Opposition parties in Senate rejected the composition of committee constituted for negotiation with Tahreek-e-Insaaf Chief Imran Khan and Chief Pakistan Awami Tahreek Dr Tahir ul Qadri by the government, showing apprehension that the presence of Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafi and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal would not help achieve any positive outcome.
Senate suspended its business on Monday and took up an adjournment motion jointly moved by Senator Farhatullah Babar, Senator Afrasiab Khattak and Zahid Malik, pleading to discuss in the House a serious situation that emerged after PTI's call for civil disobedience. Opposition Leader in Senate Aitzaz Ahsan said that government had proposed his name for the committee without his consent. Aitzaz said, "It is an honour for me but I could not join the committee without permission of my party," adding that he did not even know the terms of reference of the committee.
He further said that the government did not seem to be serious as members of committee - Railways Minister and Planning Minister - had used strong words against both Dr Qadri and Imran Khan. According to him, both the leaders are unlikely to see these two ministers. Aitzaz further supported the demand of Imran, adding general election 2013 was massively rigged. He was preparing a 'white paper' to disclose how the election was rigged in 14 constituencies. He said that Lahore High Court approached him to seek his opinion on the long march and 'revolution march'. "I told them that marches are not unconstitutional; however, the strategy for achieving these demands may be unconstitutional," he added.
He further claimed that both leaders succeeded in bringing crowd to capital city where they failed to sustain their protest for a longer period and now they are trying to use them as 'fuel'. He said the announcement of Imran that he could not stop his supporters to enter the Red Zone reflected that he wanted to use his supporters as 'fuel'.
Speaking on the adjournment motion, Senator Farhatullah Babar said due to some recent events the balance of power had shifted from Islamabad to Rawalpindi and there was a real and potent threat to democracy. It is therefore imperative that the government geared up its efforts towards holding negotiations both with PTI and PAT to defuse the tense political situation.
He said that attitude of the government ministers towards Imran Khan was short-sighted. "You cannot ignore so summarily and contemptuously even an actually insane person who climbs up a pole threatening to kill himself," he said, adding, "instead you seek to negotiate with the insane person to persuade him to climb down the pole. Even if it is conceded for a moment that Imran is an insane person the government should still seek to approach and negotiate with him."
He severely criticised the civil disobedience call and said that if urgent steps were not taken to defuse the situation soon nothing will be left in the hands of political forces in the country. Awami National Party's Senator Afrasiab Khattak said Imran Khan's call for civil disobedience was a threat to democracy. He urged that the PTI parliamentarians were enjoying salaries and other perks and privileges as well as asking people to start civil disobedience. He said they should tender their resignations first.
He accused Imran Khan of winning elections in KP with the help of Taliban. Another ANP Senator Haji Adeel said that Imran Khan's civil disobedience campaign was not practical. He said if people would not pay gas and electric bill, the private company like KESC and Sui gas companies like SSGCL and SNGPL would be out of business. He further said that one could not deny paying GST on purchase of goods and services.
Zahid Khan said that tension was created only in Punjab and other three provinces were not included in this fight. He said ANP was not with the government but would not participate in any move meant to derail the democracy. The Senate also unanimously adopted a resolution moved by PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar calling upon the government to amend the Gilgit Baltistan (Empowerment and
Self-Governance) Order, 2009 to empower the people of the area. Speaking on the resolution Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the people of Gilgit Baltistan have voluntarily joined Pakistan and the area has a critical geo-strategic importance for Pakistan as the route of Pakistan's security, foreign policy and economy passes through it.
He said that the people of GB were governed by a 12-member GB Council headed by the Prime Minister. This supreme body ruling GB is manned by empowerment orders in 1994 and 2009 issued from Islamabad. The Islamabad based GB Council has the powers to extend any Pakistani law to GB. Several laws including those against terrorism have been extended to GB, he said and debunked the argument that Pakistani laws cannot be extended, so why more autonomy cannot be devolved to the people of GB.