Opposition lawmaker Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Tuesday called for holding dialogue with the military to send them back to barracks and let the politicians do their job. It was for the first time that the National Assembly was in session on the Defence Day with members from both sides of the aisle engaged in a series of allegations and counter-allegations.
Their prime focus was on those who aided the military rulers over the years and became handy in bringing them to power and consolidated their rule afterwards.
It all started when the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leader Liaquat Baloch proposed that the House should send a message to the nation and the armed forces that it was time for the military to resume their professional duty. The members witnessed a verbal bout between the MMA leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sher Afgan.
Ruling Pakistan Muslim League MNA Riaz Hussain Pirzada saw no difference in the 1990 and 2005 local government elections.
However, Deputy Speaker Sardar Mohammad Yaqub ignored his proposal on a point of order. Later, member after member spoke on settling political issues.
Though, it was the private members day, hardly any business on the long list of items was taken up during the sitting that started not less than 45 minutes behind schedule. Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party head Achakzai contended that politicians and not the army could pull the country out of multifaceted crises.
He took exception to the members' exchange of allegations and said that this did not suit them at a time when Pakistan was confronted with adverse situation. "We the politicians should join hands, as we all have made no envious contribution to the political system. The military's intelligence exposed politics to crisis," he charged.
He said it was the surrender of all of us in 1971. "It was a sad happening, of course, on the order of a general," he said.
Achakzai also said that if the politicians wanted to make Pakistan a "good country" they would have to tell the military to concentrate on their professional duty.
Former ISI chief and Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi, who was present in the House, did not prefer to respond to his remarks.
The Pakhtoon leader from Balochistan said that there were only three ways to send the military back to barracks: "We should all request them for this; there should be a dialogue with them or go for a decisive political struggle". It would not serve the country to behave like ostrich, burying its head in sand, as if all is well around, he said.
He cautioned that there was anarchy all around and all state institutions, "be it the judiciary or the police department, they are plagued by bribery. We shall all collapse if we did not wake up and deliver now," he said.
Earlier, Liaquat Baloch gave vent to his sentiments on President General Pervez Musharraf's "reneging on a televised commitment" to doff his uniform before December 31 last year.
"We supported the 17th Amendment to give honourable exit to the military and that was the crux of our agreement with the rulers," he recalled.
Referring to Sher Afgan, who changed loyalty and became part of PPPP-Patriots, he said such "political travellers" provided crutches for the military's supremacy.
The MMA leader categorically said that the military's supremacy was never acceptable. "If they don't make exit, the strike against the military rule on September 9 would be successful, he cautioned.
He said the political forces must unite to eliminate the civil and military's hegemony. Defending his joining the PPPP-Patriot, Sher Afgan said all members sitting on the treasury or the opposition, right from Ayub Khan era to the present time had nurtured opposition.
"The MMA must remember that they were instrumental in the passage of the amendment, and today they are speaking against it. They ratified the LFO-focussed amendment as a gift," the minister said.
He alleged that the MMA wanted to become hero now by issuing statements for media consumption. "If they wanted to undo it now, they should bring two-thirds majority then," he said.
Babar Ghauri of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was on his feet to clarify that his party members were never nurtured by the military, reminding the MMA of its support on the 17th Amendment.
Coming down heavily on the MMA, he said, these people first sent the elected government of late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto home and then joined General Zia's 11-year rule... they should apologise to the PPP.
"On whose nod, they launched the Nizam-e-Mustafa Movement and who was instrumental in putting Bhutto to gallows," he asked. He alleged that on the one hand, the MMA stopped women from casting vote, while on the other, they have their women members in the Parliament.
Pirzada in his remarks, said that decisions are taken keeping in view the prevailing circumstances. "Yesterday, there was talk about maps of Jinnah Pur and today they are moderates. Yesterday we were Kafirs and today we are terrorists," he said.
Who will rectify the system, he asked, adding that we should try to contribute to its reformation from the floor of this House.
"Anything that suits the government is a law and who violates it is taken to task," he complained. Pirzada was among some ministers and MNAs who openly alleged that the Punjab government was involved in rigging LB polls.
MMA Deputy Secretary General Hafiz Hussain Ahmed reminded the president that he promised to the nation on Pakistan Television to quit as the army chief and then backed out. He challenged the MQM as to why their self-exiled leader Altaf Hussain was not returning when he had his own Governor Ishratul Ibad and a team of ministers. Another MMA MNA Maulana M. Khan Sherani said that the country was yet to solve the puzzle as to who is the ruler... who is paid or who pays?
He called for identification of problems of the nation and their causes and a struggle to cope with them. Minority MNA MP Bhandara rose to remind the members that they should not waste time on mere points of order and focus on the agenda.
"We must know that one minute of this House business costs the national exchequer Rs 70,000," he said.
Earlier, MMA MNA from Karachi Abul Khair M. Zubair staged walkout from the House against the chair for not allowing him to speak on a point of order.
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