By By our correspondent
Tuesday’s proceedings coincided with the second anniversary of the emergency and the PCO imposed by Musharraf and the House echoed with demand of his trial under the Article 6 of the Constitution. Interestingly, the PML-Q members, who were part of Musharraf’s dispensation, were also critical of the Nov 3 acts, but some of them, including Marvi Memon and Akram Gill, had a word of praise for him.
Kicking off the debate on a point of order, Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali lauded the government for its decision not to table the NRO in the National Assembly. He asked the government to try Musharraf under the Article 6. “It is time to take concrete measures to make parliament a truly sovereign institution and the centre of power,” he added.
He announced that the PML-N would hold a rally outside the Parliament House today to condemn the November 3 action and to express solidarity with the judiciary. He appealed to all the political forces to join them.
Ahsan Iqbal said that after the Supreme Court’s verdict, the government was bound to proceed against Musharraf. Interior Minister Rehman Malik described the decision of not tabling the NRO in the House as ‘political wisdom’. Responding to a point of order, he agreed to give an in-camera briefing to parliamentarians about national security issues. Responding to Ahsan’s comment that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had said Pakistan provided no evidence on Indian interference in the country, Malik said foreign dignitaries gave such statements and “we are not supposed to respond.” Meanwhile, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza clarified that neither she nor her husband ever took benefit under the NRO.