ISLAMABAD, 7 April 2008 — Nisar Ahmed Khuhro of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was elected speaker of the Sindh Assembly yesterday. His party colleague Shehla Raza was elected deputy speaker.
Both were declared elected unopposed as none of the other legislators filed nomination papers to contest the offices until noon. Arbab Ghulam Rahim of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) had earlier announced that his party would not contest the offices of chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker while the Muhajir Qaumi Movement had collected nomination forms but did not file them.
Talking to reporters after filing his papers, Khuhro said he wanted the assembly to function in a peaceful environment. He condemned the behavior of some legislators who jeered and hooted former Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim inside the house and said there should be an environment conducive to conducting legislative business in the assembly.
Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza paid tributes to Benazir Bhutto and attributed her success to the “great sacrifices” of the slain leader. She told a questioner that she would work hard to uphold the dignity of the house. She denied that a lawmaker threw a “lota” (a spherical metal vessel) at Nuzhat Pathan. The missile was hurled from the public gallery, Raza said. She said these things will not be allowed to recur and every one will be provided safety.
Chief Minister-elect Syed Qaim Ali Shah welcomed the MQM gesture of not filing nomination papers for the offices of speaker and deputy speaker and said that this would serve as a welcome precedent.
Referring to the visit of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to MQM headquarters in Karachi on Wednesday night and subsequent talks between the two parties, he said: “We all wants to work for the betterment of the people of Sindh and we can do this by joining hands.”
