ISLAMABAD: By then house postponed for iftar, almost everything who was in the National Assembly session started around 10:30 you could see squirming in their places.
It was a tiring and nervous day, as government tried patience of opposition, clearly delaying vote on No confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan on goal.
This was evident from the moment speaker Assad Qaiser resolved the debate. on in issue of an alleged US conspiracy that was said to be behind in move overthrow the current regime.
There were at least four intervals during the day and in every interim, opposition leaders, including PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and others, negotiated with speaker in presence of some government ministers and urged him to put no-confidence permission to vote, in line with Supreme Court ruling.
Before the night’s commotion, the patience of NA members was severely tested by verbose speeches.
During his speech, Khawaja Saad Rafiq of PML-N reported that members of the opposition also there was a detailed meeting with in government representatives late on Friday night, claiming the ministers assured them that they allow vote on resolution during the Saturday meeting.
in house, the leaders of the advanced opposition made speeches in which common demand it was a speaker should stop freaking out and move on with vote on in no-confidence permission immediately to avoid possible contempt of legal charges.
On the other hand, Treasury officials criticized the court ruling, calling it interference in parliamentary affairs and accused the opposition of become a part of international CONSPIRACY against in government.
Numerical strength
Opposition once again showed its majority in NA as Marriyum Aurangzeb of PML-N stated that 176 MNA were present on opposition benches. According to her, Iqbal Mohammad Ali Khan of The Muttahid Qaumi-Pakistan Movement (MQM-P) was the only member absent from the opposition benches as he was unable to attend due to illness.
In addition to members of the opposition, lawmakers from the Balochistani Awami Party (BAP), Jamhuri Watan Party (JWP) and PML-Q – former allies of ruling PTI – were also is sitting on opposition benches, while about 20 PTI dissidents, who were kept as “reservists”, were also seen wandering around the assembly hall. However, most of they stayed in opposition lobby.
Friendliness across the aisle
Despite the tense atmosphere, a number of of PTI members, including some federal ministers, gossip with MPs from the opposition during breaks and loud calls of you could hear laughter in press galleries. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry was spotted having a long and serious conversation with Khawaja Saad Rafiq of PML-N and Rana Sanaullah, separately.
Likewise, planning minister Asad Umar was also seen talking to BAP leader Khalid Magsi while another PML-N MNA Javed Latif was also seen how often they visited the benches of the Treasury and exchanged courtesies with in government members.
Interestingly, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ex-wife Reham Khan also was a witness to the Saturday meeting of the women gallery, where she was met by a number of of opposition members.
Other celebrities who The orator’s gallery was decorated by Bilawal’s sister Asifa; former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
filibuster attempt
At the beginning of sitting, talking on dot of opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif praised the landmark verdict handed down on Thursday of Supreme Court and warned the speaker that if he took up Any item besides what was on agenda, that would be a violation of Supreme Court ruling.
After Mr. Sharif, the speaker gave floor Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi to open the debate on controversial diplomatic cable from Pakistan former ambassador in Washington.
In what appears to have been an attempt to obstruct sessionforeign minister delivered a long-winded speech in which he whipped out in opposition for allegedly becomes a part of foreign conspiracy.
Recognizing that Saturday could be his last day as the minister Mr. Qureshi said that the process for in prime minister’s visit to Russia was set in movement two months in in advance and that Mr. Khan decided to go to Moscow after consultations with all the parties concerned.
“We are a sovereign state. We are not want bear the yoke of slavery,” he said, saying that before the US visit to Russia national security adviser (NSA) called his Pakistani counterpart with one message: “Don’t go.”
minister asked how a sovereign state can be stopped from a bilateral visit in that’s how it whipped out in opposition for called the “threatening letter” a fake. “If the oppositionists still have questions about this document, I give briefing in parliament. Let’s go to for en in-camera session and let the ambassador to the USA tell us does he support what he sent,” Mr. Qureshi said.
minister also said opposition parties were calling for elections for in last three and half years and now prime minister It was announced elections, these parties were not ready for face in people.
Mr Qureshi also criticized the election commission of Pakistan (ECP) for without declaring decision on PTI’s petition for horse-trading during the Senate elections held in March last year.
Separation of public institutions
After him, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took in floor and, in a hard- hit speech, strongly defended the position of the opposition move bring no-confidence resolution against in prime ministerrefuting government claims of foreign conspiracy.
young chairman of the teaching staff also hit out at PTI for supposedly looking after support of in military institution in in past and even tactfully called former directors general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid and Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, stating that Mr Khan did not more liked this support.
He said that the real fight was in between who wished to remain apolitical and neutral and those who wished be biased and wanted intervention.
” real the conspiracy is that Imran fears free and fair elections… It is their conspiracy to prevent vote of No confidence take place. They are want stick to power for a day or two, even if that means the speaker and chairman made scapegoats,” he said to Amjid Ali Khan, who presided over over sitting at that time.
Responding to government criticism on decision of the Supreme Court, the chairman of the PPP said that this is not first time in Pakistan that the speaker’s decision was thrown out court.
He also blamed PTI government of separation of state institutions, including the judiciary and the establishment.
PPP “political university”
Mr. Bhutto-Zardari also noticed that most of faces on treasury benches were “lots” (defectors) the most of their life.
“Everywhere I look, there are lots of lots everywhere. When foreign minister changed it party for in first time, how lot money he took? What was it price of his conscience second time it changed sides? And what was price when he sold his conscience for third time?” he said.
This worth noting that Mr Qureshi was also foreign minister under the previous PPP government.
His father is Asif Ali Zardari, also said something similar when he noticed that his party was the only “political university” of country, ironically adding that he saw several graduates of this university on treasurer’s benches.
“They will come back eventually,” he remarked.
He then turned to the presiding officer, saying: “I ask very humbly and with humility please start voting process. I don’t want go to court against you.”
Responding to opposition demand statements, Mr. Kaiser assured house that he would conduct proceedings strictly in accordance with the law and the Constitution, and that he follow court statement in true letter and spirit.
Published in Dawn, April 10, 2022
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