ISLAMABAD: The Pakhtun senators, also belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Friday protested against Fawad Chaudhry’s ‘racist’ remarks made on a private TV channel, and staged a walkout from the Senate and demanded an apology from him.
The opposition members in the Senate protested and left the house to register their protest. Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, during an interview to a private TV channel, had reacted to former DG FIA Bashir Memon’s statement about being locked in a bathroom upon the orders of then-premier Imran Khan.
Fawad said: “He took a big risk going into the bathroom with a Pathan,” referring to then-principal secretary Azam Khan, who according to Memon’s revelation, had grabbed his hand and locked him in a bathroom after a conflicting interaction with Imran Khan.
“Through his indecent remarks, Fawad insulted the entire Pakhtun community and despite many belonging to the PTI, none from the party condemned it. We can pay him in the same coin, but our values don’t allow us,” asserted Senator Manzoor Kakar.
PTI Senator Ijaz Chaudhry rose to explain that Fawad was not a member of the House and claimed that what he said was just to create some humour, which should have been avoided. However, he added if it hurt collectively or individually, he would like to apologise on his behalf.
Sardar Shafiq Tareen also rose to express his anger at Fawad and wondered if such kind of humour could be made of Pakhtuns only while others did not deserve it. He rejected Ijaz’s apology and demanded that Fawad should apologise on the same channel to Pakhtuns.
Earlier, legislators in the Senate again raised an alarm over the increasing terrorist activities by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and demanded taking the parliament into confidence on the status of dialogue with the banned outfit.
“We had already raised this issue in the House and today again demand that the matter of dialogue with the TTP be shared with the parliament being the most suitable forum to deal with the issue. It is a matter of future generations and future of the Federation,” said former chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told the House that the terrorist organisations had acquired the abandoned sophisticated weapons/ equipment after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Possession of long-range weapons with night vision devices enhanced lethality and night operational capability of terrorist groups, he said adding that a growing nexus was seen amongst various terrorist organisations at lower tier for undertaking joint activities.
Earlier, during the Question-Hour, Senators Seemi Ezdi and Azam Swati expressed grave concern over an increase in terrorist acts and claimed terrorists had reached Swat. Senator Swati called for an in-camera briefing to the House on the issue and asked about the ground situation presently.
State Minister for Law Shahadat Hussain conceded that the terror activities had witnessed a sharp increase but the forces were geared up to curb the menace and were laying down their lives for the purpose.
Senators Tahir Bizenjo and Shafiq Tareen demanded the NA speaker issue production order for MNA Ali Wazir, who was not produced in the House on Thursday and again on Friday.
Leader of the Opposition Dr. Shahzad Waseem came down hard on the coalition government for avoiding the House and not giving answers with regard to the state of economy, flood devastation, political victimisation of rivals and impeding PTI’s planned freedom march.
He noted rupee was plunging while the industry had collapsed and there were talks of GDP going down to 0.2 and 0.6. He also decried blacking out Imran Khan’s telethon for flood victims. “The entire nation will question them on coming out on roads, as holding protests is their democratic right,” he said.