ISLAMABAD: The series of events triggered by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s statement on Mumbai attacks remained a subject of debate in the Senate on Monday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers lashed out at the former PM and demanded that he should be tried for treason, terming his statement a violation of the Official Secrets Act. They were speaking on a motion moved by Senators Usman Kakar and Azam Musakhel of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP). In his speech, Senator Azam Khan Swati of the PTI said that Sharif’s statement was a reflection of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s anti-Pakistan narrative. He said Nawaz had been claiming that he had kept some secrets close to his heart, adding that his recent statement could be one such secrets revealed to save his skin. He demanded that the former prime minister should be held accountable for the ‘controversial statement’. During Swati’s speech, the leader of House kept objecting and demanding the Chair to expunge some of his remarks against the former PM, the deputy chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwala, who was presiding over the session, did not pay heed. “Nawaz Sharif is history now. His statement is a direct hit at our military which has rendered numerous sacrifices in the war against terrorism. The Sharifs demand resignation of NAB chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, but they’re silent on his predecessor as he was a corrupt blue-eyed official,” he said. Another PTI Senator Mohsin Aziz said that if perpetrators of Dawn leaks had been taken to task, the latest statement would never have been made. He said that the statement was in violation of the Official Secrets Act. “A country is like a mother, and there will be no compromise if someone speaks against your mother. By giving such an obnoxious statement, the three-time prime minister has breached his oath besides putting the security of the country at stake,” he said. He demanded a probe into the matter, saying this was just a small reflection of Sharif’s ill-intentions about the country, which had gave him identity and respect. Maulana Ghafoor Haideri of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), an ally of PML-N, also opposed the statement terming it an attack on the security of the country. He said his party condemned it in the strongest possible terms. He demanded a thorough probe into the matter. Another JUI-F Senator Talha Mehmood said that such a controversial statement at a time when an interim government was set to take over was beyond comprehension. He said the country was already under observation of the international community, adding that Sharif’s statement was like adding fuel to fire in such a situation. Senator Jamaldini of BNP-Mengal, meanwhile, stood by Sharif and said that no one had the right to dub a politician as a ‘traitor’ for his statements. He asked why was it that only the politicians were judged for patriotism? Why are others spared?”. Recalling the way her party came under scrutiny over a statement issued by its former chief Altaf Hussain, Senator Khushbakht Shujaat of MQM-Pakistan said empty benches on the treasury side were self-explanatory. “No one is happy with Sharif’s statement. The time has come that PML-N leaders do with Nawaz what MQM-P leaders did with Altaf.” Senator Shibli Faraz of PTI said that the narrative of Nawaz Sharif was no different than that of the Modi Sarkar [a reference to Indian government under Modi], adding that Sharif had compromised on the Kashmir issue, besides remaining silent whenever India showed its nefarious motives against Pakistan. He demanded that there should be a thorough investigation about Nawaz sharif’s sons businesses in India, saying that this could be the reason why Sharif had always been very kind to Modi, evident from his silence on convicted Indian Spy Kulbushan Jadhave. Then, Senator Samina Saeed questioned why was Nawaz silent on the matter when he was in power. She said the disqualified prime minister must tender an apology or the Supreme Court should start his trial for treason. PML-N Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi urged the House to not get carried away, saying that dark clouds were hovering over democratic institutions. He lamented that in the past, political parties were disintegrated and in the darkness of the night, new parties were formed, forcing politicians to be a part of such formations. “This practice of engineered parties must end. Political parties should be allowed to grow and gain strength. No party should be singled out and targeted, as even today, a party is being targeted. There should be no delay of even an hour in holding of elections,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition should agree on the interim set-up and desist from leaving this matter to be decided by others. Published in Daily Times, May 15th 2018.