KARACHI: Lawmakers from the both sides of the aisle in the provincial assembly on Tuesday hurled allegations and counter-allegations on the Sindh Pubhc Safety and Pohce Complaints Commission (SPSPCC), which according to the opposition remained inactive for the past one and half years.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, which is still part of the joint opposition in the Sindh Assembly despite being an ally of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party at the Centre, requested the speaker for inclusion of a party lawmaker in the much-touted public safety body.

Speaking on a point of order, MQM-P parliamentary party leader Rana Ansar demanded that a party MPA be included in the commission as member.

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawala told the house that thejoint opposition, led by Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf, had given two names PTI`s Abdul Aziz and Grand Democratic Alliance`s Husnain Mirza and they had been included in the commission as members.

`The MQM-P may move an application for inclusion of its MPA in the commission,` he told Ms Ansar.

However, PTI`s Aziz came down heavily on the provincial government saying no meeting of the commission had been convened during the past one and half years.

`They [government] are not serious at all to make the commission functional,` he said, adding that the provincial government was just fooling the opposition.

Imdad Pitafi of the PPP rose to dispute the claims of the PTI lawmaker and said that the opposition did not take any interest in the matter.

`They [opposition members] do not come in the meeting [of the public safety commission], he countered.

Syed Abdur Rasheed, lone MPA of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, on a point of order raised the issue of gas and power loadshedding in the city.

He said that due to non-availability of electricity, water problem arises and street crime was also increasing due to loadshedding.

The MMA MPA demanded that the govern-ment take immediate notice of power and gas loadshedding.

Minister Chawla assured him that the matter would be resolved on a priority basis in a week.

Private members` bills Tuesday was the private members day, which was marred this time not by agitation and protest but by the lethargic attitude of the opposition members as most of their business could not be taken up due to absence of majority of the opposition members.

The items on agenda that could not be taken up included a privilege motion of PTI MPA Raja Azhar Khan, two resolutions of as many members of the GDA, Arif Mustafa Jatoi and Nand Kumar Golkani, and three private members` bills two moved by PTI`s Omer Omari and one by GDA`s Jatoi as all of them did not turn up.

PTI member Rabia Azfar Nizami presented the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Private Amendment Bill, which was sent to the relevant standing committee for further consideration by Deputy Speaker Rehana Leghari.

PPP`s Sharmila Farooqui presented a resolution on the quality of education in Sindh in the house, on which the Sindh Assembly will debate for two hours on Monday.

During the proceedings, the house was told that a motion of a similar nature had been tabled by PPP`s Heer Soho and it would also be discussed in the next meeting.

Durrani unhappy over noisy protests At the outset of the proceedings that started with a delay of one hour and 15 minutes, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani expressed his regret over the commotion and noise in the house on Monday and said that the members should think ahttle abouttheirbehaviour.

Referring to the PTI protest and subsequent walkout for not allowing Leader of the Opposition Haleem Adil Sheikh to speak on the arrest of PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati, he said that the matters pending disposal in courtscouldnotbe discussedinthehouse.

`It is not a good thing to disturb the proceedings of the house,` he told the PTI members.

He said that the proceedings of the assembly were seen live all over the world and wondered what impression people would have about the lawmakers. `People say to me that you have not trained the assembly members, even though I myself am still learning,` he said, adding that there were rules for all matters.

The speaker requested the assembly members to show restraint and mend their ways. `You are our brother, take care of the sanctity of the House,` he told the opposition members.

Later, the deputy speaker adjourned the sitting till 2.30pm on Friday.