ISLAMABAD - The Lower House of Parliament witnessed an eventful day on Monday, the first day of 4th National Assembly session of PTI’s government.
With the onset of the proceedings, the opposition staged a walkout from the house for allegedly not producing Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif in the house on time, despite the production order issued by the speaker.
As per Speaker Asad Qaiser’s production orders, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore team was directed to produce Shehbaz Sharif for the session of the lower house at 4pm.
He was driven to the city via the motorway yesterday, unlike the previous session when he was flown to the capital from Lahore. NAB officials also took him to Islamabad’s Polyclinic hospital for a check-up before the NA session.
Sharif’s delayed arrival in the Parliament meant that he could not chair a meeting of PML-N’s parliamentary party, scheduled for an hour before the session’s start. In his absence, senior leaders Ahsan Iqbal and Khawaja Asif jointly led the meeting.
Talking to reporters after reaching the parliament, PML-N president said NAB had avoided bringing him via airplane on different pretexts.
“They didn’t want to bring me [to Islamabad] in an airplane,” Shehbaz claimed. The bureau had used the suspension of flight and unavailability of seats as an excuse, he added.
“I was made to travel via the motorway despite an ache in my back,” the opposition leader complained.
PML-N’s senior lawmaker Rana Tanvir Hussain, on point of order, hastily took the floor and expressed his concern over Shehbaz Sharif’s delayed production in the house by the National Accountability Bureau.
“This is unfair, as you [The Chair] had already issued production order of the Opposition Leader [in the National Assembly] Shehbaz Sharif,” he said.
NAB had caused a “deliberate” delay in producing the opposition leader, he alleged and said that it was difficult for the opposition to take part in the house proceedings in such circumstances.
With these remarks, the PML-N lawmakers left the house and rest of the opposition parties followed them.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi rushed to clarify that the government has no objection to Shehbaz Sharif’s attending the session, as he urged the opposition to return to the house.
“If this institution [Parliament] has to move forward, it has to do so using both its wheels [treasury and opposition]. I request the respected members of the opposition to not render the entire house meaningless in this manner,” Qureshi said.
“The boycott of the National Assembly session is no service to democracy,” he said, pointing out that Shehbaz has reached the parliament.
Speaker Qaiser then assigned Qureshi and State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan the task of convincing the opposition members to return to the house.
The duo managed to cajole the opposition into returning to the session after half an hour, with Qureshi thanking them for ending the boycott.
Noticeable entry
After the opposition ended their boycott, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PPP-P Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari walked in the house together, chatting in a cordial manner.
The house with the entry of Shehbaz echoed with the slogans ‘Sher aya – Sher aya’ by the PML-N MNAs. The PML-N supporters and workers sitting in the guest galleries also shouted in support of their leader.
Shehbaz, who had delivered a stirring speech on his previous appearance, preferred not to speak on the floor of the house and silently observed the proceedings.
Resolution on Kashmir
The National Assembly session Monday unanimously adopted a resolution in connection to the Kashmir Black Day (27th October), condemning the killing of more than 90,000 innocent Kashmiris in Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK) by Indian occupation forces.
“The house urges the international community for the expedited formation of the commission of inquiry to investigate the gross human rights violations in IOK,as recommended by the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights,” read the resolution moved by Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur.
It reaffirmed its solidarity and commitment to the people of IOK in their just struggle for their right to self determination and reiterated continuing their political, moral and diplomatic support in line with the UNSC resolutions.
The house commemorating the Black Day of Indian Occupation of Jammu and Kashmir on 27 October, 1947 also condemned state terrorism by the Indian forces and blatant violation of international laws in the valley.
DISCUSSION ON WATER SCARCITY
The house witnessed a heated discussion on the issue of water scarcity.
The lawmakers from PTI and PPP locked horns over the issue of clean drinking water and kept engaged in discussion for around an hour.
It might have been the longest ever call-attention notice on safe-drinking water – particularly in Karachi and Islamabad.
National Assembly speaker after a thorough discussion between opposition and government members said that proper time will be allocated for the discussion over water scarcity in the country.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan responding to the concerns of opposition members said that the federal government has formed a task force under Sindh governor to address water scarcity issue.
The minister responding to a call attention notice said the federal government wants to resolve this issue with the cooperation of the provincial government.
“Although the water supply is a devolved subject under the 18th amendment yet the federal government is concerned over it,” said the minister mentioning that the provincial government should take action against the ‘tanker mafia’ in Karachi.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, speaking on the issue, said the federal government and the provincial governments need to take steps to ensure availability of clean drinking water.
Minister for Planning Khurso Bakhtiar, facing rumpus from opposition side, said the government will allocate 10 percent of the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) funds for water projects. He stressed the need for the construction of dams in Fata and Balochistan to meet water requirement.
PML-N lawmaker Ahsan Iqbal said their government had approved Water Policy in its tenure. He said that PTI government has dropped several water schemes in this mini-budget.
PPP leader Syed Khurshid Shah said that all the provinces should be given equal share in water. “There is a sheer discrimination with Sindh,” he said.
Earlier, ten of the twelve newly elected MNAs - including former minister for Railways Saad Rafique - took oath.
The house also offered Fateha for former MNA Sardar Shuja Muhammad Baloch, who died recently.
Shehbaz, Zardari enter NA together
JAVAID UR RAHMAN