Syed Ali Shah:
QUETTA — The Balochistan Assembly descended into chaotic scenes on Monday as a debate over the legacy of the Sardari system triggered a fierce verbal showdown, bringing two senior lawmakers to the brink of a physical scuffle before colleagues intervened to prevent violence on the assembly floor.
The confrontation erupted when Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Balochistan Amir Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman attempted to table a resolution calling for an end to the traditional tribal system in the province.
Speaker Captain (Retd) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai disallowed the move, clarifying that the Sardari system had already been legally abolished in 1976 under former Prime Minister Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, supported by an act passed by the National Assembly.
Despite the ruling, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman insisted on addressing the house. His persistent remarks drew immediate, angry backlash from Opposition Leader Mir Younus Aziz Zehri, who aggressively interjected to stop the JI leader from speaking further.
What began as a heated exchange of harsh words rapidly escalated into an emotionally charged confrontation. As tensions flared, both leaders lunged toward each other in an imminent scuffle. Fearing an outright brawl, alert assembly members rushed between the two politicians, physically stepping in to break up the quarrel and avert a chaotic physical clash.
The dramatic episode highlights the deep political and tribal divisions that continue to surface in Balochistan’s legislature, where debates surrounding historical feudal power structures remain intensely sensitive.
