MQM legislators halt the proceedings with fiery protests over the city’s worsening water shortage
Leader of the Opposition Ali Khurshidi said several areas, including Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Orangi Town, were facing severe water scarcity. PHOTO: VIDEO GRAB
KARACHI:
Tempers flared and proceedings descended into chaos in the Sindh Assembly on Monday as lawmakers from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) staged a violent protest against Karachi’s deepening water crisis, turning the house into a shouting match where slogans drowned out the conduct of official business and even became Ques.
The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, witnessed unprecedented ruckus as MQM lawmakers rose from their seats and shouted slogans demanding immediate restoration of water supply to Karachi’s parched neighbourhoods.
The floor of the assembly resembled a fish market as opposition members refused to allow proceedings to continue and insisted that the city’s worsening water shortage be addressed without delay.
Despite repeated appeals by the Speaker to maintain order and proceed with the planned agenda, the MQM lawmakers continued their protest, arguing that Karachi residents were enduring unbearable conditions amid intensified heat and prolonged shortages.
Leader of the Opposition Ali Khurshidi said several areas, including Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Orangi Town, were facing severe water scarcity, adding that citizens were forced into desperation.
Read more: Karachi’s water woes are boiling over
“Karachi has turned into Karbala,” he remarked, describing the extent of suffering caused by the shortage.
Responding to the criticism, Sindh Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ziaul Hassan Lanjar urged the opposition not to politicize the issue, maintaining that the provincial government was taking practical measures to improve water distribution across the city.
However, he acknowledged that Karachi’s long-term water needs could not be met without the completion of the long-delayed K-IV water project and urged the federal government to expedite work on the scheme.
The water crisis continued to dominate the session as lawmakers from various parties highlighted civic failings through attention-grabbing messages.
Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Muhammad Farooq expressed concern over worsening sewage conditions in his constituency, while Sindh Local 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 had been spent on water supply projects without providing meaningful relief to citizens.
In response, Nasir Hussain Shah said that several development projects in Korangi and Shah Faisal Colony were nearing completion and would soon improve water and civic infrastructure in these localities.
Amid the heated exchanges, the assembly unanimously passed a bill to establish the Sindh Institute of Reproductive Health in Karachi.
The House also approved an MQM resolution on burning of homes in Jacobabad and action against police personnel allegedly involved in the incident. The provincial government assured compensation to the affected families and promised a formal investigation.
After hours of disruptions and tense exchanges, the session was later called off.
