Newly elected lawmakers took their oath on Saturday during the inaugural session of the Sindh Assembly amid protests by opposition parties near the provincial legislature’s premises.
Agha Siraj Durrani took the speaker’s oath in Sindhi. Durrani then administered the oath to other lawmakers, with opposition lawmakers from the Grand Democratic Alliance, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F, and independents aligned with the PTI absent from the house.
The first batch took their oath in Sindhi, the second in Urdu and the third batch of members took their oath in English. A total of 147 members were sworn in with 111 from the PPP and 36 from MQM.
The assembly proceedings took place amid protests at various points across Karachi by the GDA, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F and others against alleged rigging in the general elections.
The caretaker provincial government had already announced imposing Section 144 on holding rallies or public gatherings in the so-called “Red Zone” area, where the Sindh Assembly is located.
The PTI, the GDA, the JUI-F, the JI and Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqqiqi had announced holding a peaceful protest in front of the provincial assembly building.
With parties other than the PPP and the MQM-P having decided to boycott the proceedings, MPAs-elects of the GDA, the JI, and independents backed by the PTI — who recently joined the Sunni Ittehad Council as per PTI directives — did not show up to take oath.
When outgoing Sindh Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani was about to administer oath to the lawmakers, he was stopped by MPA-elect Murad Ali Shah, who told him that he should first be sworn in as a lawmaker before he could administer oath to others.
Subsequently, Durrani took oath in the Sindhi language as a lawmaker and then chaired the assembly proceedings. The Holy Quran was recited to mark the commencement of the session.
At one point during the session, Durrani told the people present in the assembly to not shout as PPP workers and supporters chanted slogans.
“Order in the House. Order in the House. Otherwise, I will make you all leave the galleries,” the speaker warned.
After the newly elected representatives had signed their oath documents, the session was adjourned till 11am on Sunday, when elections for the speaker and deputy speaker would take place.
Earlier in the day, the JUI-F said its supporters from other cities who were arriving in Karachi to participate in its planned protests were being stopped by the police at Karachi’s Toll Plaza.
In a statement, JUI-F spokesperson Sami Swati said, “Talks with the police administration are under way about stopping the caravans.”
JUI-F Sindh Secretary General Allama Rashid Mahmood Soomro then led a protest at the Toll Plaza, saying that the party workers wanted to stage a protest outside the provincial assembly.
Later, GDA Information Secretary Sardar Abdul Rahim said that according to reports he received, workers of his party, the JUI-F, the PTI and the JI were taken into custody at Sharea Faisal, Super Highway, Fountain Chowk, Saddar area, Lalu Khet and other areas.
He criticised the caretaker provincial government for the police actions.
Qaumi Awami Tehreek chief Ayaz Latif Palejo claimed that the police arrested 65 workers, including women, of his party and the Sindhiani Tehreek at the Karachi Press Club after baton-charging them.
Containers were placed at various points across Karachi after the police broke up the GDA and JUI-F protests. They were placed on roads leading to the Sindh Assembly, including at Fountain Chowk, Karachi Press Club, the Arts Council roundabout and Shaheen Complex.
Roads near Sharea Faisal, Nursery and Karsaz Road were also blocked by placing containers there. The Karachi Toll Plaza was closed due to protests by JUI-F workers, causing a traffic jam on roads near Memon Goth.
Karachi Toll Plaza is closed after protests by JUI-F on Feb 24. — via Imtiaz Ali
JUI-F’s Soomro said that the police stopped their “peaceful” procession without an order or legal notice in different areas of Karachi.
“Our mandate was stolen and we have come out to protest peacefully for it […] Supreme Court and [Sindh] High Court should take notice of this,” Soomro demanded while speaking to Geo News.
The PPP has nominated Murad for the post of Sindh chief minister, which he held in the previous assembly tenure as well.
With a two-thirds majority in the house, the PPP also nominated Syed Awais Shah, an MPA-elect from Sukkur and former provincial minister, and Naveed Anthony — elected on a reserved seat for minorities — as speaker and the deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly, respectively.
Separately, the MQM-P, the second largest party in the provincial assembly, has also announced fielding its candidates for the offices of speaker and deputy speaker.
In a statement, the MQM-P said its coordination committee had decided to nominate Sofia Shah Advocate and Advocate Rashid Khan for the post of speaker and deputy speaker, respectively.
