The combined opposition walked out of the National Assembly on Wednesday against the killing of PPPP-likeminded District Nazim's brother after it accused the government of victimising and killing political opponents.
The opposition members made it clear that they would never bow and the government could not force them to change their loyalties by using state machinery or harassing them. Speaking on a point of order, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) member Naheed Khan informed the house that Nasrullah Jatoi, brother of District Nazim Muzaffargarh Qayyum Jatoi, has been killed.
She alleged that Jatoi was killed by Pakistan Muslim League (PML) workers who were threatening him for quite some time. Condemning his murder, Naheed claimed the opposition members were being threatened constantly to change loyalties. Another PPPP stalwart, Khursheed Shah also spoke on the issue and condemned the killing of Nasrullah Jatoi. He said the government did not have the courage to face political opponents.
He made it clear that the government could not change their loyalties by pressurising and harassing them. Hafiz Hussain Ahmed of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal also condemned the assassination and expressed sympathies with the PPPP. He alleged that the government was politically victimising its opponents and the MMA was also on the list.
Hafiz mentioned that Allama Hassan Turabi has recently been assassinated and demanded of the government to assure the house that such 'brutalities' would be stopped immediately. Abid Sher Ali of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) termed the killing as a condemnable act. The opposition soon after Sher Ali's remarks walked out of the house.
Meanwhile, the government's privatisation policy remained under serious criticism on the fourth consecutive day and the opposition demanded formation of a parliamentary commission to probe the entire privatisation process initiated by the present regime.
Opposition lawmakers chanted slogans and demanded resignation by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, saying that he should have been present in the house when the policy was being discussed.
Taking part in the debate, MMA deputy parliamentary leader Liaquat Baloch said the Supreme Court has given an historic decision and has exposed the government's assessment about Pakistan Steel Mills assets as completely wrong.
He continued that the apex court has averted a possible loss of Rs 50 to 60 billion to national exchequer by undoing the PSM sell-off. There is GHQ system in place instead of a parliamentary system and President General Pervez Musharraf was equally responsible for the faulty deal, Baloch viewed.
Former privatisation minister Khawaja Asif, while referring to a letter written by few heavyweights to President Musharraf, said that it exposed government's tall claims of accountability and transparency.
He said the treasury members have even failed to defend the Prime Minister over troubled PSM deal as Shaukat Aziz has been caught red-handed. Like many other opposition members, he also had serious reservations about the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Arif Habib nexus.
He was of the view that if opposition leaders Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and Yousaf Raza Gillani can be kept behind the bars then why cases were not being registered against those who had been caught red-handed in faulty PSM sell-off.
He urged the chair to form a parliamentary commission to probe all the privatised entities and an inquiry report be produced before the Lower House in one month.
Furthermore, the PML-N member maintained that cases be registered against Shaukat Aziz and members of the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP).
Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed of the PPPP said the foreign debt burden on Pakistan has increased from $37 billion to $42 billion under present rulers. He warned that there would be crisis-like situation if the government continued its privatisation policy, as there was already a great outflow of money.
He demanded of the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice and also undo privatisation of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). Manzoor said there should be a house-committee to probe as to who is the real owner of Mauritius offshore company. He challenged that there was a close liaison between Shaukat Aziz and Arif Habib.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi, however, defended the government and said there was no element of corruption in the deal. He urged the opposition to stop war of allegations and warned them to expose what he said irregularities in privatisation process conducted by governments in the past.
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