Business Recorder
KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly’s Monday session was thrown into disorder as the MQM’s legislators staged a noisy protest over water shortages in Karachi ahead of Eidul Azha, turning the house into what the opposition leader himself described as a “fish market.” The uproar came at a sensitive time, with the Islamic occasion - Eidul Azha is just days away and residents across the city struggling with water shortages and sewerage problems that have left streets and even mosques “waterlogged”. The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, had barely begun when MQM members rose from their seats, chanting slogans demanding water for Karachi and refusing to let proceedings move forward. The noise was so intense that even those speaking at the podium could not be heard, and a scheduled question-answer session on the Fisheries and Livestock departments became a formality — started but effectively washed out before a single reply came out. Deputy Speaker repeatedly asked lawmakers to let the question hour conclude before the water issue was taken up, but MQM members held firm, saying the crisis facing ordinary residents was too pressing and cannot be postponed. The house stayed in a grip of uproar, with shouting from the MQM benches drawing counter-protests from PPP legislators, leaving the assembly in a prolonged pandemonium. Rising to speak amid the noise, opposition leader, Ali Khurshidi warned that no one would be able to speak freely, if his voice was being suppressed in the house and called on the Deputy Speaker to put an end to what he called the “fish market” atmosphere. He then spoke to the heart of the matter, saying that whenever legislators were in their offices, residents visited in large numbers with the same complaint of water shortage. He said the situation in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Orangi had been very worrying for two consecutive days and that the people of Karachi were thirsty while the city presented a “deeply troubling” picture. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia ul Hassan Lanjar urged the opposition not to politicize water as an issue, saying the government was taking solid steps to improve supply. He said the K-IV water was in progress and pointed out that since MQM was part of the federal coalition, its members could press the centre to speed up the project’s completion. He said a new scheme for the Hub Canal had been drawn up, with work ongoing to bring water to Orangi Town as soon as possible. He also pointed to water theft as a serious problem, saying plainly that meeting Karachi’s water needs was simply not possible without the K-IV project. With Eidul Azha adding urgency to the day’s discussions, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Muhammad Farooq used his attention notice to describe a difficult situation in his constituency, where a 36-inch diameter sewerage line had flooded entire neighbourhoods. Work on the project was moving very slowly, he said, and with Eidul Azha just around the corner, even mosques in the area had two feet of standing water outside them. He added that the MD Water Board and the CEO were not finding time to meet elected members. Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah acknowledged the concern and assured the house that work on the project was continuing and would be finished soon. MQM’s Naseer Ahmed raised his own concerns in an attention notice, saying his constituency of Manghopir did not have a single proper road and seemed to have been overlooked in the government’s development plans entirely. He kept his request simple, saying that fix the roads, and he would be grateful. Nasir Hussain Shah responded warmly, saying not one but all roads in Manghopir would be built and the entire constituency would be taken care of, adding that the work would be done with the utmost commitment. MQM member Shariq Jamal brought up water and sewerage issues in his constituency, pointing out that power outages at the Dhabeji and DWT pumping stations were badly affecting supply. He said the Water Board had laid an express line at a cost of Rs90 million, yet water was still not reaching residents. The concerned minister said that some work at the sites had been completed, noted that nine development schemes were running across Korangi and Shah Faisal, and offered to share the details with the member. He said the Sindh government was steadily carrying out its work, many projects had already been completed, and the remaining ones would follow soon, adding that Karachi belonged to everyone. PTI’s Sajjad Soomro raised a drainage concern in his Lyari constituency, and Minister Nasir Shah said the area had received a generous development package of Rs5 billion in schemes as part of a total Rs25 billion plan, and offered to visit Lyari with the member to see progress firsthand. PTI legislator, Muhammad Shabbir Qureshi said water demand in Karachi far exceeded supply and expressed concern that members were being discouraged from even raising the issue in the house. He said the PPP was not taking Karachi’s water problem seriously and that work on the Hub Canal had not been up to the required standard. A resolution moved by MQM’s Amir Siddiqui, calling for action against police officials responsible for burning homes in Jacobabad and for punishment of those found guilty, was passed by the house. Zia ul Hassan Lanjar said the government fully supported the resolution and had no objection to its passage. He said a party MPA had already visited the affected area, that a report would be sought from the DC, and that families who had lost their homes would be helped. He noted that some villagers had themselves broken the roofs of their homes but gave a clear assurance that all affected families would receive support. MQM’s lady legislator, Qurat ul Ain had moved a resolution calling for the arrest of a suspect involved in child abuse cases in Karachi and for medical and psychological care for the victims, but withdrew it after the minister’s assurances. Lanjar called the matter very important, suggested either a dedicated briefing session or that it be referred to the home affairs standing committee, and said he would personally invite the member as a special guest to the committee meeting. He confirmed that several people had been arrested in connection with the case and that a high-level investigation was under way. The assembly also passed, unanimously, a bill to establish the Sindh Institute of Reproductive Health in Karachi, with the committee report presented by Nida Khuhro before the vote was taken. The session was then adjourned. Senior Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon also spoke on a point of order, touching on several wider issues. He strongly condemned an incident in Balochistan, saying the nation could not be frightened by such acts. He said the Iran-US dispute appeared to be moving toward a resolution and described it as a major challenge for the entire region, crediting Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Prime Minister for playing an important role in the process. He said Pakistan was now being recognised around the world as a peace-loving country. Marking the first anniversary of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, he said India had suffered a heavy defeat and was now facing international isolation, which he called a significant achievement for Pakistan. He also conveyed Eidul Azha greetings and prayed that Almighty Allah accept the worship and sacrifices of those performing Hajj in the Holy Land. On the inauguration of Shahrah-e-Bhutto, he described it as an Eidul Azha gift to the people of Karachi from the PPP and the Sindh government, calling it an important project for the whole country. He expressed disappointment that some parties had reacted to the launch with negativity, including calls for a separate province, and said such divisive talk was not good for national unity. The road, he said, was a step forward in development for all of Pakistan and should be welcomed by everyone. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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