KARACHI – Newly-elected Sindh Assembly members on Saturday took oath in the House of 168 as the maiden session of the provincial legislature started with a delay amid high security.
Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani administered oath to at least 146 MPAs-elect – 128 elected on general seats and 35 on reserved seats.
Several newly-elected members skipped the oath-taking ceremony for various reasons. A couple of new MPAs are currently members of the Senate.
Meanwhile, notification for Ameer Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has not been issued after he relinquished his provincial assembly seat.
The MPAs will now elect the House’s speaker and deputy speaker under the assembly rules.
Among the oath-taking MPAs was former Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah.
In Feb 8 general elections, Pakistan Peoples Party secured 84 seats, MQM-P 28 seats, GDA three and the JI grabbed two.
Protests Erupted in Karachi
Members of the Qaumi Awami Tehreek held protests against the alleged rigging in general elections.
The police have arrested 10 workers of the party including women who were protesting outside the Sindh Assembly. The law enforcement officials also baton-charged the protesters.
The PTI, GDA, JI and other parties have announced to hold peaceful protest outside the Sindh Assembly against the alleged rigging in the polls.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government imposed Section 144 in the south zone in order to maintain law and order situation.
“… the Government of Sindh, in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 144 (6) Cr.PC, hereby imposes a ban on public assembly, gatherings, protests, processions, and demonstrations in South Zone Karachi Division for a period of 30 days with immediate effect,” stated the provincial government in a notification.
It further notifies, “In pursuance of Section 195 (i) (a) Cr.PC, the S.H.Os of the concerned Police Station are hereby authorised to register complaints under Section 188 PPC in writing for the violation of Section 144 CrPC against the violators of this Notification.”
police have blocked all roads leading to the Sindh Assembly in order to prevent protesters from entering the red zone.
