Government's 'objectionable' approach to opposition parties criticized

In the backdrop of an enlarging deadlock between the government and the opposition, work in relation to legislations on a wide range of critical subjects including meeting key commitments to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) with respect to an amendment in the anti-money laundering law to extension in the tenure of Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa remained pending.

Several parliamentarians from the two main opposition political parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP), told Business Recorder on condition of anonymity that the required cooperation for important legislations in parliament cannot be extended to the government in an environment of continued 'intimidation' and 'victimization' of opposition leaders.

"It is the PTI government's attitude that would be responsible for a serious deadlock on important issues, including legislation with regard to granting an extension in the tenure of Army Chief in light of the Supreme Court judgment," said a senior PML-N leader on condition of anonymity.

The recent violent protest outside the residence of PML-N's ailing leader Nawaz Sharif in London on Monday proved to be the proverbial last straw on the opposition's back prompting senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif to state on the floor of the House on Tuesday that his party will no longer be cooperating with the government in any forthcoming legislation be it the extension of army chief or the appointment of chief election commissioner.

"We will not be part of it and I hope that other [opposition] parties will follow suit," he added. Khawaja Asif ridiculed the government over the handling of the case of the extension of Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa in the Supreme Court.

"What did this government do in the Supreme Court for three days? They can befool their own people, but not the entire Pakistani nation," he added.

According to senior PML-N leader Senator Mushahidullah Khan, 'the government is either deliberately creating an environment not conducive to the passage of legislation or it simply lacks the vision to take the opposition on board on important issues'.

He pointed out that issuing production orders for the jailed politicians is a parliamentary precedent. "But this government has left no stone unturned to violate democratic practices," he added.

The PML-N has been urging the Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser to issue production orders for its detained leaders including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, he said adding that the incumbent speaker is reluctant to issue production orders.

Abbasi, however, attended the National Assembly session on Tuesday on production orders which were issued on the directives of Lahore High Court.

Earlier, in November the speaker had issued production orders only for Saad Rafiq of PML-N and PPP's Asif Zardari and Khursheed Shah.

Senior PPP leader and former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf told BR that "We wanted to cooperate on important legislation in parliament, but the government is not serious in taking the opposition on board on key issues that require legislation."

To a question about PPP's possible cooperation on the proposed legislation with regard to giving extension in the tenure of the army chief, he said: "the government with its policy of victimization of the opposition is bent upon creating obstacles in the way of all important legislations".

Another PPP leader, Abdul Qadir Patel, said an important legislation including extension in tenure of the Chief of Army Staff is coming in the parliament. However, the government seems no-serious to run the parliament smoothly, he said, adding that the government is being run thought ordinances bypassing the parliament.

He said that the government has been constantly attacking the opposition leaders personally. "If decency, respect and tolerance are not there in the politics, there will be a total destruction. If you attack someone's house, you cannot live safely in your own house," he added.