ISLAMABAD: The joint opposition walked out of the Senate on Monday as it lambasted the government for not assigning a minister to brief the House on Dr Shakil Afridi issue.
Former chairman and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Raza Rabbani triggered the walkout in protest against the government’s attitude towards a ruling by the chair, who had summoned ministers of interior and foreign affairs to respond to the concerns about reports of shifting Dr Afridi to Rawalpindi from Peshawar.
Rabbani contended that someone from the cabinet should have been in the House to respond to his questions. “It is useless to speak further … the government attitude forces me to walk out in protest. If the minister of state was busy in the wake of federal minister for interior being wounded in an attack in Narowal, any other cabinet member should have spoken on the Shakil Afridi issue,” he asserted.
Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani said that minister of state for interior had requested for a one-day leave and that he would be available to present the government’s position on the matter within a day. He called on Rabbani to raise any other point if he wanted to.
By the time Leader of Opposition Sherry Rehman rose to point out that under Article 92 of the constitution, 11 per cent of total numbers of parliament could become members of the cabinet and that the number could not be exceeded, all opposition senators followed Rabbani in walking out of the House.
Supporting the Rabbani’s contention, Sherry argued that 11 per cent of the strength of the parliament consisting of a total of 446 lawmakers comes to 49 members but the current cabinet comprises 60 members, which was illegal. “Anyone can move the court and challenge this cabinet and then the government will again talk about the sanctity of vote, whereas it itself is not caring for the democratic norms,” she emphasized.
With the opposition’s walkout, the chairman adjourned the House till Tuesday afternoon.
Earlier, lawmakers in the Upper House unanimously passed a resolution in which they strongly condemning in unequivocal terms the recent reign of terror unleashed by Indian forces in Held Kashmir.
Leader of the House Raja Zafar-ul-Haq moved the resolution and called upon the international community to end its indifference to the systematic oppression of the Kashmiri people. It noted with concerns that India had continued to maim and injure the Kashmiri people.
The resolution said that despite continued oppression, India had failed to extinguish the flame of freedom in the hearts of the Kashmiri people. The resolution reiterated that Pakistan firmly stood with the Kashmiri people and would continue to extend its moral and diplomatic support to them. The resolution urged the government to appoint a special envoy on Kashmir to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri people.
Raja Zafar-ul-Haq also briefed the House about the condition of Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal who had survived an assassination attack on Sunday during a corner meeting in Narowal. He said Iqbal’s condition was stable but the doctors were yet to remove the bullet from his abdomen. Opposition leader Sherry Rehman strongly denounced the gun attack on interior minister. “We respect him for his contributions to the democratic struggle,” she said. Praying for the early recovery of the interior minister, she said such a cowardly act amounts to an attack on democracy. She said the political parties would not allow such elements to create an environment of fear prior to the general elections.
PTI’s Azam Khan Swati condemned attack on the interior minister saying, “I hope Ahsan Iqbal would continue playing his role in strengthening democracy.” He said the whole nation was united to fight the elements working against the interests of the country. Earlier, the House offered prayers for those killed in coal mine explosions in Quetta.
Published in Daily Times, May 8th 2018.
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