Protest
As the inaugural session of the Sindh Assembly approaches, a coalition of four political parties has declared their intent to stage a protest on Saturday. Over 100 recently elected public representatives are set to take their oaths as members of the provincial assembly.
The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), and Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI) jointly announced the protest in a press conference.
The Sindh Assembly Speaker, Agha Siraj Durrani, will preside over the session, which includes a schedule for the election of the new speaker and deputy speaker. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured the highest number of seats, with 84, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) secured 28 seats. The GDA has three seats, and the JI has two.
Protesting parties, dissatisfied with the election results, declared their refusal to take the oath as assembly members. They assert that the mandate of 60 million people in Sindh was stolen, prompting the need for the protest.
GDA leader Safdar Abbasi accused the MQM-P of being a “rejected” party and alleged vote theft from PTI and JI. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari nominated Awais Shah for the provincial assembly speaker, while the MQM-P nominated Sofia Shah for speaker and Rashid Khan for deputy speaker.
Caretaker Sindh Interior Minister Brig (retd) Haris Nawaz imposed a ban on public gatherings in Karachi under Section 144 of the CrPC.
Security measures are in place within and around the assembly, and strict action is warned against any disruptive behavior. The protesting parties have affirmed that the protest will persist until their demands are met, adding a layer of tension to the political landscape in Sindh.
