KARACHI – Lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional are likely to press their demand for notifying Nusrat Sehar Abbasi as opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, with the House having no legislation work or anything heavy on its agenda for today’s proceedings.

Acting Governor Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has summoned the assembly that will meet under the chair Acting Speaker Shehla Raza at 10:00 am. “We will raise our demand in today’s session for notifying Nusrat Sehar Abbasi as the opposition leader,” PML-F’s parliamentary leader Jam Madad Ali told The Nation on Sunday. Ten members have already signed and submitted their joint application, nominating Abbasi as the opposition leader in the House.
To a question about a separate application submitted by another opposition member for the slot, Madad said that PML-Likeminded leader Arbab Rahim had been de-seated by the assembly, so there was no justification by giving an excuse over his application to create hurdles in notifying Nusrat Abbasi as the opposition leader.  Though Arbab Rahim has challenged his dismissal as MPA in the Sindh High Court, but the apex court has not given any directions to the Sindh Assembly in this respect. Besides, Rahim was no more an MPA, Madad argued.  He added his party would contact Rahim and his lawmakers of the PML-Likeminded to support the PML-F’s nominee.
Asked about differences of the MQM with the government and the possibility that it would sit on opposition benches, the PML-F leader categorically stated that it could not be ruled out that the PPP and the MQM had made arrangement, in which the MQM would sit on opposition benches, so that they would bring a caretaker set-up with their mutual understanding.
He said that chief of his party Pir Pagara had already raised doubts that the ruling PPP might bring the MQM on opposition benches in the assembly to snatch the right of the PML-F of having the opposition leader from it.
Regarding the possibility of alignment with the PML-F of Pir Pagara on slot of opposition leader, Razak Rahimon of the PML-Likeminded said that the MPAs of his party would not support the nominee of the PML-F, as they didn’t consult with them before taking the decision. He said that de-seating of Arbab Rahim had been challenged in the Sindh High Court and verdict on the issue was yet to come. The application to notify Arbab Rahim as opposition leader was pending with the speaker, but whatever decision came they would accept it, Rahimon declared. It may be noted here that out of 24 MPAs from opposition benches, only 10 members have signed the application in support of Nusrat Sehar Abbasi. However, another application signed by four MPAs of the PML-Likeminded in support of Rahim as the opposition leader was pending with the speaker. So, it is likely that decision on any application for the slot may not come in today’s (Monday) session. New members, Syed Sarfraz Shah of the ruling PPP, and of MQM’s, who have won in by-polls will take oath as MPA today.  However, the lawmakers from opposition benches as well as the MQM may come down hard in today’s session on the government over the deteriorating law and order and targeted killings in the city.