The lawmakers belonging to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its allied political parties in the Senate on Monday questioned the neutrality of caretaker setup for ensuring free and fair elections, saying it is acting as a silent spectator over arrests of politicians just a few weeks before the election.
Speaking on a point of order, Leader of the House in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq said that the way things are moving, such as accountability court verdict coupled with arrests and FIRs against politicians, reflects that the country is heading toward an engineered general election.
"Chaudhry Tanveer [a PML-N senator] was stopped at Serena Chowk by police for sticking a sticker on his vehicle about election campaign and FIRs have been registered against politicians for taking out a rally in support of Captain Safdar (retd), are clear indications what sort of elections are going to be held," he lamented.
He proposed that Senate is the only forum of people's elected representatives and it should remain in session and take notice of incidents taking place all over the country, adding it is the only platform which must play its due role in ensuring transparent elections.
Opposition Leader in Senate Senator Sherry Rehman said that elections are becoming controversial, as leaders of political parties are being barred from addressing public rallies. She said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was twice stopped from addressing a rally once in Lyari and later in Rahimyar Khan, adding all parties should be given level playing field or they will be left with no option but to question election's transparency.
"Some religio-political parties have been allowed to contest elections by removing their names from the Forth Schedule, which is a matter of concern, and we want to know why all this is happening," she contended.
Senator Tanveer said that his only fault was that he took out a rally in support of Captain Safdar (retd) but the top anti-graft body registered three FIRs against him in different police stations of Rawalpindi.
"What is this if it is not intimidation? FIRs have been registered against all the politicians who took part in the rally for the son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif, despite the fact that it was his political right," he lamented.
Senator Sadia Abbasi, who is the sister of former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, went to the extent in saying: "How dare anybody can call criminal to Nawaz Sharif and his daughter" as they have the right of appeal in the court.
"If they'd been criminals they would not have staged a comeback," said Abbasi who is also a barrister by profession.
Another PML-N Senator Dr Musadik Malik complained why every politician who quits PML-N is allotted the election symbol of jeep - the symbol on which estranged PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is contesting elections.
"We just want to know who is sitting on the driving seat?" he asked in a veiled reference to the military, as according to PML-N narrative, it is being done by the powerful military establishment to corner the Sharifs in the July 25 election.
"Both Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz are coming on Friday, contrary to those who thought they would stay abroad in the current political situation," he said while referring to recent conviction of the father-daughter duo by an accountability court.
This compelled Senator Shibli Faraz of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to explain the nitty-gritty of the cases against Sharif and he said: "There is no need to take pride if they [Sharif and Maryam] are returning home. They are coming because they've been convicted by a court in corruption cases."
"It's a pity to see these people [Sharifs] who are the brainchild of the military. Don't be so ungrateful because these are the people [military] who have brought you to this stage. We all know who the brainchild of the military is and who isn't," he added.
Senator Usman Kakar of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) openly blamed the military of extending support to PTI candidates all over the country. He said that the establishment wants to install the PTI by hook and by crook, which is in no way acceptable.
"These elections are engineered and we all know the Askari party is going to win the polls as it has the backing of the establishment. They are not only being backed but also spending money on their election campaign," he maintained.
The PTI senators staged a walkout from the house and demanded the chair to expunge the remarks by the senator. Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla called upon all the lawmakers not to accuse one another.
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