Senate session: JUI-F rejects Imran's gesture of facilitating participants of 'Azadi March'

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan's order to facilitate the protestors at the sit-in site and demanded the PM's resignation as treasury and opposition benches traded barbs in the Senate on Wednesday levelling serious allegations against each other.

"We damn care about the concessions given to the sit-in participants by the PM. We demand his resignation and we would end our sit-in only after the resignation arrives," General Secretary JUI-F Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said while speaking at the floor of the House.

His remarks did not go down well the treasury benches which created a furore in the Senate. Haideri was referring to the PM's order to chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) to visit the JUI-F's sit-in site and oversee arrangements to protect the protestors from cold weather following heavy downpour on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

During the Senate proceedings, as Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani gave the floor to Haideri, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Swati strongly objected over the chairman having given the floor to Haideri while Communications Minister Murad Saeed was sharing views in Senate and he had not completed his speech.

"Whenever I start speaking, Swati gets upset," Haideri said. "Well he shouldn't, he is your old companion, after all," the chairman Senate said impliedly referring to Swati's former association with JUI-F before joining Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) years ago.

"Mr. Chairman, this is not right. You have given the floor to an opposition senator even before the communications minister completed his speech. If we can't speak here and complete our speeches, no one else will."

Sanjrani responded, "Swati, don't say this. You are the government and governments act in a dignified, cool and calm manner."

As tension escalated between the two sides, Leader of the Opposition in Senate Raja Zafar-ul-Haq took the floor. "Mr. Chairman, you have the unchallengeable authority to allow anyone to speak on the floor of the house anytime you deem fit. No one should object to it."

Leader of the House in Senate Shibli Faraz then intervened and sought assurance from the leader of the opposition that communications minister would be allowed to complete his speech after Haideri's speech. The matter was then resolved after both the sides agreed to it.

During his speech, Haideri alleged that 'unprecedented' restrictions were imposed on media by the government and opposition leaders were not given live coverage on television channels.

"This is a selected government that is dancing to the tune of someone else. Everyone knows who is pulling the strings."

Haideri's remarks attracted a strong rejoinder from Murad Saeed. "All these opposition leaders who are criticising the government-all their speeches are broadcasted live on the TV. Where are media curbs then? These people are the one who remained in power whosoever formed the government. For the first time, they are out of power and it's hard for them to swallow this bitter pill of reality."

Referring to JUI-F's criticism on the government that the PTI government follows Western dictation, the minister said, "This party (JUI-F) came into power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after 9/11 and it was in opposition at the centre then. Fazlur Rehman never said and did anything to take on West. The opposition has no justification to stage a sit-in against our government. They say they have gathered here on Khatme Nabuwat issue. Fazlur Rehman and his party were part of the former federal government (of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) when the issue of Khatme Nabuwat surfaced. Maulana did not utter a word about it."

On the allegation of political victimisation against opposition which was one of the agenda items of Senate session, Saeed said, "What is there for me to speak when there is no political victimisation of opposition at all? The PM has ordered to provide blankets and quilts to the protestors to protect them from cold weather. Where is political victimisation? The cases of corruption, fake accounts and others against Sharifs and Zardaris were prepared by NAB (National Accountability Bureau). What has this anything to do with our government? Neither we prepared cases against them nor did we send them to jails. Why are then we being dragged into political victimisation controversy?"

The communications minister and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Moula Bux Chandio exchanged harsh words after Saeed termed Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as PPP's 'accidental chairman.' "I have not said anything derogatory about his (Saeed's) leader Imran Khan. If he insults my leader, we would pick him and throw him out of this house," Chandio threatened the communications minister.

"This 'baby' is PM's favourite. That's why he is acting like a spoiled brat and senior PTI leaders are not stopping him. Have some sense. You are the government. Behave like a government. Don't act like hooligans. We never said anything derogatory against PM Imran Khan and his family members. Why are you stooping so low and passing personal remarks?" said Chandio.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Swati intervened and said the treasury benches hold all the opposition senators in high esteem but opposition's creation of chaos during the speeches of members of treasury benches is unacceptable.

The Senate will meet again on Friday (tomorrow) at 10:30am.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019