KARACHI: Tensions that led to the boycott of the Sindh Assembly proceedings on Thursday spilled over into Friday’s session when opposition members staged a protest after being denied the opportunity to present a resolution against the separatist “Sindhudesh movement”.

The situation took a chaotic turn when Speaker Syed Awais Shah, exercising his discretionary powers, refused to allow Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s Deputy Parliamentary Party Leader Taha Ahmed to present a resolution against the “separatist movement”.

The MQM-P lawmakers converged in front of the Speaker’s dais, raising slogans while proceedings on the listed agenda went on amid ruckus.

The members of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Jamaat-i-Islami were not present in the house when the situation became tense.

MQM-P stages noisy protest after speaker disallows its lawmaker from presenting the resolution

Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah adjourned the house till Monday after completing the scheduled business.

The protest erupted when the Speaker called MQM-P’s Aamir Siddiqui to present his adjournment motion. The opposition member, however, refused to speak on it as his party colleagues stood up and began chanting “Sindhudesh Na Manzoor”, disrupting proceedings.

The Speaker urged the house to maintain order. “Whatever had to happen, happened yesterday. Let us conduct business today,” he said. However, his appeals went unheeded as sloganeering continued.

Amid sloganeering, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar laid an audit report before the house.

Later, speaking to reporters at the Media Corner on the premises of the assembly, Leader of the Opposition Ali Khurshidi accused the PPP government of arrogance and bias for not allowing a resolution against the separatist Sindhudesh movement.

“We wanted to table a resolution against Sindhudesh today but were not allowed,” he said, adding that the chair appeared to be under pressure.

MQM-P’s Taha Ahmed said that the PPP’s attitude reflected “prejudice”. “We are against all separatist movements. Since the Sindhudesh’s narrative is active in Sindh, the house must pass a resolution against it,” he said.

He said that a formal resolution against Sindhudesh and all separatist movements had now been submitted to the assembly secretariat.

Mr Ahmed alleged that “people with Sindhudesh ideology” were sitting on the treasury benches and that the PPP had become a “wall of steel” against any such resolution.

Question Hour

Replying to the written and verbal queries of lawmakers during the Question Hour, CM’s Adviser for Human Settlements Najmi Alam informed the house that only settlements established prior to 2011 would be eligible for regularisation and lease.

He said that any locality set up afterwards would be treated as encroachment, adding that a no objection certificate (NOC) of the Sindh Board of Revenue was mandatory for new settlements and that 50 per cent of revenue collected from katchi abadis was spent on development of the same areas.

On the “Lines Area” project, he said a project director had been appointed and a board meeting was expected within 10 to 12 days to finalise resettlement plots.

He said that the government had requested land from the revenue department for “Sasti Basti” housing to provide affordable homes to the poor on instalments.

Responding to a call-attention notice moved by MQM-P member Aamir Siddiqui on the water crisis in Adam Colony and Soldier Bazaar, Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Qasim Siraj Soomro said that Karachi was being supplied water on a 12-hour rotational basis.

Speaking on his call attention notice, the MQM-P lawmaker demanded immediate resolution of the ongoing water crisis in Jinnah Town.

He said that on May 25, a reply was given in the house regarding action against illegal water connections, recalling that the chief minister had assured that illegal connections would be disconnected.

Mr Siddiqui said that the issue of water shortage in Adam Colony had been raised earlier through a call attention notice as well. “Despite promises, the water shortage problem has not been resolved,” he complained, adding that if call attention notices served no purpose then the house should decide the issue of water shortage.

“The Speaker should decide whether we should bring call attention notices or not,” he said, adding that the minister had assured on the floor of the house that action would be taken against illegal connections.

The parliamentary secretary said that the water requirement of Adam Colony was approximately three to five million gallons per day, but no revenue was being collected from the colony for water supply.

“There should be a billing system along with water supply,” he said adding that people should pay for the water they use.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2026