The National Assembly on Friday witnessed differences within the opposition over the Wana operation, as Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and Pakistan Muslim League-N staged a walkout while Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians' lawmakers remained seated.
The House will hold debate on the President and other functionaries' statements on the uniform issue and the Wana operation, particularly the attack on a terrorist training camp, on Monday, as the Deputy Speaker Sardar Mohammad Yaqub deferred three identical privilege motions.
Yet again, the new session, summoned by the government started over an hour behind the schedule at 6:10 pm as the federal and state ministers and parliamentary secretaries clearly out-numbered the ruling coalition legislators.
Roughly speaking every third treasury MNA is the member of the Federal Cabinet, apparently depicting the state of affairs within the coalition vis-à-vis representation in the government.
ARD's chief whip Khurshid Shah tauntingly remarked, "it is the first step to fight rising unemployment that ministers have been appointed in such a huge number. I congratulate the government."
Maulana Mairajuddin decried the Thursday operation near Wana in which dozens of people were killed.
Defending the operation, Minister for Interior Aftab Sherpao asserted that the action was taken after one vehicle of the army personnel was attacked with a bomb and fired upon afterwards, wounding three of them.
Some 40 foreigners, he added, including Chechens, Uzbeks and some Arabs were killed in the attack on a terrorist training camp, which was unearthed through aerial photos.
"If they will use Pakistani soil for carrying out terrorist attacks and imparting terrorist training, they will be dealt with like this," he emphasised.
Sherpao made it clear that the government would continue its campaign against terrorists, adding it was vital for Pakistan's security and peace.
The Minister contended that the foreign elements were offered to get them registered with the authorities, but instead they adopted the violent path.
Sherpao took the floor after MMA had staged walkout along with PML-N, as Maulana Mairajuddin was not given more time to speak on the matter.
MMA's Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and Minister for Kashmir and Northern Areas Faisal Saleh Hayat had a severe verbal clash over the raid on the formers seminary and residence in Quetta on September 01.
This was second time in recent weeks that the question hour was not held due to what the chair said 'incomplete notice period'. This showed the haste in summoning the session.
Another point discussed in the press gallery was as to why the session is summoned usually on Friday instead of Monday. In the parliamentary practices, if the session begins on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are considered as working days and the lawmakers, NA Secretariat staff and related staffers are paid for that.
"Is it an instance of good governance?" questioned a treasury MNA at the Cafeteria during the break for Maghrib prayers, requesting anonymity.
Speaking on a point of order, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed narrated the story of the raid by what he described the intelligence agencies' personnel on his seminary and residence at night. He complained that he along with some other opposition MNAs was in India, when he was informed about the incident.
He alleged that his family members were harassed for hours and confined to a room.
The MMA leader challenged the government that he would resign as MNA if the government proved that Sharif Misry was held from his seminary.
"If the house of a lawmaker is raided and family members are harassed what will be the fate of a common man?" he wondered.
Hafiz Hussain demanded of the government to arrest all those who were involved in the raid, if it is not proved that Misry was arrested from his residence or seminary. "If there is supremacy of the Parliament, they should be taken to task".
However, the chair expunged some remarks he passed against the then interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayat.
Responding to him, Faisal made it clear that he was not holding the said post on the day, the raid was conducted. He rejected all allegations levelled against him.
"The honourable member of the House is facing the music for what he has been doing," he charged.
Faisal complained that the MMA MNA flouted the parliamentary practices and code of ethics while levelling baseless charges against him and his ancestors.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf of PPPP read out a motion, regarding President Musharraf's statement that 17th Amendment did not restrict him to shed his uniform by December.
He said, "since the amendment was passed by the Parliament, such a statement has breached privilege of the House and its members."
Liaquat Baloch of MMA also spoke about a motion, which said the statements issued by Chief Minister Punjab and other ministers, asking Musharraf to continue as COAS for another five years, was an insult to the Parliament and the Constitution.
Earlier, no one took notice when PML President Chaudhry Shujaat entered the House. However, members welcomed Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, when he came to the House by thumping desks.
Comments
Comments are closed.