ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told the National Assembly on Monday that every institution should work within the ambit of the constitution, adding the parliament has the right to legislate.

Abbasi, who appeared in the lower house after a long time, said the elected representatives were called dacoits, thieves and mafia by the court as reported by the media.

“I wish these news [reports] were wrong,” he said and questioned whether the parliament has no right to legislate.

The PM, who spoke on the floor of the house after the PML-N’s parliamentary party meeting, said confrontation among institutions would not serve the country and limits of every institution would have to be defined.

“The house needs to debate on it,” he said, adding it would better to define limits of every institution in the light of constitution instead heading towards a confrontation.

He said that the parliament (National Assembly) should debate whether it has the right to legislate and whether the government has powers to take decisions.

“As far as executive is concerned, the government officers are summoned to court and insulted while the policies are negated.... How long this will continue,” he said.

The PM also urged the leader of the opposition not to make the issue a partisan as it was the parliament’s issue.

About the senate polls, he questioned the status of independent candidates.

“How will they be elected? This issue should be discussed,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Opposition Leader Syed Khurshid Shah said that they were ready for good legislation for the supremacy of parliament. “We (PPP) are ready for any good legislation...Legislation for own interest is damaging,” he said.

He further mentioned the opposition was ready to cooperate with the government on legislation, which is not person specific.

He agreed with the PM that every institution should work within its limits and no one should try to encroach upon boundaries of others.

He said that the parliament has the right for legislation but it was the present government which has been bulldozing various bills. “We (PPP) use to consult the opposition on every legislation during our tenure,” he said.

Every institution, he believed, should work in its domain as it would help for the bright future of Pakistan. “We have damaged the sanctity of parliament,” he said quoting the example of Panama case, which could not be resolved in the parliamentary committees.

He was of the view that the Panama matter should also be resolved in the parliament. “It is our (parliamentarians) right that the legislation of parliament should be accepted,” he said.

Shah said that many of Council of Common Interests (CCI)’s decisions were not implemented.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the decisions of the parliament should be considered as the opinion of the masses. “We are currently in transition period, so need to take every step carefully,” he said, stressing that every institution should work in harmony.

The interior minister said there was no holy cow in the country and every institution should respect other institutions. He also called for judicial reforms, saying that stay orders from courts have been creating hurdles in working of the government.

PTI’s Shafqat Mehmood said there should be respect for every institution. “Debate on supremacy of parliament reflects that its purpose is to save some specific persons,” he argued.

He said there should be respect for every person. “Attack on institutions could be damaging. The judiciary has to take important decisions and people will lose confidence in the institutions,” he said. About horse-trading in Senate elections, he said there should be proper deliberations on it.

He said the PML-N leaders were shedding crocodile tears for a specific purpose which is to save only one person.

He said the PML-N leaders were raising a hue and cry only to save their leaders. “There is no purpose of their hue and cry except that they have problems with the Supreme Court,” he said.

The house also saw rumpus when the deputy speaker switched of Shafqat Mehmood’s mic and gave the floor to PML-N’s Mian Abdul Manan.

PML-N’s MNA Mian Abdul Manan, taking part in the debate, criticised the language of the court about elected parliamentarians.

PTI members Lal Chand, in the middle of Manan’s speech, pointed out lack of quorum in the House which led to abrupt adjournment of the house.

Earlier, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that no external pressure will be accepted by this nation. “We will not allow anyone to use our soil for any terror activity,” he said, responding to the concerns raised by PTI’s Shireen Mazari.

He said concrete steps were being taken under the NAP to get rid of the menace of terrorism from the country. He said that Pakistan will continue its fight against terrorism and extremism.

PM for debate on power of parliament

 

JAVAID-UR-RAHMAN