KARACHI: The disturbance caused by lawmakers belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Tuesday following the rejection of their adjournment motion regarding the ‘extrajudicial killings of MQM workers’ forced Deputy Speaker Syeda Shehla Raza to hastily adjourn the session till Friday.

As soon as Ms Raza, who was presiding over the session in the absence of Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, declared the adjournment motion out of order, the MQM lawmakers leapt to their feet, tore up the copies of the order of the day and shouted slogans against her.

Unfazed, the chair ignored the protest and gave the floor to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Khurram Sher Zaman to read out his resolution — first on the agenda on Tuesday, being the private members day.

Even though the voice of the PTI lawmaker was not audible, Ms Raza put the resolution to a vote. As members from the treasury benches gave approval of the resolution by thumping the desks, the deputy speaker adjourned the session till Friday and left.

However, the MQM lawmakers continued their protest for a couple of minutes until all members from the treasury benches left the house.

The resolution had recommended to the Sindh government to approach the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold the upcoming local government elections and general elections under the biometric system.

The MQM’s adjournment motion was jointly tabled by MPAs Muhammad Hussain Khan, Mehmood Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Moin Aamir Pirzada and Muhammad Kamran.

The mover of the motion, Muahammad Hussain and Aamir Moin Pirzada, MQM’s parliamentary party leader and deputy parliamentary party leader Syed Sardar Ahmad and Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hasan, respectively, Information Minister Sherjeel Memon and senior minister Nisar Ahmad Khuhro spoke about the admissibility of the motion after it was opposed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sikander Mandhro, who argued that it dealt with a hypothetical case.

The MQM lawmakers said that their motion met all the requirements. Besides, they said, it was a humanitarian matter as their voters were facing extreme difficulty and hardship these days.

They said that the MQM would never patronise any criminal but if he became a victim of extrajudicial killing who would prove what crime he might have committed.

Muhammad Hussain said that the purpose of the adjournment motion was to have a discussion in the house on this serious issue of forced disappearances of MQM workers and sympathizers.

He said people were being picked up in Korangi, Surjani Town and other areas and later their bodies were found dumped in Nooribad.

Khwaja Izhar said that the chief minister was responsible for any arrest being made by any federal or provincial agency because he was ‘the captain of the Karachi operation’.

He asked as to who was arresting and causing the disappearance of innocent citizens. Was it a more powerful group than the government because it was challenging the writ of the government by making fun of the ongoing operation, he added.

He said the same house had allowed the operation, passed the witness protection law and approved the procurement of new weapons for enforcement of the law, but one should keep in mind that law and order could not be improved by extra-judicial killings.

The house was called to order at 11.10am. Leader of the Opposition Syed Faisal Subzwari stood on a point of order and said that on Monday Information Minister Sharjeel Memon had promised to inform the house about the arrest and whereabouts of five MQM workers picked up in the Scheme 33 area.

He said Karachi was not a tribal area where people armed with heavy weapons moved freely in SUVs and committed their criminal acts.

Responding to the point of order, Mr Memon said that the Sindh police chief took notice of the MQM protest and had formed an inquiry committee to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing MQM workers.

He said that the police chief also informed him that the five MQM workers were not in the custody of the police. However, at this stage it could not be said whether they had been kidnapped or personnel of any other law enforcement agencies had arrested them, he added.

He said when the inquiry committee submitted its report, the house and the MQM would be duly informed about the findings of the committee.

Mr Memon further said that the government did not claim that crime and targeted killing had come to an end in Karachi.

He said the targeted operation was producing positive results, but it was not right to expect an overnight change.

He said there was no need to make the targeted operation questionable as now arrested criminals were being tried and convicted by courts.

He said that the chief minister had given a free hand to the police and the Rangers and as such it should not be made controversial.

The information minister said if anyone had a complaint, the government was there to address it.