The session was adjourned without carrying out any business as members indulged in levelling charges and counter-charges against each other for neglecting duties as public representatives ignored all pleading from the speaker to maintain order in the House. This was the shortest sitting of the House during the current session.
What led to this situation was an attempt by Sindh Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Irfanullah Khan Marwat to move a motion asking for suspension of all other businesses including question hour so that some other important legislative business could be taken up. Monday was fixed for Home Department business.
Since Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui had not come to the House. It was thought appropriate to postpone the question hour to Tuesday. Siddiqui was reported busy in looking into the murder case of Abdul Aziz, husband of MQM MPA Asma Shairwani. Aziz died in police firing on Super Highway near Lonikot police check-post on Sunday.
The opposition took a stand against the move to suspend question hour. Qaim Ali Shah, Humaira Alwani and Nisar Ahmed Khuhro opposed the move.
They said that treasury was in the habit of sidelining question hour by deferring it to 'some other time' or by postponing it to the next day.
Qaim said that it was through question hour that performance of the minister could be judged. The ministers were not responding to questions and were trying to evade answers, he added.
He opposed the motion and asked the speaker to run the house business strictly in accordance with the order of the day. The business had been laid down and it should be taken up, he added.
The opposition maintained that treasury members were in majority and were running the house according to their whims. The opposition found the practice unfair, they added.
They said that privilege and adjournment motions, which also form part of House business, were also not being taken up.
In opposing the motion members from both sides would spring up from their seats with ideas and proposals to further the controversy whether the motion should be taken up. Mostly the discussions ended up in holding each other responsible for disturbing the 'smooth flow' of the House.
Replying to an observation from the opposition, Marwat said that treasury members were not altogether suggesting ignoring the question hour. It would be taken up at its turn and the minister would respond to all questions asked, on Tuesday.
The motion was put to the House and amid pandemonium carried by majority vote.
After the resolution was passed, former Sindh minister Imtiaz Shaikh, who is at daggers drawn with Chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim, stood up on a point of order. The speaker gave him the floor to speak. At the same time, opposition member Mukesh also got up to speak on a point of order.
Speaker told Mukesh that he had already recognised Imtiaz Shaikh and would listen to him first. After Imtiaz Shaikh had expressed his point of view he would give a chance to speak, he added.
Mukesh did not pay heed to speaker's advice and continued to press for his right to speak.
Speaker asked him to sit down, which order he ignored, and remained standing akimbo.
The situation became tense and many members stood up in support of their respective colleagues. There was a time when everybody was speaking and no one was listening.
The speaker tried to save the situation from getting worse but the members were adamant on their points of view. Finding no other way to control the situation the speaker adjourned the House to meet again on Tuesday.
Earlier, prayers were offered for the departed soul of Abdul Aziz, husband of MQM MPA Asma Shairwani.