Pakistan: Eight legislators punished for bringing charpoy to Sindh Assembly

Karachi: Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Khan Durrani has penalised eight opposition legislators for bringing a charpoy to the Assembly to demonstrate a symbolic “funeral of democracy” during a session to register their protest.

The lawmakers belonged to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the main Opposition political party in the Sindh Assembly. It was the first time in the history of the Sindh Assembly that a charpoy was brought to the house during a session as a symbol of protest.

The Speaker deemed the incident as a violation of the sanctity and decorum of the provincial legislature.

While exercising his powers, the Speaker suspended the eight lawmakers from rest of the session of the assembly.

The lawmakers said that they wanted to register their protest as they were not allowed to speak on the budget of the Sindh government.

They said that the ruling Pakistan Peoples’ Party had acted against the democratic traditions and norms by stifling the voice of opposition.

Violent scenes were noticed during the session when the security staff of the assembly intercepted to bring the situation under control.

The legislators later staged a sit-in near the rostrum of the Speaker with a protest banner on which it was written in Urdu that it was ‘democracy’s funeral.’

Leader of the Opposition, Haleem Adil Shaikh, condemned Speaker’s action, saying that the decision violated the democratic and parliamentary norms.