Two protests were raging outside the outer gate of the National Assembly - an hour before the scheduled time of the meeting. However, it should not surprise any one that, as usual, proceedings started 40 minutes behind schedule.
One group of protesters was against the Hafsa Masjid affair citing it as an example of Talibanisation creeping into Pakistan. The second group was crying hoarse about the arrest of BBC journalist Johnston, asking the UN to wake up and minimise hazards against media personnel performing professional errands.
Naturally, the Opposition mood also seeped on the Assembly floor despite the spirited attempt by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan. He was adamant in the House Business Advisory Committee meeting, presided over by Speaker Chaudhry Amir Husain that 'the reference sent by the President is before the Supreme Judicial Council, hence it is sub judice matter that could not be discussed in the House.'
The Speaker also took the same line and did his dandiest to keep the discussion out. It is another matter that he was not successful.
There was a vehement cross-fire on this issue. PPP's Pervez Ashraf, MMA's Liaquat Baloch, PML-N's Chaudhry Nisar, Saad Ashraf, Fata's Maulana Mirajuddin were insistent that the matter must be discussed. The Parliament could not close eyes to an issue which is being talked about on the streets across the country.
They said the Parliament has to voice the sentiments of the public and it must be seen to be transparent while doing it.
The matter did not rest there. There were broadsides, desk thumping, and huge uproar against the stoppage of Aaj Television channel's transmission, as well as disappearance of citizens. Voices were also raised against bombing of people in the tribal areas in exchange of payments from the Americans, and arrest of a number of Opposition MNAs. Even the continuing arrest of workers belonging to the Opposition parties, and barricading of roads in the federal capital, on each day of the lawyers protests in front of the Supreme Court featured prominently in the Members' speeches.
When Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan walked in he received a tremendous ovation from the Opposition. He made the Speaker concede a discussion on a matter he had earlier dubbed as sub judice. The matter could not be regarded as sub judice, argued Aitzaz because the SJC is not a Supreme Court.
Law Minister Wasi Zafar countered Aitzaz's argument, equally forcefully that every point about the reference sent to the SJC had been referred to the Supreme Court and several benches are considering those issue -'That is why it must be a sub judice matter.'
The 'deal-or no deal' affair came in the PPP caucus meeting at the Parliament. The former Deputy Speaker now PPP MNA, informed this correspondent that Amin Fahim and Barrister Aitzaz gave a backgrounder of this issue and said that Mohtarma Benazir had categorically shot down the matter. She said approaches were made from the government side but she gave no encouragement to these approaches.
Syed Zafar Ali Shah said the PPP members expressed the view that there should be no response what so ever from the PPP side to such approaches because it created doubts among the workers.
According to PPP office secretary Izhar Amrohvi: 'The charter of democracy the two leaders (Benazir, Nawaz) had signed is intact.' A protest walkout was also witnessed against the (Pemra) notice served to Aaj TV channel. State Minister Shirin Tahirkheli came up the Press Gallery to be briefed of the nasty situation. After listening to a deputation of media personnel she reported it to the Speaker. Then, Health Minister Nasir Khan informed the Speaker that the channel had been issued a notice for broadcasting programmes that ostensibly glorified terrorism.
However the Minister said it would be conveyed to the Information Minister who would also enquire why the notice had to be issued.
This episode reminds us of the time when publication of the reports of the proceedings of the House of Commons was resented by the English Parliament and a number of journalists were punished for the offence. It took some time for the House of Commons to convince itself that the public was interested in reading reports about what the Members they had elected were doing in the House to voice their feelings.
One could expect the same treatment in the case of TV channels that were stopped from airing their programmes - it would just need to push the matter harder to get their right to transmit any thing in public interest.
It needs to be mentioned that the Speaker adjourned the House for Tuesday evening without discussion of even one item published in the Order of the Day. Be that as it may the Government side was happy with the proceedings because, 'every thing passed off peacefully with only a slight furore.' However, the silence on the side of Treasury benches was pregnant enough to convey a contemporary impression.
The Assembly met after a lapse of two months during which it successfully installed security cameras at all opening points. Today was the first day of the operation of these sensitive cameras.