The opposition leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif on Friday accused the government of pushing the opposition against the wall, and termed Maryam's arrest a "distraction tactic" to hide its "failed" policy on Kashmir issue.
Speaking in National Assembly before staging a walkout against the arrest of Maryam Safdar, he reiterated his claim that ruling Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) are "hand in glove" to victimize the political opponents.
"This is not the first time we've suffered these injustices at the hands of opponents. My hair turned grey and we've seen all of this before," he regretted.
"Mr Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi! If you think you can browbeat us with these injustices and cruelties, you're mistaken. Just keep in mind that you can not force Nawaz Sharif and his family to give in," he warned. Sharif's speech was interrupted by sloganeering from the treasury and opposition benches, which irked Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who was presiding over the session.
When an opposition member claimed that a "term banned by the speaker was affecting him," Suri responded: "Nothing is affecting me. The prime minister of this house is an elected member, just like the opposition leader is elected."
Suri was referring to the word 'selected' that was repeatedly used by the opposition for Prime Minister Imran until National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser ordered that the word be expunged from records and banned its use.
Continuing with his speech amid the chaos, Sharif said that the assembly had decided to present a "united stance" after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to strip occupied Kashmir of its special status but the government, with the arrest of Maryam, had shredded that unity. "She [Maryam] never skipped NAB hearings, and on that day when she was arrested, she'd only asked NAB officials to allow her to appear at 3pm as she had to meet her jailed father," he regretted.
"These arrests are meant to divert the nation's attention from the Kashmir issue, the failing economy and soaring drug prices," claimed Sharif. "I can see that you are looking at me Mr Speaker," Sharif said when Suri asked him to cut his speech short. "All I want to say is that though the government is pushing us against the wall; the day is not far when they [PTI] will be crying at the end."
He said that massive corruption in Bus Rapid Transit project in Peshawar was pointed out in Asian Development Bank's report but the government was not ready to take action against those involved in it.
He also condemned the arrest of jailed PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah's son-in-law.
Rejecting Sharif's allegations that government was hand in gloves with NAB, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said: "You should explain in the court why you received billions of dollars from abroad. The government of Pakistan cannot answer NAB."
In response to opposition members allegations that ruling PTI was trying to distract the nation from the Kashmir issue, he recalled that the Indian premier had flown into Pakistan on the occasion of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter's wedding.
"Today they are chanting slogans but just a few years ago [...] was it Imran Khan who invited Narendra Modi, who murdered Muslims in India, to a wedding."
Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mehmood said those who looted wealth would be held accountable at all costs as there would be no compromise on that. He said the opposition was using democracy and parliament as a shield to skip the accountability process.
He questioned that why the PML-N completely shut its yes when it ordered the police to open fire on innocent women, children and elderly people in Model Town when they were in power.
Former PM Raja Pervez Ashraf said the government should put aside its differences with the opposition and adopt a united stance in the face of the ongoing Kashmir crisis.
The house adopted a motion expressing its deep gratitude to the President of Pakistan for his address to both houses assembled together on September 17, 2018.
Speaking on a point of order PML-N leader Khawaja Asif said that one-sided action against the opposition was not acceptable, adding the joint opposition would face that victimization both inside and outside parliament. "If the government wants to respond to India on Kashmir issue, it must not divide the nation," he added. The session was prorogued sine die.
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