Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly on Monday criticised the government for its “rough handling” of opposition parliamentarians, especially Jamshid Dasti and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed.

“One day Sheikh Rasheed was knowingly humiliated and the other day another MNA Jamshid Dasti was implicated in false cases. The government has not learnt from past experiences,” opposition members said.

A parliamentary meeting of opposition, chaired by Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah, also expressed reservation over the situation in the Gulf.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Shah said the opposition would hold a protest in the premises of the National assembly on Wednesday.

On Monday, the entire opposition once again staged a walkout from House against the refusal of the government to telecast the opposition lawmakers’ budget speeches.

Before they walked out, Khursheed Shah said that the government could not tolerate the opposition. He said the Punjab government had imprisoned Dasti. He asked the speaker to issue production orders for Dasti. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq informed the House he had already issued production orders for Dasti.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Jamshed Dasti was being kept along with terrorists and his lawyers were not being allowed to meet him. “Even criminals involved in heinous crimes are allowed to meet their lawyers. However, this facility is not available to Dasti. The government is itself damaging parliamentary practices and its democratic goodwill. The treasury benches are not interested in the proceedings of the House,” he said. He said the diplomatic crisis in Middle East was worsening and it could threaten the unity of the Muslim Ummah.

After the speech of Qureshi, opposition members staged a walkout from the House.

Captain (r) Safdar reiterated the resolve of his party to thwart conspiracies of PTI chief Imran Khan against the development projects in the country. “Imran is siding with those forces that are conspiring against Pakistan and its development projects,” he said.

Meanwhile, lawmakers of PML-N debated the recommendations forwarded by the Senate for incorporation in the budget for the fiscal year 2017-18. Naeema Kishwar said that many of the proposals should be adopted and accommodated in the budget for the fiscal year 2017-18. She particularly mentioned the proposals regarding the development of the agriculture sector and also highlighted the importance of FATA reforms.

Muhammad Pervaiz congratulated the finance minister and his team for presenting the 5th budget of the democratic government.