Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry Thursday apologised to the opposition after it staged a walkout from the National Assembly in protest against his ‘derogatory remarks’.

The opposition parties, particularly Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) strongly reacted to the statement of Fawad Chaudhry in which the minister claimed that the previous governments were responsible for the destruction of national institutions like Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Radio Pakistan and the Pakistan Television (PTV) and that ‘they must be hanged upside down’ for this crime.

Fawad rose to speak in the House in response to a speech earlier made by PPP senior parliamentarian Khursheed Shah and Dr Nafeesa Shah. “I suggest the prime minister to order hanging of these culprits upside down because of what they did to the country,” he said. Speaker Asad Qaisar intervened as the minister lost his cool and asked the lawmaker to control his emotions and refrain from remarks that were against the assembly conduct. He also ordered expunging a few remarks of the information minister from the assembly record. “It’s strange that looting the country’s wealth is parliamentary but declaring dacoit a dacoit is un-parliamentary,” the minister further said.

Fawad alleged that Khursheed Shah recruited his friends in the PIA, as well as 800 employees in the Radio Pakistan in just three days during his party’s tenure causing an additional burden of Rs 70 million to the national exchequer. “PML-N leader Mushahidullah Khan gave top posts in the national carrier to his brother and cousin and then they tell us that we are running the country on donations,” he said, adding that a taxi driver in New York was called due to his political contacts in Pakistan and was subsequently made director general of the Radio Pakistan.

As the House broke into chaos over the minister’s remarks, Speaker Asad Qaiser said, “Chauhdry Sb, it is your responsibility to maintain order.” However, the minister continued with his speech. The speaker once again interrupted Chauhdry, who, however, said, “Please let me complete what I am saying. People of Pakistan want to listen me.”

Opposition members strongly protested against the minister’s remarks and staged a walkout. PPP leader Khursheed Shah said, “Members of assembly have respect but the information minister used derogatory language against us. I’m not saying that he has a low character but the words used by him are low. He should apologize to us or we will not attend proceedings till he apologizes.”

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif also demanded that the information minister must apologise for his remarks.

Following the walkout, Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs approached the opposition members and convinced them to come back to the House. As the session resumed, Fawad took to the floor once again and apologized. “Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif asked me to, so I apologize to Khursheed Shah and other members of the opposition,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, September 28^th 2018.