Barbs fly in Sindh Assembly over police siege of Imran's Lahore residence.

KARACHI -- The Sindh Assembly witnessed heated discussion on the issue of a police siege of the Lahore residence of former prime minister Imran Khan to arrest him as lawmakers from the both sides of the aisle hurled harsh comments on each other leaderships on Wednesday.

The situation took an unpleasant turn at the very outset when the parliamentary party leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Khurram Sher Zaman, who was allowed by the chair to offer fateha, raised the issue of the police action terming it state terrorism.

'Teargas shells are being fired at the residence of Imran Khan and the day is not far when it will happen to Bilawal House,' he snapped before Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani switched off his microphone.

The PTI lawmaker's comment enraged Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon who also came down heavily on the PTI chairman.

'He [Imran Khan] complains about pain in his leg when court asks him to appear, but he has time to take out rallies,' he jibed.

The minister said that the former prime minister was constantly flouting the law and Constitution. 'Imran Khan says that the children of the nation should come out. But why doesn't he bring his own children out,' he questioned.

Pre-budget discussion

On the fourth day of the ongoing pre-budget debate in the house, Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho mainly spoke about the achievements made by the provincial government during the past five years in the health sector.

She said that 890 liver transplants and 6,985 kidney transplants were conducted in the provincial government's facilities during the past five years.

She said that 81 per cent children up to two years of age were fully immunised while 38 million, or 90 per cent, eligible population was administered Covid-19 vaccination.

Taking part in the pre-budget discussion, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) Shaheryar Mahar first condemned the registration of FIRs against PTI lawmakers and their arrest.

He said that the rains had exposed the 'inefficiency' of the irrigation department and demanded that the drainage system in Shikarpur should be improved. 'Had the drainage system been improved, there would not have been so much destruction in the province during floods,' he added.

Mr Mahar said that the agriculture department did not do any substantial work for the uplift of farmers in the province.

The GDA member also condemned the provincial government in its 'failure' to restore law and order situation in the province.

He said that...