The National Assembly proceedings on Thursday lasted only half an hour to meet again today (Friday) in the wake of deaths of Pir Pagara and a sitting PPP parliamentarian Azeem Dultana but exposed division among the ruling coalition partners over whether or not to move a resolution in the parliament in support of Prime Minister Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari over their stand off with judiciary and Army.
The growing difference among the coalition partners was also evident and became clearer when Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain and Pervez Elahi preferred to stay way from the parliamentary party meeting of coalition partners ahead of the National Assembly session and held a separate meeting of their members at their party secretariat after the session.
If this was not enough, unusual decision not to release an official statement about the Parliamentary meeting was sufficient to expose that all was not well for the major ruling party. Another unusual happening was that nothing was officially released from the Prime Minister Secretariat to inform the media about his speech during the critical meeting of the coalition partners held prior to the session to finalise the strategy and position the government might take over the recent developments on political front after the Supreme Court order on National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case as well as over ongoing hearing by the judicial commission of the infamous memo-gate issue.
All this was very unusual not only for media but also for the well wisher of the government who have been expecting, as had always been the routine that a statement or a press release followed the ruling party parliamentary committee's meeting, were totally disappointed. Chaudhary Wajahat Hussain instead of Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain or Pervez Elahi was sent to attend the meeting. Their absence from the meeting was also felt by the Prime Minister who reportedly inquired from Wajahat Hussain about Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain. Advice by the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) to Pakistan People's Party to adopt a sane course was also a reflection of their stance on the unfolding situation.
Awami National Party (ANP) was the only in the coalition partners supportive of the resolution as even the members from FATA remained silent when the proposal was reportedly floated by Asfandyar Wali Khan. Opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, on the other hand, intensified efforts to garner support of others parties including Jamiat-e-Islami, Jumiat Ulemaa-e-Islam, Pakistan People's Party Sherpao and even decided to woo the coalition partners of the government as well as the disgruntled parliamentarians of Pakistan People's Party (PPP). The opposition would take every possible means not to allow the government moving a resolution in the National Assembly.
Gilani, according to insiders delivered a long speech in the Parliamentary party's meeting to recount the steps taken by the government to support judiciary and army. However, his claim for restoration of judiciary and support to the army during war on terror, was not sufficient to win over the support. The indecisiveness of the opposition about resignations from the National Assembly was also an indication that they final count down is yet to start. All the stakeholders seem to have kept their options open and waiting for the right time was by and large perception in the corridor of the Parliament. Things would be more clear on Friday when the House would resume the proceeding.
Meanwhile both the opposition and treasury have intensified efforts to win over the support of the political parties, as it was evident from the late night meeting of PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira with the Pakistan Muslim League-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervez Ellahi.
The first day of the hurriedly-called session of the Lower House of the Parliament expressed grief over the sad demise of the Pir Pagara and Azeem Doultana. The session started one hour beyond scheduled time with Deputy Speaker National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi in the chair, was attended by a large number of parliamentarians and presence of a large number of people in visitor and media galleries. The large attendance was reflective of the rising political temperature in the country as they were expecting a stormy session. When speaker stated that proceedings of the House would be adjourned for a day as was the tradition over death of a sitting member, the people from visitor and media galleries started moving to the exit door for the reason known to everyone. As House began proceedings after recitation from the Holy Quran, Syed Khurshid Shah stood up and requested former Religious Affairs Minister, who is in jail on corruption charges and escorted each time by the police to attend the session, for offering Fateh for departed souls. Prime Minister Gilani took the floor after the recitation from the holy Quran and eulogised the services of late Pir Pagara for the country, federation and informed the House that how Pir Pagara had invited him after the death of his father to join the United Muslim League. Khawaja Asif of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Riaz Pirzada, Maulana Fazlur Rehman of Jumiat Ulema-e-Islam, Haider Abbasi Rizvi of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Asfandyar Wali Khan of Awami National Party and Kamran Khan from FATA also expressed their condolences and praised both the departed souls.
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