The ruling party in the National Assembly on Tuesday faced embarrassment on its failure to get a resolution, meant for paying tribute to martyrs of 1965 war, passed due to lack of quorum. PPP MNA Abdul Sattar Bachani pointed out the quorum when Jamaat-e-Islami member Sher Akbar Khan was presenting the resolution in the house.
Acting Speaker Muhammad Pervaiz Malik adjourned the house till Wednesday morning as the house was found not in order after the count was made. Under the rules, at least 86 members should be present in the house to continue the proceedings. Earlier, members from different political parties including the PML-N, PPP, PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami paid glowing tributes to martyrs of the 1965 war with India and all those who sacrificed their lives during the ongoing war on terror.
Members of the opposition parties also grilled the government for not doing enough to pay homage to the martyrs, saying the treasury benches were empty and the government seemed to be least interested in acknowledging sacrifices of the soldiers who laid down their lives for the country. The opposition members also said the government should have suspended the agenda and allowed the members to speak on the Defence Day and pay tribute to the martyrs of the 1965 war with India.
Sahibzada Tariqullah said that September 6, which is commemorated as Defence Day, is a historical day as the armed forces with support of the civilians defended the motherland against Indian onslaught. Speaking on a point of order in the house, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of disrupting the quorum of the assembly. "We never broke the quorum in the five years when we led Pakistan," he said.
Shah said the government maintains a non-serious attitude towards most of the things and that's why problems of the people are not raised in the house. He paid tribute to the Shuhada and Ghazis of 1965 war who valiantly defeated the nefarious designs of the enemy. Shah also criticised the government for not giving relief to the people by reducing the prices of petroleum products keeping in view the decreasing trend at international level.
Leader of the Opposition said the government has given no relief to public on petrol prices as 35 percent tax has been imposed on it. The government has been filling the national exchequer by depriving the people of basic facilities, he said, adding the tax ratio on the petroleum products is the highest in the country.
He said the Prime Minister had promised to give relief to the masses on petroleum prices, but failed to honour it. "We come in the house with a mandate to raise voice on public issues, but forget to do so after coming in the Parliament," he said. Shah also accused the Prime Minister of being a monarch as he was not paying attention to real problems of the masses that include poverty and poor facilities for health and education.
Responding to Monday's speech of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in the National Assembly, PTI MNA Shafqat Mahmood said that all his party members had deposited their salaries in the Prime Minister Relief Fund for the period they did not come in the house.
He also said that his party members rejoined the National Assembly after the dharna following repeated requests by Federal Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and other members of the ruling party. Mahmood also said the house was fast becoming irrelevant as issues of the common man are not discussed here.