MQM lawmakers halt proceedings with strong protests over worsening water shortage in city
Opposition leader Ali Khurshidi said several areas, including Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Orangi town, were facing severe water shortage. PHOTO: VIDEO CAPTURE
KARACHI:
Tempers flared and proceedings descended into chaos in the Sindh Assembly on Monday as Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmakers staged a fierce protest against Karachi’s worsening water crisis, turning the house into a shouting arena where slogans drowned out official business and even Question Hour became impossible to conduct.
The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, witnessed an unprecedented uproar as MQM legislators rose from their seats and chanted slogans demanding immediate restoration of water supply in parched areas of Karachi.
The meeting resembled a fish market, with opposition members refusing to let proceedings continue, insisting that the city’s worsening water shortage be resolved without delay.
Despite repeated calls from the president to maintain law and order and continue with the planned agenda, MQM lawmakers continued their protest, arguing that Karachi residents were enduring unbearable conditions amid intensifying heat and prolonged shortages.
Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi said several areas, including Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Orangi Town, were facing severe water shortage, adding that citizens were being driven to despair.
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“Karachi has transformed into Karbala,” he remarked, describing the extent of the suffering caused by the shortage.
Responding to criticism, Sindh Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar urged the opposition not to politicize the issue, saying the provincial government was taking practical steps to improve water distribution in the city.
He, however, acknowledged that Karachi’s long-term water needs could not be met without the completion of the long-delayed K-IV water project and called on the federal government to expedite work on the project.
The water crisis continued to dominate the session as lawmakers from different parties highlighted civic failures through attention notices.
Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Muhammad Farooq raised concerns over deteriorating sewage disposal conditions in his constituency, while Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah assured the House that drainage and development projects were underway in several affected areas.
MQM lawmaker Shariq Jamal criticized recurring power outages at Dhabeji and Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) pumping stations, saying millions of rupees were spent on water supply projects without providing significant relief to citizens.
Responding, Nasir Hussain Shah said several development projects in Korangi and Shah Faisal Colony were nearing completion and would soon improve water and civic infrastructure in these localities.
Amid heated discussions, the assembly unanimously passed a bill establishing the Sindh Institute of Reproductive Health in Karachi.
The House also approved an MQM resolution regarding the burning of houses in Jacobabad and action taken against police personnel allegedly involved in the incident. The provincial government has assured compensation to affected families and pledged to launch a formal investigation.
After hours of disruption and tense exchanges, the session was then adjourned.
