ISLAMABAD - Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, Ch Nisar Ali Khan Friday blamed the Speaker for protecting the government.
Talking to media persons outside the Parliament House, Nisar asked US and UK to avoid issuing statements on legitimacy of convicted Gilani in order to avert loss of public support in future. He observed that he had sent a letter to Dr Fehmida Mirza against abuse of office of Speaker National Assembly to protect the government.
“The speaker should also ask Gilani to observe the rules and regulations by abiding by judgement of the Supreme Court instead of asking protesting members of the opposition to follow the rules and regulations,” Nisar said.
“Defiance of Supreme Court’s judgement is no bravery,” he said, adding that Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, last Friday, with the connivance of Speaker managed to enter the House and delivered a speech despite being convicted from the Supreme Court.
He said that the ruling coalition moved confidence motion in favour of Gilani amid lot of hue and cry on Thursday, and Deputy Speaker, announced the resolution as passed without caring the prescribed rules and regulations.
“Resolution was neither debated nor any notice was served in this connection as well as voting was also not conducted,” he added, claiming that members of his party were majority in the House at the time of saying ‘No’ or ‘Is’ so how Deputy Speaker guessed that Is were in majority.
Nisar was of the viewpoint that government had become helpless and could let Gilani to sit on his seat in the House due to staunch protest from his party. “More ridiculous is the fact that Gilani made phone calls to Parliamentary heads of various parties for thanking their support to the resolution,” he observed adding, “Gilani also telephoned Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and Maulana Fazlur Rehman despite the fact that both were absent from the House at the time of presentation of said resolution”.
“Usually, the absent members are taken as opposed to any legislation or business of the House” he claimed. He said that his party moved a formal resolution calling for creation of four new provinces including South Punjab, FATA, Hazara and Bahawalpur, which was not placed on today’s agenda for the House. “So we have resubmitted it so that it can be placed on the order of the day for next rota day,” he added.
He also pointed out another issue of promulgation of an ordinance just two before the commencement of session of the National Assembly, terming the ordinance as to benefit the ‘Friends of President Asif Ali Zardari’. The Ordinance legalises the black money which to be invested in the stock exchange.
“Consequently, stock exchange has shown progress in last two days, this bullish attitude of the market is artificial and small investors are feared to bear severe losses at the hands of black money holders when they will withdraw their money from the market after one or two months” he added announcing that his party would repeal this ordinance whenever it come into power.
Nisar said that rulers were frightening the masses undemocratic forces could benefit out of protest and long march by his party as protest from opposition was common democratic practice in almost all the countries.
“It is quite clear that system has no threat from any quarter as well as no dictator is willing to topple the system, however, bad governance of the rulers is endangering the democracy” he maintained.
Responding to a question, he asked United States and United Kingdom to realize tense political situation in Pakistan and avoid issuing statements on legitimacy of convicted Gilani as PM.
He observed that the ruling coalition made the issue of formation of new provinces as controversial by laying resolution in the National Assembly in such a disorderly manner. It is real injustice on the people of South Punjab” he said questioning, why the rulers bothered to present such a resolution at the twilight of their term.