Women bill dominates Sindh Assembly proceedings
KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) MPAs on Thursday continued their boycott of Sindh Assembly proceedings in protest against ignoring of opposition by treasury benches in legislative process as well as banning of pillion riding in Karachi and Sindh TV channel’s transmission.However, six Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) MPAs attended the session and its leader Maulana Umer Sadiq challenged President General Pervez Musharraf and ruling PML president Ch. Shujaat Hussain that Women Protection bill passed by National Assembly was against the Holy Quran and Sunnah. On Thursday the session commenced usually at around 11:40am with Speaker Muzaffar Hussain Shah in the chair. After recitation from holy Quran and Naat, the house offered fateha for two persons who died due to Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.PPPP MPAs refrain from coming into house and continued their boycott in protest ignoring the opposition in legislative process besides bans on pillion riding and Sindh TV’s transmissions.
Women MPA of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Bilquees Mukhtar on point of order felicitated President General Pervez Musharraf and all coalition partners for making Women Protection bill into law.She also thanked PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and party MNAs for supporting the government on Women Protection bill. Sindh Minister Dr Saeeda Malik termed the approval of Women Protection bill by the National Assembly as commendable and added it would provide required protection to womenfolk.Minority MPA from treasury benches Dr Bhag Chand also felicitated the government on the passage of the bill.MMA leader in Sindh Assembly Maulana Umer Sadiq condemned approval of the Women Protection bill by the National Assembly through majority votes and alleged amendments and suggestions of Ulema Committee, formed by the Ch Shujaat Hussain were ignored in the approved bill.MMA’s Nasarullah Shaji also condemned the approval of bill by the National Assembly and vowed to continue struggle for Islamic system of governance and laws in the country. Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah gave ruling that provincial assembly could not debate or comment on any bill passed by the National Assembly.
At that moment, treasury benches started raising slogans of “resign, resign”, drawing MMA MPAs attention towards threats of their leadership that if Women Protection Bill was presented in NA they would resign.Sindh Mines and Mineral Minister Irfanullah Marwat refuted claim by the MMA MPAs that the bill was against the Holy Quran and Sunnah and said National Assembly could never pass any law against Islamic teachings.
Later, the Speaker announced commencement of question hour, during which questions relating to Sindh Works and Services Department were answered by Sindh Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed.
Source: B/Recorder
Date:11/17/2006
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