NA session abruptly adjourned amid opposition's protest over Durrani's arrest

Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood on Thursday urged the opposition parties in the National Assembly not to use the Parliament and democracy as a shield to protect corruption amid protests by opposition lawmakers over arrest of Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
"No one should use democracy and the Parliament as a shield to protect corruption," the minister said while speaking on the floor of the Lower House.
Shortly after the session began, Pakistan Peoples Party's lawmaker Khursheed Shah criticised the arrest of the Sindh Assembly speaker, terming it a "condemnable and shameful" act.
He pointed out that many leaders of the government are also facing NAB inquiries and references, but it is the only Sindh Assembly speaker who was arrested.
"If the custodian of the House himself is not safe, how can he protect the members?" he asked, adding, "What message is being given to the people of Sindh?"
Shah also threatened to start a movement to strengthen the institutions including the Parliament and for the dignity of the politicians. He also urged Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar to protest Durrani's arrest "as it can happen with him as well."
Qaisar, however, said that he is running proceedings of the House in a non-partisan manner and would not get dictation from anybody, clarifying that he is not facing any case or reference in the anti-corruption watchdog.
The PPP leader also criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for not inviting members of the opposition to official engagements during the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's two-day trip to Pakistan.
Another PPP leader and former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also criticised the arrest of Sindh Assembly speaker, saying that the treatment being meted out to a custodian of the House is raising numerous questions.
He, however, said that he is not against the accountability, but the way the NAB is chasing the politicians only on the made-up charges of corruption and having assets beyond known sources of income is inappropriate.
Amid protests and sloganeering by the opposition lawmakers, Federal Minister Shafqat Mahmood responded to the points raised by the PPP lawmakers. He questioned as to why the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership failed to amend what they call "black law" of the NAB during their governments.
He accused the opposition of using the Parliament and democracy to shield corruption, adding that he is not defending the NAB as it is an independent institution.
"Khursheed Shah is using the Parliament as a shield. I am glad you are calling this a black law, but why did you not remember it when you were in government? You can pass the 18th Amendment, but you cannot amend this law?" he said.
The minister said, "No one should use democracy and the Parliament as a shield to protect corruption."
"The NAB doesn't take directions from the Prime Minister or the government, but they direct their criticism towards us," he said, "Our senior minister was also arrested and we are upset about it too, just like you are. But what can we do? It is not in our jurisdiction."
The opposition legislators gathered in front of the Speaker's desk and started chanting slogans when Speaker Asad Qaisar gave floor to Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Fehmida Mirza to speak.
Due to the strong protest by the opposition, the speaker abruptly adjourned the sitting until Friday morning.
Earlier, the House, through a motion, allowed the speaker to constitute the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir.