ISLAMABAD - Members of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) were expected to be sporting a winning smile on Monday for their Prime Minister had succeeded in bring billions of dollars investment to the cash-strapped country.
But most of the lawmakers who somehow managed to reach Parliament House for attending sessions of National Assembly and Senate, looked furious after they were refused entries to Constitution Avenue by personnel of 111 brigade that supervised security arrangements as Chinese President was in town.
Senator Iqbal Zaffar Jaghrha who represents PML-N in Senate had to plead before security agencies to let him cross the barrier at NADRA Headquarters, arguing he was member of the upper house.
But the military guards refused to meet his request on the grounds that they did not know whether he really is senator. According to eye witnesses, Senator Jhagrha asked the nearby traffic wardens to tell the security personnel that he was a member of the Senate and had to attend the session.
MNAs who had attend the session at the National Assembly too failed to make it to parliament house and had to drive round the capital in search of an entry point to the lower house as they had failed to prove their identity as members of the house before the committed security personnel.
With majority of lawmakers, including journalists failing to reach the premises of Parliament House by 4pm on Monday, formal business of the house was started almost an hour behind the schedule time.
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had to assure members in National Assembly that he would personally talk to high-ups in 111 Brigade for giving access to Senators and MNAs on Tuesday so that they could attend the joint sitting of the house that would be addressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A high drama continued at roads in Islamabad on Monday as motorists found themselves stuck in traffic snarls as security officials that had manned each corner of the city for ensuring law and order had barricaded roads at different intersections.
Some of the lawmakers who managed to reach the entry gate of parliament house were observed so angry and exhausted that they refused to talk to the journalists of electronic media that had been waiting for the arriving lawmakers on the important occasion.
PML-N lawmakers who would usually boast on such occasions did not talk to media although they were expected to be giving maximum marks to their prime minister for bringing billions of investment to the country.