Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told the Lower House on Monday that the “selected” Prime Minister Imran Khan is ‘incapable’ of running the government and should be sacked.

“PTI has always claimed wrongdoings by PPP and PML-N governments …then why have they inducted a finance minister from President Asif Ali Zardari’s tenure,” the PPP chief questioned while speaking in the National Assembly. He also termed the incumbent prime minister as ‘incompetent and unskilled’. “The selected prime minister should be the one who is relieved from his position,” he said, in reference to the sacking of former finance minister Asad Umar.

Bilawal said the government should inform the House why the ministers were removed, adding that the ‘selected prime minister’ cannot hide his incompetence by changing the ministers. He said the ‘incompetent’ prime minister also has to go.

Speaking about how in the past, leaders like late Fatima Jinnah, Shaheen Benazir Bhutto and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto were branded as enemies of the state, he said that it was a matter of pride that “Anti-democratic powers, government’s ministers consider us as a threat”. He further added that if the government thinks that they will be able to scare the PPP by misusing accountability powers, it is mistaken.

Parliamentarians from the treasury benches, including Federal Minister Omar Ayub, stood up in protest and started shouting in the House. The speaker expunged Bilawal’s remarks about the prime minister, however the treasury members were not willing to let him complete his speech.

The PPP chairman said if he is not allowed to complete his speech, then the PPP will not allow the prime minister to speak in the House. He asked the Speaker to run the House with impartiality.

Bilawal once again accused federal ministers of having close association with terrorists and banned outfits. “If the government is serious about taking action against terrorists, they will have to sack the minister,” he said. “If they think we will remain silent over their abuses then let me tell them it’s not possible,” he said. “The new interior minister is accused for the killings of Benazir Bhutto and Daniel Pearl. If government wants to improve democracy, then it has to remove those ministers which have close relations with the proscribed organisations,” he added.

Bilawal said the PPP had never been scared of military dictators like Ayub Khan and Pervez Musharraf, and will also remain steadfast against the current ‘puppet government’. “We will continue to expose your anti-poor policies,” he said. “You have to be accountable, that’s what happens in a democracy. People are fed up of the PTI government over its poor economic policies,” he remarked.

When Omar Ayub started his speech, the PPP members also started shouting in the House, and the session was adjourned.

Earlier, the House was informed that a list of 461 people who have been placed on the exit control list (ECL) has been presented before the National Assembly. At least three members of the National Assembly are also among the list. MNAs Afzal Kakar, Asif Ali Zardari and Khawaja Saad Rafique are currently on the ECL, Interior Minister Brigadier (r) Ijaz Shah said.

According to the minister, the names of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain (r) Safdar are also among those placed on the no-fly list. “Some of the names were placed on the ECL on recommendation of the federal cabinet, he said, adding that three parliamentarians – Bilawal Bhutto, Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar – have been removed from the ECL.

The minister said the names of Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Zardari were put on ECL on the request of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), while Dawar and Wazir were added to the list over allegedly ‘provocative’ hate speeches.

Responding to a question during the Question Hour, the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said the interior ministry always takes action in view of country’s security and defence, instead of targeting anyone. Replying to another question, he said NADRA is making all-out efforts to unblock the blocked CNICs after verifying the data.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly unanimously approved a resolution condemning terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. The resolution moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, extended heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka. The House has been adjourned to meet again at 11 am on Tuesday (today).