Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Amid strong protest and ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogans by the opposition parties, President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday addressed a rowdy joint session of the parliament.

As the session started, the entire opposition legislators rose from their chairs and started chanting anti-government slogans with full force. From the very beginning, the opposition went all-out to disrupt the president, with some lawmakers whistling, others sloganeering, and still more thumping their desks as shouts of ‘Go Nawaz Go’ and ‘traitor’ rang out in the Parliament House. It was only after walkout by the entire opposition that calm returned to the House.

The opposition parties are annoyed over government’s refusal to allow live coverage for their speeches on state-run TV. PML-N leaders, including the prime minister, appeared determined to ignore protest by the opposition and sporadically expressed their support for the president by rapping their desks.

President Mamnoon Hussain addressed the joint session of the parliament to mark the beginning of the ruling party’s final year in government.

While highlighting the achievements of the government in diversified sectors, the president said that the democracy in Pakistan had faced several ups and downs in the past but the journey to make country prosperous was underway. He said that history would remember the performance of the parliament in national unity due to its decisive position despite challenges.

The president said that nature has blessed Pakistan with tremendous sources as the economic indicators posed a healthy outlook.

While talking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the president said that the project would change the fate of the country as well as the entire South Asia by providing enormous development opportunities. He stressed upon the need to get united for the development of the country and avoid spreading anarchy among the people.

Talking on the issue of RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav’s detention, he said that regional peace was obliterated by spying and terror activities. He termed India as the biggest hurdle in the way of peace in the region. The president was all praise for the economic policies of the PML-N government, saying these policies would push the economy ahead in the right direction. He called upon all the political parties to acknowledge them as a coherent economic agenda to be followed by all the governments in the future.

Taking about Pakistan Army’s sacrifices in war on terrorism, the president said, “Operations like Zarb-e-Azb and Raddul Fasad will be executed successfully and strengthen the country further.”

He also talked about climate change and stressed the need to devise strategy so as to use experiments done across the world in this regard. The president said that infrastructure should be constructed to include electricity from under construction dames in the area to the national grid.