ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan Wednesday labelled the incumbent government as the outcome of a ‘regime change operation’, carried out three years ago.
In response, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry countered by claiming that former PTI government had sought to grant then-army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa a lifetime extension.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub said prime minister Imran Khan’s government was toppled three years back and such people were installed at the helm of affairs who have no roots among the people. He pointed out that now a term ‘hard state’ had been invented. “To be hard state is a good term, but for that there should be a constitutional government, having support of masses,” he said. Omar Khan reiterated that the May-9 ‘operation’ was undertaken as per planning.
Pointing towards members sitting on treasury benches, he said all of them were the production of rigging. “I salute members of my party who reached the house while competing rigging and facing barbarism of the Punjab Police,” he alleged.
Omar Ayub criticised the government’s handling of the economy, claiming it was in “free fall” with private sector credit ballooning to Rs2,000 billion and the development budget going under-utilised. He condemned terrorism — including the recent attack on the Jaffar Express — but questioned who was responsible. He also demanded the public release of key reports, including the Abbottabad Commission, General Zia’s plane crash and the Salala Check-post attack. Omar reignited political controversy by recalling the past allegations from PMLN ministers accusing President Asif Ali Zardari of selling the Indus River water to the Cholistan project — a claim that sparked strong protests from PPP lawmakers. In response, Ayub challenged PPP members to directly address the PMLN’s accusations.
He also criticised recent political actions, highlighting the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters during the ongoing Mineral Forum in Islamabad and the stoning of senior politician Mian Azhar. Omar accused the government of using the newly passed Digital Pakistan bill to strengthen PECA laws for media suppression. He further claimed that opposition speeches were deliberately removed from the official National Assembly records.
On energy pricing, he dismissed the government’s reduction in electricity tariffs as a ‘drama’, alleging that rates had been increased from Rs17 to Rs85 per unit.
Responding to the allegations, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry mentioned that a constitutional no-confidence motion was moved against the PTI government, which remained successful. He alleged that then PTI government in 2018 was the result of collapse of RTS. “Had the RTS not collapsed in 2018, they were not even able to win elections of municipal corporation,” he said.
Talal Chaudhry said the PTI leaders were talking about Bajwa whom their government wanted to give a life-time extension. “They wanted to give life-time extension to Bajwa whom they used to call their father,” he added.
Talal Chaudhry was yet to complete his speech when Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah adjourned the proceedings of the House till Thursday morning.
Responding to a calling attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Revenue Saad Waseem Sheikh informed the House that the federal government had provided over Rs600 billion to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government for development of erstwhile FATA. He said the amount had been provided to provincial authorities other than KP’s share in the NFC Award.
Responding to a calling attention notice, Minister of State for Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani acknowledged that despite the presence of laws and institutional mechanisms, women in Pakistan continue to be denied their rightful share of inheritance. He stated that the issue requires collective national effort, stating, “This is an important matter that demands not just legal enforcement but greater societal awareness and action.” He called on religious scholars, the judiciary, and civil society to play an active role in upholding women’s inheritance rights.
Six bills were introduced in the House including “The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2025”, “The Orbit Institute of Management and Technology Bill, 2025”, “The Right to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2025”, “The al-Biruni International University Bill, 2025”, “The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) (Amendment) Bill, 2025” and “The Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2025.” The chair referred the bills to the standing committees concerned.