ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is on sole mission to throw the country s most popular political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), out of the entire political process, PTI Senator Barrister Ali Zafar alleged in the Upper House of the Parliament on Friday.
Our colleague senators, who are in the government, I ask them; will they be happy if there s no opposition ” do they want this? That there should be such a democracy in which the most popular political party in the country should not exist at all, he asked.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was present in the House during the PTI senator s speech.
Zafar said the PTI held its intra-party elections thrice. Yet again, the Election Commission of Pakistan has issued a notice (regarding intra-party elections.) The entire media saw the PTI intra-party elections held recently ” no political party objected over it ” but the Election Commission has issued a notice stating that they will look into our internal party polls, Zafar said.
In an obvious yet implied reference to the reconciliatory speeches delivered by certain lawmakers from the treasury side, the PTI senator said, We are saying really nice things today ” that we should not fight and all that ” but if the political victimisation does not end and Senate does not fulfil its constitution, legal and moral obligations then I regret to say this reconciliation will not work.
The political victimisation of Imran Khan, his wife and other PTI members, if I start writing on it, it will be a big book, the lawmaker said.
Zafar urged the chairman Senate to call the foreign minister in the next sitting to brief the House on Pakistan s stance regarding Iran s response to Israel s attack.
Earlier, treasury Senator Sherry Rehman from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) urged the political forces to bury the hatchet and move on for a new beginning, questioning which elections in the country were ever held free and fair.
Peoples Party never created any difficulty for the country, state and public, she said, speaking on the floor of the House on motion of thanks to President Asif Ali Zardari over his recent address to Parliament s joint session, moved by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
There has never been any political prisoner in the tenure of Peoples Party. We never resorted to witch-hunting and have always extended a hand of friendship and harmony, she said.
The lawmaker said her party s leadership faced political victimisation in the past. Addressing Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani, Rehman said, You were in jail for five years ”I came along with a convoy to pick you up.
Gilani interrupted her: Nine years, according to jail manual.
Rehman urged the politicians from rival political parties to stop attacking one another. Yesterday, someone said, you don t have a manifesto “ if you say things like this, I ll be under pressure from everywhere to respond in the same bitter tone ”everyone has to genuinely respect each other for opening a new chapter, she said.
The House was adjourned till Monday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024