The Speaker NWFP Assembly Kiramatullah Khan on Monday disallowed the legislators of PML-N to table their censure resolution against the disqualification of Sharif brothers and imposition of Governor Rule in Punjab, largest province of Pakistan.
"We have reached an understanding that the opposition will be allowed to table the condemnation of verdict of the Supreme Court in Sharifs' eligibility case and imposition of federal rule in Punjab.
But, it was not allowed after hurdles created by a legislator from the treasury benches," charged Pir Sabir Shah, provincial president and parliamentary leader of PML-N in the provincial legislature. The session of the provincial assembly was convened by the provincial government with aim to complete the required parliamentary period of the house for the year. Speaker Kiramatullah Khan chaired the proceedings.
Earlier, Pir Sabir Shah the parliamentary leader of PML-N delivered a long speech and paid rich tributes to the founder of PPP Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto for their struggle against dictatorships and criticised President Asif Ali Zardari for the disqualification verdict of the Supreme Court and imposition of Governor rule in Punjab.
He said that decision in the eligibility case of Sharif brothers by the PCO judges of the apex court was orchestrated by the President Zardari. He said that the judges who had taken oath under Provincial Constitutional Order (PCO) was earlier subservient to military dictator Pervez Musharraf and now it had become mop in the hands of President Zardari.
He termed the imposition of Governor rule a direct attack on the mandate of the people of Punjab adding that they considered the adventurism an attempt and murder of democracy. He was of the view that awarding of such verdict by the court was not possible sans approval of the presidency.
The loyalist of Sharif brothers told the house that even after the decision of the Supreme Court, instead of convening a session of the provincial assembly to elect a new leader of the house imposed Governor Rule, which he attributed to a shameful addition in the political history of the country. He said that PML-N was struggling for the independence of judiciary and restoration of deposed judges. The objective of the movement was the provision of justice, which solution of all problems. He attributed militancy in Swat and other parts of the province to the lack of justice.
He was also critical of the President Asif Ali Zardari for not even registering FIR in the murder case of Benazir Bhutto after the lapse of 14 months to investigate the killers of the leader. He said that the nation will continue to witness the killing of people and nation will be left with only reading obituary news. Leader of the opposition, Akram Khan Durrani said that they respect the judiciary, but it had no power to disqualify the public representatives.
The judiciary, he said instead of looking towards an individual should see the feelings of the people. He said that the nation has failed to learn lesson from insulting political leaders, saying some forces still do not believe in the strengthening of democratic institutions.
He said that Asfandyar Wali Khan and Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman who are carrying reconciliatory efforts had put some demands of Nawaz Sharif before President Asif Ali Zardari. He urged the unanimous passage of the censure resolution by the assembly. Former provincial president PPP and senior minister in provincial cabinet, Rahimdad Khan said that couldn't go for the contempt of the judiciary and especially at a time when we are struggling for the independence of judiciary.
In past, he said the leadership of PPP had faced persecution and cases while President Zardari himself spent 10 years in prison without any conviction. Despite such treatment, they had neither boycotted nor criticised the courts. He said that it was merely a decision of the court with which the government had no concern. He said that they had expressed sorrow over both verdict of the court and imposition of governor rule.
He said that time for reconciliation had not passed as still some national leaders included Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman and Asfandyar Wali Khan are playing their due roles. He urged the PML-N legislators to move against the resolution, which he said could harm the ongoing process of reconciliation in the country.
Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao of PPP-Sherpao and Qalandar Khan Lodhi of PML-Q also addressed the house and extended support to PML-N in the struggle for the independence of judiciary and condemnation of the Governor rule.
The proceeding of the house was continued smoothly. However, it was the hard-hit speech of the Abdul Akbar Khan, parliamentary leader of PPP, who prompted joint opposition comprising PML-N, PML-Q and JUI-F and PPP-Sherpao to create rumpus in the house, Abdul Akbar Khan, while referring to the tributes of Pir Sabir Shah for Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto said that these leaders not liked by them in their lives. He said the party of Pir Sabir Shah had never expressed this liking in the life of the two deceased leaders.
He attributed the prevailing political polarisation in the country to two incidents, disqualification of Sharif brothers and imposition of Governor Rule in Punjab. The disqualification, he said was a decision of the Supreme Court having no concern with the President Asif Ali Zardari.
The senior parliamentarian said that Nawaz Sharif was convicted of the plane hijacking case. He said that former president Musharraf while pardoning Nawaz Sharif to go on exile had not quashed the ineligibility. He said that Nawaz Sharif and his supporters even did not bother to file appeal in the case against the disqualification. He said that under article 63 of the constitution, no convicted person could contest elections for the parliament. He went on to say that even they had failed to challenge the decision of Lahore High Court (LHC) in the Supreme Court. He said that the appeal of the federal government on behalf of Nawaz Sharif had prolonged the eligibility of Sharifs for seven months.
Abdul Akbar Khan said that the leadership of PML-N had already created the environment for criticising the judiciary and were even abusing the judges. After the announcement of the decision Sharif brothers to decline to accept the verdict and go for protest, in such a situation, he said federal government was left with no other option than imposition of Governor rule in Punjab.
The criticising of Khan infuriated the angry legislators of PML-N, who resorted to chanting slogans 'Go Zardari Go,' and in favour of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif. The protest and rumpus of the PML-N legislators prompted the chair to adjourn the proceeding of the house till Tuesday (today) 10:00 am.
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