Delimitation Bill: PM to chair meeting of heads of parliamentary parties today

As Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is set to chair an all important meeting of heads of parliamentary parties today (Friday) as part of his efforts to build consensus on the much-awaited delimitation bill, the major opposition party PPP on Thursday in Senate dropped a hint that it is ready to vote for the bill if 'the government shows some flexibility.'
Opposition Leader in Senate Chaudhary Aitzaz Ahsan while taking part in a debate over situation arising out of recent Faizabad sit-in of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) said that PPP would go in the meeting with an open and a positive approach as it wants to show its commitment with the Constitution and federation.
"Though I can't give commitment yet I think there would be some positive outcome of the meeting summoned by Prime Minister [Khaqan Abbasi] but the government would have to show some flexibility [and] I'm sure the PM will show some flexibility as I know him as a colleague," he kept his fingers crossed.
He said that that the only demand of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is at least 5 percent re-audit of provisional census results, adding "we will ensure a conclusion in the meeting." He also said although the government has abused his party for not supporting the bill yet "we will show commitment to the constitution and federation."
Giving his remarks on the Faizabad sit-in, he lashed out at leadership of the TLYR for using abusive language during their over 20-day long protest and said that the sit-in has exposed the faces of some religious leaders. "This was a new aspect of protest sit-in as it was purely on the religious matter called by a religious party," he said. But this sit-in has exposed many secretes, he said.
Condemning the role of the PML-N government while dealing with the protestors, he said that the "government had been conceding its space and surrendering its authority." The government has surrendered the space for which the people get agitated. The biggest concession the government made in the agreement was the appreciation of the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS).
"For God's sake take care of this space," he advised the government and added that the ruling PML-N is giving a message that perhaps the system is being rolled out. "But our helplessness is that we want to stand by you," he said. He said that the government is giving a wrong expression that a conspiracy is being thatched against it despite it is enjoying government in the federal capital and two provinces.
He criticized the participation of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit held in Istanbul and questioned why the PM did not accompany the other chief ministers for the summit. While giving the reason of the only participation of CM Punjab, he said that Istanbul is only a stepping stone and their real destination is London.
"You (government) have done nothing in OIC and you are holding meeting in London at the expense of national exchequer," he said. Ahsan also criticized the vandalism of lawyers in Multan and said that the incident has disgraced the dignity of the legal fraternity. "Their behavior was very inappropriate," he said.
Senator Saud Majeed termed the sit-ins a conspiracy against ousted PM Nawaz Sharif which, according to him, started from Model Town massacre. The claim by the PML-N senator was rejected by Aitzaz Ahsan, saying a party which is enjoying power in centre, Punjab, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Balstitan should expose if still conspiracies are hatched against it.
Despite scathing criticism by senators of other political parties, Senator John Williams of PTI defended the role of the military to end Faizabad sit-in on the request of federal government. He said that the military stepped in after it was requested by the federal government as no army chief would request to fire bullets at his own people and this is what General Qamar Bajwa did in this particular case.
Senator Nehal Hashmi of PML-N said nowhere in the world, the military holds the control of the nukes except Pakistan, adding the responsibility should be with the civilian government. In an obvious reference to state agencies, he alleged that instead of holding sit-ins against civilian governments, the people behind these sit-ins should seek forgiveness from those whose dear and near ones have gone missing without any reason.
Raza Rabbani observed that religion must not be used for political purposes. Senator Shahi Syed of ANP questioned restoration of peace in tribal areas, saying every second day as young as 21 years old officers embrace martyrdom in tribal areas, which shows how much writ of the state has been established in the troubled belt.
He proposed the chairman Senate to chalk out a strategy along with Speaker National Assembly, Army Chief and Chief Justice of Pakistan for ending the challenges confronting the country on both internal and external fronts. Senator Rehman Malik of PPP said there is no difference between sit-ins and the militancy, as both have been proved fatal and they need to be halted the sooner the better. He flayed Punjab chief minister for not allowing use of force against Faizabad protesters.
Senator Musakhel of PKMAP was all praise for Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court. He said that the way IHC judge reminded the military to stay within its constitutional ambit instead of playing the role a mediator is commendable as the military should be there to follow the orders of the civilian leadership.
Senator Nighat Mirza of MQM-P said that Faizabad sit-in was the strategy of the government itself which backfired, adding when the government failed to control the mob which it had sent to Islamabad through a well-thought plan, it falsely linked it with agencies.
Referring to the National Assembly Speaker's statement in which he had predicted that the current assemblies may not complete their terms, she said that the NA Speaker who is supposed to be custodian of the house, has completely 'surrendered.'
This prompted Chairman Rabbani to say that the NA speaker has not surrendered rather all political forces are united to protect the sanctity of Parliament, rule of law and the Constitution. Senator Farhatullah Babar of PPP called for judicial probe into Faizabad sit-in culminating in, what he said, a one page 'national document of surrender' that set up a dangerous template to hold state and society hostage by a gun and stick wielding mob of few hundreds.
"On that day something profound happened and Pakistan ceased to be the country that was before...the state surrendering on November 25 before the mob will further increase rumors that nuclear assets are unsafe and can be hijacked by a few thousand armed people," he said.
He said, "The question before us is whether we accept defeat for all times or we take it as one of the low points in our history, overcome it and move on." "It needs to be probed as to how the protesters came all the way from Lahore unhindered, how they were sustained for three weeks, who negotiated the terms of surrender and why some appeared to be rewarded with cash at the end of the sit-in."
"It also needs to be investigated whether it was an isolated incident or the strange events of the past weeks in Karachi, Islamabad, Faizabad and Lahore were interconnected in some ways," he added. PKMAP Senator Usman Kakar read out the agreement struck with TLYR leadership and the remarks by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of IHC, in which he criticized the sit-in and the military's role. He also referred to the ISPR tweet that said there should be no use of force against the sit-in.
Senator Kakar charged that the two targets of the sit-in were either to pave way for imposition of martial law or establishment of an interim government for a long time. He also went on to allege that the Faizabad sit-in was in continuation of the D-Chowk dharna staged by PTI in 2014.
PPP Senator Sehar Kamran alleged if the prime minister had not left for Saudi Arabia, the sit-in at Faizabad would have continued. She asked why this crisis was created and what the motives behind it were. She also wanted to know what the son-in-law of former PM Sharif, MNA Captain Muhammad Safdar (retd), meant when he said that the sit-in was a mission and that it would be completed.