Members of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Wednesday traded barbs in the National Assembly over recent remarks of the Sindh chief minister. Muttahida Quami Movement central leader Dr Faqoor Sattar said arrogant language was used for his community by the Sindh Chief Minister in the provincial Assembly. He urged the PPP Chairman Bilwal Bhutto and Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardri to take notice of remarks made by the Sindh Chief Minister as these words would increase hatred.
MQM-P members later also staged a token walkout from the House on the issue. Responding to points raised by Farooq Sattar, the leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah said we would condemn all those who would utter words against dividing Sindh province. How we can tolerate words against Sindh, he questioned. He said people belonging to all languages were included in PPP.
While referring to the bloody clashes on May 12, 2007, Shah accused the MQM-P members of acting on a single order by a military ruler to play havoc in Karachi. MQM-P leader Dr Farooq Sattar addressing the media outside the parliament said if his party decides to demand south Sindh, no one will be able to stand in their way.
He also condemned the "hate speech" of the chief minister Sindh, adding that it is democratic and constitutional right of the people to express their opinion on anything including formation of a separate province in Sindh. The PPP members also lodged a strong protest against the government for not providing them their due share of water.
Khursheed Shah also threatened to close the Sindh border if the government fails to provide them their water share as per 1991 Water Accord. Nawab Yousaf Talpur of the PPP also said that Sindh should be provided water of its share as there was no drinking water for human beings and animals. The PPP members also walked out of the House to register their protest. Earlier, members of both treasury and opposition benches expressed solidarity with Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal who was recently shot at by a lunatic in his constituency in Narowal.
Speaking on the floor of the House, the minister also clarified about media reports of having Iqama, saying that he held the iqama from 2011 to 2016 for an honorary position in Saudi Arabia. He said that he was awarded the Iqama for working with Madina Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship from where he was not receiving any remuneration or any monetary benefit.