KARACHI - Amid boycott of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Grand Democratic Alliance, Sindh Assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution, demanding the Election Commission of Pakistan to forthwith pronounce the reserved verdict in the PTI foreign funding case as the Pakistan Peoples Party’s lawmakers termed former Prime Minister Imran Khan a ‘security risk’ to Pakistan.
Moved by Sadia Javed of Pakistan Peoples Party, the resolution read that the foreign funding case was of great national importance and had remained pending for years before the ECP.
“The case has been delayed on one pretext or the other. The indecision poses a further risk to our national security since the foreign powers through such funds are in a position to influence the political discourse of our country,” the resolution read.
It added that there were sufficient pieces of evidence showing that PTI got funds from Indians and Israelis to run political campaigns in Pakistan. “As per the laws of Pakistan, funds received from foreign governments and multinational corporations are deemed as foreign funding. The leading British newspaper the Financial Times, in its report has also disclosed complete details of how PTI received funds in the name of charity and later utilize them for political purposes,” the PPP lawmaker maintained in her resolution.
Speaking on the resolution, Labour Minister Saeed Ghani said that the case was pending for the last eight years and the PTI had been exposed for its ‘malpractices.’ He said that the PTI was involved in ‘malpractices’ ever since its inception, adding that huge amount of money was used by the party leader in the PTI’s intra-party elections. “Arif Alvi and Pervaiz Khattak used money to manipulate the PTI’s intra-party elections,” he added.
The Labour Minister said that when the ECP initiated the probe into the foreign funding, the PTI had concealed its accounts, adding that the PTI would hardly get a way out in the foreign funding case as the ECP had enough evidences in the case.
“Honourable judges have strange wisdom. They brought him (Imran Khan) up as blue-eyed. The courts are making decisions on pick and choose basis. The country cannot be run with this attitude,” he added.
Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah said that Imran Khan was suffering from ‘grandiose narcissism’ and a threat to the national security.
Shaheryar Khan Mahar of the GDA while terming the resolution irrelevant asked the chair to take up any other agenda which was in interest of the people of Sindh. “The entire Sindh has submerged and the provincial Assembly is talking about not concerned matter,” he added.
The GDA member went to say that it was also illegal to discuss the issue as the matter was subjudiced. “According to rules 125(7) and 126 of rules and procedures of Sindh Assembly, any matter which is pending before the court or statuary body cannot be discussed in the Assembly,” Mahar maintained.
Countering the GDA lawmaker’s stance, Women Development Minister Syeda Shehla Raza said that they were not discussing conduct of the judges and were just demanding immediate pronouncement of the reserved verdict.
“The case has been pending disposal before the ECP for the last eight years and now the verdict is reserved,” she added.
Later, the resolution was resolution adopted unanimously in the absence of all opposition parties as the GDA was the last one to walk out against what they termed ‘irrelevant’ discussion.
After the question hour session, Deputy Speaker Rehana Leghari gave floor to Opposition Leader Haleem Adil Sheikh to speak on his arrest and subsequent release. The Opposition Leader started with heavy criticism on the provincial government for its ‘failure’ in draining out the rain water across the province. He said that all cities including district East in Karachi, Sajawal and Thatta were flooded. “Even streets surrounding are still inundated,” he deplored.
Deputy Speaker interrupted him, reminding that he had told her that he wanted to speak about his arrest.
Haleem Adil Sheikh said that he was implicated in 31-year old case and the judge discharged the case against him as nothing was found against him by the investigators. “They (provincial government) are plotting to kill me and want to silent my voice as I take up the problems of the people,” he added. Parliamentary Leader Mukesh Kumar Chawla rose to term the opposition leader as ‘the biggest land grabber.’
The PTI lawmakers gathered in front of the Speaker’s rostrum and chanted slogans against the government. Soon as the chair allowed an out of turn resolution of the PPP member, the PTI boycotted the proceedings. Later, the house was adjourned till Monday at 2pm.
Moved by Sadia Javed of Pakistan Peoples Party, the resolution read that the foreign funding case was of great national importance and had remained pending for years before the ECP.
“The case has been delayed on one pretext or the other. The indecision poses a further risk to our national security since the foreign powers through such funds are in a position to influence the political discourse of our country,” the resolution read.
It added that there were sufficient pieces of evidence showing that PTI got funds from Indians and Israelis to run political campaigns in Pakistan. “As per the laws of Pakistan, funds received from foreign governments and multinational corporations are deemed as foreign funding. The leading British newspaper the Financial Times, in its report has also disclosed complete details of how PTI received funds in the name of charity and later utilize them for political purposes,” the PPP lawmaker maintained in her resolution.
Speaking on the resolution, Labour Minister Saeed Ghani said that the case was pending for the last eight years and the PTI had been exposed for its ‘malpractices.’ He said that the PTI was involved in ‘malpractices’ ever since its inception, adding that huge amount of money was used by the party leader in the PTI’s intra-party elections. “Arif Alvi and Pervaiz Khattak used money to manipulate the PTI’s intra-party elections,” he added.
The Labour Minister said that when the ECP initiated the probe into the foreign funding, the PTI had concealed its accounts, adding that the PTI would hardly get a way out in the foreign funding case as the ECP had enough evidences in the case.
“Honourable judges have strange wisdom. They brought him (Imran Khan) up as blue-eyed. The courts are making decisions on pick and choose basis. The country cannot be run with this attitude,” he added.
Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah said that Imran Khan was suffering from ‘grandiose narcissism’ and a threat to the national security.
Shaheryar Khan Mahar of the GDA while terming the resolution irrelevant asked the chair to take up any other agenda which was in interest of the people of Sindh. “The entire Sindh has submerged and the provincial Assembly is talking about not concerned matter,” he added.
The GDA member went to say that it was also illegal to discuss the issue as the matter was subjudiced. “According to rules 125(7) and 126 of rules and procedures of Sindh Assembly, any matter which is pending before the court or statuary body cannot be discussed in the Assembly,” Mahar maintained.
Countering the GDA lawmaker’s stance, Women Development Minister Syeda Shehla Raza said that they were not discussing conduct of the judges and were just demanding immediate pronouncement of the reserved verdict.
“The case has been pending disposal before the ECP for the last eight years and now the verdict is reserved,” she added.
Later, the resolution was resolution adopted unanimously in the absence of all opposition parties as the GDA was the last one to walk out against what they termed ‘irrelevant’ discussion.
After the question hour session, Deputy Speaker Rehana Leghari gave floor to Opposition Leader Haleem Adil Sheikh to speak on his arrest and subsequent release. The Opposition Leader started with heavy criticism on the provincial government for its ‘failure’ in draining out the rain water across the province. He said that all cities including district East in Karachi, Sajawal and Thatta were flooded. “Even streets surrounding are still inundated,” he deplored.
Deputy Speaker interrupted him, reminding that he had told her that he wanted to speak about his arrest.
Haleem Adil Sheikh said that he was implicated in 31-year old case and the judge discharged the case against him as nothing was found against him by the investigators. “They (provincial government) are plotting to kill me and want to silent my voice as I take up the problems of the people,” he added. Parliamentary Leader Mukesh Kumar Chawla rose to term the opposition leader as ‘the biggest land grabber.’
The PTI lawmakers gathered in front of the Speaker’s rostrum and chanted slogans against the government. Soon as the chair allowed an out of turn resolution of the PPP member, the PTI boycotted the proceedings. Later, the house was adjourned till Monday at 2pm.
