Unparliamentary conduct

Thursday's National Assembly session will be long remembered for the wrong reason: use by Information Minister and government spokesman Fawad Chaudhry of words that are considered inappropriate and unacceptable in parliaments everywhere. The minister repeatedly called senior members of the opposition parties "robbers and thieves." If that was not bad enough, lapsing into pedestrian language he went on to declare that the past rulers - some of them present in the House - had shamelessly looted money "like robbers at a 'mujra' (courtesan dance)." In case it was a slip of the tongue moment he should have tendered an apology when angry voices from the opposition benches demanded one. Instead he insisted he had not uttered any objectionable word, forcing the PML-N and PPP legislators to stage a walkout also threatening to boycott the session. It was only after he took back his words, apparently under threat of boycott, that the opposition members returned and proceedings of the assembly were resumed.
The episode will only reinforce the PTI's reputation as a party that has made it new normal the use of derogatory language against political rivals as a tool of criticism, which does nothing except taking attention away from real issues of import. As the ruling party, it needs to promote healthy debates and discussions on the way forward. And Parliament being the country's highest forum where issues and concerns are debated, the PTI has a special responsibility to ensure its dignity is maintained at all times. In fact, there are rules of behaviour in Parliament. Legislators are not supposed to use insulting words such as 'dishonest' or 'liar' against one another. There is a phrase for them: "unparliamentary language". Normally the Speaker stops members from employing un-parliamentary language, expunging from the record any word deemed as derogatory. Yet in the present instance, the minister persistently hurled, ignoring the Speaker's repeated interruptions, near abusive words like "robbers and thieves" at the PML-N and PPP leaders. Until sobered down by the opposition walkout he claimed to have said nothing offensive. On the contrary, he asked if he did not call a robber a robber and a thief a thief then which terms he should use? Chaudhry, as a law graduate, should know better than that. People cannot be publically called by such names unless proven in a court of law. And certainly the rules of conduct in the assembly do not allow anyone to spoil its decorum.
The Information Minister normally articulates government policies in a cool, rationale manner, though occasionally flying of the handle. He needs to control this tendency for the good of his own party as also the greater public interest. Hopefully, Thursday's events have served as an instructive lesson, and the focus in future will remain on myriad issue confronting this county.