Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Disturbance, uproar and sloganeering against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif marked Wednesday’s session of the Lower House, as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers returned to parliament to see their privilege motions on Panamagate ripped to pieces.

Chaos ruled the National Assembly (NA), as Speaker Ayaz Sadiq rejected the opposition’s privilege motions, angering opposition members belonging to the PTI, who in turn tore copies of the session’s agenda. Both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and opposition lawmakers shouted slogans, accusing each other’s leaders of corruption.

The PML-N majority House was, however, unable to respond to the shouting of the PTI members. Most of the ruling MPs looked stunned, as they could not do anything but let the ‘tsunami’ take its course.

The PTI and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) submitted privilege motions in the NA, claiming that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had misguided lawmakers in a speech delivered earlier this year regarding his assets. The NA speaker clarified his decision to reject the motions, saying the matter was sub judice.

The PTI legislators protested as Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique rose to speak on a point of order after opposition leader Khurshid Shah’s speech. The opposition leader had raised the issue of Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer’s statement in the Supreme Court, in which he termed the PM’s speech in NA a political statement and not legal. The speaker allowed Saad Rafique to speak at a time when the PTI lawmakers too had requested audience, which added fuel to fire.

Pandemonium broke out in the PTI benches when the floor was opened for Saad Rafique. The NA speaker said that the point of order was not only for the opposition but also for the ruling party’s lawmakers, and he would allow opposition legislators to speak once Saad Rafique had finish his speech.

The session was first adjourned for 15 minutes but the speaker had to adjourn it until today (Thursday), as the situation did not return to normalcy for long.

Amid chants of ‘thief, thief’, Saad Rafique lashed out at the members of the opposition clustered before the speaker’s bench who were throwing papers in the air, and accused the PTI lawmakers of ‘only wanting to fight’.

“The PTI is scheming against democracy,” he said. “PTI workers are hooligans… They are only attending the session so they can collect their salaries,” Saad claimed.

Earlier in his speech, Khurshid Shah said, “It is irritating when we hear the incoming chief justice is the PML-N’s own man. Perhaps the PML-N does not say this, but the people are saying so,” he claimed.

Shah pointed out what he termed ‘contradictions’ in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s speech in the House regarding his assets. He alleged that the counsel for the PM had stated in the Supreme Court during the ongoing Panamagate hearings that politicians deliver political speeches, which should not be mistaken for legal statements. Shah said the PM had said that his speech in parliament was a lie, which was very shameful.

“If you had come forward and apologised, the public would have forgiven you,” Shah said, apparently addressing the prime minister. “But at least come forward and admit your wrongdoings,” he maintained.

During the speech, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq interrupted Khurshid Shah several times and directed the senior PPP leader to avoid speaking on matters that were sub judice. In response, Shah, to loud applause, claimed that parliament was superior to the judiciary, as the House carried the mandate of 200 million people.

Shah recounted that parliament had come under attack in 2014, but the whole opposition stood unified in its defence. “We were openly criticised for that and labelled as ‘friendly opposition’.”

“We safeguarded this House and when the PM comes to the same House, he reads out a written statement,” the opposition leader said, adding that lawmakers had been imprisoned and faced hardships for safeguarding parliament. He said the PM came to explain the money trail before parliament and it was later termed a ‘political statement’, but they did not overreact. “Is politics a name of lying?” he questioned, adding, “No! It means service to the people.”

Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Engr Khurram Dastgir informed the National Assembly that owing to prudent policies of the government, Pakistan’s exports had increased by 6.01 percent in November as compared to those in the corresponding month of the last year.

During the question hour, the minister said that concrete steps were being taken to enhance Pakistan’s export basket, and Rs 20 billion would be spent on development of the export sector.

He said that uninterrupted power supply was being ensured to the industrial sector for increase of exports, with reduction in electricity tariff by Rs 3 per unit.