SINDH ASSEMBLY SESSION: SA unanimously adopts resolution supporting Zardari

Staff Report

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly (SA) unanimously condemned the forces that were trying to destabilise the democratically elected government and expressed full confidence in the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari.

“This assembly not only strongly condemns the subversive, parochial, criminal and anti-national activities that are directed to destabilise the elected government by the anti-people forces but also reaffirms its support and repose full confidence in the leadership of President Asif Zardari,” read the resolution.

It added that god willing, Zardari, the proponent of “Pakistan Khappay” would rudder the ship through troubled waters to safe shores.

Sticking to their reconciliatory approach, all the parliamentary groups that attended the session unanimously voted for a resolution on Wednesday that expressed complete support to the president.

Muttahidda Quami Movement parliamentary group leader Sardar Ahmed, Pakistan People’s Party parliamentary group leader Pir Mazharul Haq, Awami National Party’s Amir Nawab, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional MPAs Marvi Rashidi and Nusrat Sehar Abbasi and National People’s Party’s Arif Mustafa Jatoi, moved the resolution.

Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro announced that the resolution was adopted unanimously.

The resolution recalled that the very assembly had unanimously voted for Zardari. It said that the global economic meltdown has badly affected the economy of Pakistan and the current elected government, under the able leadership of President Zardari, is making all efforts to fix the situation by controlling inflation, reducing unemployment, fighting the menace of terrorism and reinforcing peace and amity.

The resolution referred to the fact that the Zardari-led government brought all political parties including the dissidents onto one platform through intensive reconciliatory measures. It said that the forces were engaged in fanning hatred amongst the constituent units through propagation of parochialism and provincialism, particularly in Punjab, to serve their own nefarious designs. It added that these very inimical forces were trying to cause frustration and disenchantment amongst the people of Pakistan.

“The evil forces in their venom against the duly elected government indulged in vandalism and ransacked the memorial of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto who laid her life at the altar of democracy,” read the resolution.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah thanked MQM chief Altaf Hussain, PMLF chief Pir Pagaro, NPP’s Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, PML’s Arbab Ghulam Rahim and ANP’s Asfandyar Wali for their support to the PPP-led government and the president, the said resolution stated.

The resolution did not identify any person or party by name but those who addressed the SA session, lashed out at Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and its chief Nawaz Sharif for conspiring against the government.

Leader of the House Qaim Ali Shah reminded the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif that he has violated the agreements and accords from day one.

Addressing the first day proceedings of the SA session on Wednesday, Shah said, “Nawaz Sharif signed the Charter of Democracy when PML-N was a PPP ally in the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD). However, he subsequently ditched the ARD and formed the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM).”

The first day of the session was a show of PML-N opposition and with the unity shown by all parliamentary parties, a clear message was sent out to Sharif that Sindh unanimously dislikes PML-N’s politics of confrontation.

Members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), National People’s Party (NPP) and Awami National Party spoke in favour of President Asif Ali Zardari and lashed out against what they referred to as conspiracies against democracy.

Shah said that Sharif had betrayed the APDM by announcing that the PML-N would contest the elections. “The Murree declaration was for the restoration of judiciary and Zardari has restored judiciary. 54 of the 60 judges have taken oath under the constitution, while others did not want to take oath under the constitution,” he said. He cited that the constitution did not allow anyone, including the prime minister, to reinstate the judges through an executive order. Shah also rejected the claim that the judges who ordered the disqualification of the Sharif’s were friends of Zardari. “Justice Moosa Leghari and Justice Zawar Hussain had disqualified Benazir Bhutto in the past. How can they be named as friends of Zardari?” questioned Shah. He added that the PPP leadership had accepted the judgments of the courts and the judges who gave verdicts against the PPP and they had been allowed to work as usual. “It was Sharif who ordered an attack on the Supreme Court. Independence of judiciary does not mean reinstatement of Chaudhry Iftikhar,” he added.

Shah further said that the governor rule in Punjab was in accordance with the constitution. Slamming Sharif and PML-N, he said, “The PML-N led government imposed governor rule in Sindh in 1998, although, the then SA had earlier unanimously adopted a resolution against the imposition of such a rule.”

Shah said that Shairf had violated the constitution time and again and disrespected the resolution of SA, while also installing an un-elected chief adviser and ministers after the dismissal of PML-N’s provincial government. Shah said that, even now, Nawaz is not respecting the majority in the Parliament. “During the tenure of Shahbaz Sharif as Punjab chief minister, bombs had also exploded but still they challenge the law and order situation. This is not a judicious decision on their part. It is inappropriate to use impolite and non-parliamentary language against the elected parties and leaders,” asserted Shah.

MQM’s parliamentary group’s Sardar Ahmed said that anti-people forces were trying to impede the democratic process through instability, chaos and confrontation. “Pakistan faces internal and external threats and there are enemies inside the country as well as on the other side of the border. Problems can be sorted out through negotiations and mediations but, unfortunately, some elements are unwilling to sort out the differences,” he said.

Awami National Party’s Amir Nawab said that confrontation was harmful for democracy and the economy. He said that the lawyers’ movement has been going on for the past two years but is still to bear fruit. “Credit goes to Zardari for an epoch-making national reconciliation in Pakistan but it is unfortunate that the forces whose interest is linked to dictatorship have become active soon after the restoration of democracy,” he said.

PML-F’s Marvi Rashdi and Nusrat Sehar Abbasi said that it was Zardari’s ‘Pakistan Khappay’ slogan that saved the country, otherwise, conditions would have been disastrous. They said that Pir Pagaro also backed PPP and Zardari in the larger interest of Pakistan.

National People’s Party’s Masroor Khan Jatoi said, “Critical circumstances needed a united course of action and we all have to join hands and counter the conspiracies and defeat the economic crisis and terrorism.” MQM’s Rauf Siddiqui reminded the PML-N chief, “Rebellion is a romantic word but in reality, rebels do not flee to Jeddah through a covert deal.”

On the occasion, MQM’s Faisal Subzwari, PPP’s Pir Mazharul Haq, Manzoor Wassan and Shehla Reza also addressed the assembly.

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