PSP retorted asking Durrani to stop worrying about them because NAB was undertaking an inquiry against him. They turned down his threat of reference. They said the assembly is not the only platform for them as they can also raise their voice for rights at other places as well. They said they were not under any compulsion because of Assembly membership.
Earlier in the house, opposition parties staged a strong noisy protest as treasury members also exchanged squabbling words with the protesting legislators. The opposition members tore copies of the assembly agenda and tossed them up to the speaker desk with chanting 'give us water' and 'NAB will come.' Saifuddin Khalid in a call-attention-notice told the house his residential area is facing water crisis for last six years.
"I will collect charity to buy water for people of my residential area. I will not go out of the house until the supply of 100 water tankers is ensured to me. I have brought edible grains and clothes to stay in the house. I will buy 100 water tankers for my constituency," he said. The Minister Jam Khan Shoro called his protest a drama.
The treasury continued legislation amid the screeching protest by opposition. The house adopted fours bills into law including: The Sindh Employees Social Security (Amendment) Bill 2018; The Sindh Minimum Wage (Amendment) Bill 2018; The Sindh Welfare Fund (Amendment) Bill 2018 and The Sindh Employers Old Age Benefit (Amendment) Bill 2018.
Sindh Senior Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nisar Khuhro had tabled the bills. The standoff that lasted for about six hours continued till the filing of this story, as efforts from the government remained futile to break the self-imposed stay inside Assembly.