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Thursday March 28, 2024

Government presents accord with PTI in National Assembly

Dar says Imran’s party not abiding by agreement on JC; MQM, PTI clash during session; demand formation of parliamentary commissions against each other

By our correspondents
July 28, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The government presented the agreement with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the Judicial Commission (JC) in the National Assembly on Monday.
Speaking on the issue, Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said the PTI was not abiding by its agreement on the formation of the Judicial Commission as according to the written contract it was stated if the elections were found to be transparent and fair, the PTI would take back all its allegations of rigging. “As per the accord reached between the PML-N and PTI, the PTI is bound to take back its allegations but it was painful for me to hear the press conference of Imran Khan,” he said.
The government also showed its willingness to present the General Election 2013 Inquiry Commission report in parliament for discussion. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, while announcing to honour the findings of the Judicial Commission, extended its cooperation for electoral reforms through the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms.
Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah raised the issue of presenting the report of General Election 2013 Inquiry Commission in the National Assembly. “All the national issues should be discussed in parliament,” he said on a point of order.
Responding to the demand of the Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented the agreement reached with the PTI in March this year for the constitution of the Judicial Commission, saying the government was ready to bring the Judicial Commission’s report into parliament.
He went on to say that the Inquiry Commission was created in consensus with all the political parties, including the PTI. “If the verdict of the JC turned out to be against the PML-N, fresh elections were to be held under a caretaker set-up,” he added.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that it was agreed at the time of signing of the accord between the PTI and PML-N that the report of the commission would be a public document. He said the government had no objection if the report was presented in the House.
The minister said the document should be presented in the House with the purpose of clarity and understanding only.
Ishaq Dar said that he felt aggrieved on PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s demand from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to apologise. He said the recent statements by the PTI leaders on the Judicial Commission’s report were disappointing.
The finance minister said the Inquiry Commission’s decision was not a matter of victory or defeat. He asked the political parties to suggest improvement for the country’s development and promised to welcome any suggestions given by the opposition.
Earlier, speaking on a point of order, Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah said it was a good omen that all the political parties had accepted the report of the Judicial Commission. He said it was only parliament where all the issues would be discussed and resolved.
Deputy Parliamentary leader PTI Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the PTI would honour the findings of the commission with the same spirit with which the accord was signed in this regard. He said the PTI had abandoned the path of agitation and was again in the House with a futuristic approach.
Qureshi said it was the first time that the Judicial Commission’s report was made public as in the past, reports of Hamoodur Rehman Commission and the Abbottabad Commission report were not made public.He said the PTI was disappointed with the findings of the report and it was a natural feeling but still accepted the findings of the report.
He said the report had exposed the capability of the Election Commission of Pakistan and shortcomings. “The report itself is a big question mark on the performance of the Election Commission of Pakistan as it was an election audit and exposed the organisational weaknesses of the Election Commission of Pakistan,” he added.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly on Monday also witnessed an exchange of harsh words between parliamentarians of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as both sides demanded formation of parliamentary commissions against each other.
The episode began when senior MQM parliamentarian Dr. Farooq Sattar, speaking on a point of order, supported the statement of the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif that a parliamentary commission should be formed to probe into the allegations of PTI leadership.
The MQM leader said now all the allegations had proved false, therefore, a parliamentary commission should be constituted as to why the 126-day sit-in was staged and who sponsored the whole activity.
In response, the PTI MNA from Karachi said his party supported the formation of a commission that should also be created to probe into the activities of MQM since its inception.He said the commissions should be constituted into target killings in Karachi, allegations of receiving funds from RAW against MQM, collection of ‘Bhatta’ of Rs230 billion every year besides the anti-Pakistan activities of MQM leaders and its workers.
He said a commission should also be formed to probe into the statement of Altaf Hussain that he issued in 1990s in India when he said the creation of Pakistan was a blunder.Dr. Farooq Sattar said he also demanded formation of a commission against state terrorism being meted out against the MQM leaders and workers since 1992 and extra judicial killings of its activists.
As the MQM leader was speaking on the floor of the house, PPP member Abdus Sattar Bhachani raised the issue of lack of quorum in the house. However, the chair did direct the assembly staff to hold a counting of members present in the house.
In order to cool down the temperature in the house, the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab said now once the report of the inquiry commission had been received, there should be no room for confrontation between the political forces. “We should move forward by accepting the report of the inquiry commission,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly unanimously passed “The National University of Medical Sciences Bill, 2015”. The bill seeks to establish the National University of Medical Sciences.The bill was moved by Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
APP adds: The National Assembly on Monday offered Fateha for the departed souls of former MNAs Iqbal Memon and Ghias Ahmed Mela.The House also offered Fateha for the father of Ayaz Soomro, wife of Zahid Hamid, former AJK President Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan and those who lost their lives in the recent floods.Chairman Special Committee on Kashmir Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Sher Akber Khan led the Fateha.