Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) came to blows in the National Assembly on Thursday.

The scuffle began when PTI legislators shouted slogans against the prime minister for ‘lying’ during his speech in parliament. The opposition termed PM Nawaz Sharif as a liar while the Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq termed the premier as “Sadiq” and “Ameen”.

When the PTI members were shouting anti-Sharif slogans, Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi came to Shah Mehmood Qureshi to press him to end his speech. During which they exchanged harsh words which led to a brawl. The parliament’s security staff was summoned to control the situation. The young lawmakers of both parties tried their best to ‘steal the show’ which compelled the speaker to suspend the session for some time.

The opposition lawmakers were shouting ‘chor’ repeatedly. The PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) boycotted the session and staged a walkout after the incident.

Qureshi in his address said privilege motion against the PM was not a sub judice matter as Nawaz Sharif gave contradictory statements in the National Assembly and the Supreme Court. He claimed that the PM misguided parliament and breached the privilege of the House. After it, the PTI leaders shouted “Gali gali mein shor hai, Nawaz Sharif chor hai”.

Qureshi said that it is not a monarchy where a PM says one thing in the House and another in the apex court.

“The missing pages of an open book are filled up with Qatari prince’s letters,” remarked Qureshi.

Pakistan People’s Party leader Naveed Qamar said that privilege motion against the PM hasn’t been ruled out. The Speaker said that one representative each from the Opposition and government’s side should speak over the point of

objection, he said. Qamar said that the Opposition will reveal its strategy in the house’s session today.

Earlier, Opposition Leader in NA Khursheed Shah on a point of order said seven members of various political parties moved a privilege motion against the PM. He said the PM made fun of parliament. He also claimed that foreign media presented several evidences against the PM in the Panama case but the ruling party was still not accepting it. He said the privilege motion should be taken and discussed in parliament.

After Qureshi and Khursheed Shah other members also wanted to speak. But the ruling party insisted that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif will respond first then other members could speak. Such arguments led to the scuffle and later Khawaja Asif and Saad Rafiq addressed the House in absence of the opposition.

Asif claimed that the PTI legislators devised a plan to sabotage the proceedings. He blamed that the JI always remained on the opposite side of the government since creation of Pakistan. Saad Rafiq termed the day as Black Day in the country’s parliamentary history.

Qureshi told reporters outside parliament that he had requested the speaker to give two minutes to each of the five movers of the motion and then the government could give its viewpoint.

“The prime minister had given his statement on the floor of the parliament, but his lawyers deviated from it,” said Qureshi.

PTI MNA Jahangir Khan Tareen said that his party would not let the government make the house a wrestling ring. “We will not backtrack from our stance on exposing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over Panama Leaks,” he said.

The speaker said footage and other record were summoned. Action would be taken against the violators, he assured the House.