Dar’s wish to have reprieve from blame game ends in fiasco

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This was one of those days in the National Assembly when all-purpose second-in-command of the PML-N central government, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, wanted some reprieve from politics of blame game.

Current session should end on a reconciliatory high note, he wished. He had especially come to the House to explain two important reconciliatory steps in a span of two days by the central government – one towards PTI’s KP, and the other for PPP’s Sindh government.

On Thursday, he had signed an MoU with PTI provincial government on long standing hydel profit payments and other financial matters. That made the often too serious, tough talking KP chief minister smile, at least in the photo-op. On Friday, Premier Nawaz Sharif laid foundation stone for Karachi green line bus service – a major step to end public transport woes of the only mega-polis the country has. But on this day, PTI’s compulsory agitation brigade did not let Mr Dar celebrate to his satisfaction. In the middle of his discourse, a PTI legislator Munazzah Hassan was in a hurry to point out quorum. So frequent was the interruption by PTI legislator, that Deputy Speaker Murtaza Abbasi was also agitated, felt inclined to get the whole thing wrapped up to avoid unceremonious winding up of the session at hand. Political rhetoric had the last laugh even when reconciliation tried to score some points. Interestingly, PTI’s legislators enjoyed themselves the unique distinction of pointing out quorum three times during the current session. They employ and enjoy such crude ways as part of fast mode parliamentary learning to make up for 126 days of absence due to year 2014 sit-in. No holds bar. Old guards, PPP and rest of the opposition, have perhaps lost charm of such a parliamentary practice of last resort. Marred by low attendance, lack of interest by treasury-opposition members, blame game and walk outs, the 29th session of the National Assembly was finally prorogued on Friday. As soon as it ended, there were reports that a joint sitting of Parliament was being pushed by opposition parties of the Senate and it was on the cards for the next week. PIA affairs and the related legislation passed by Lower House would have been top agenda item. The legislation hangs in balance, minus Senate approval. Hence, the joint session demand. This was not to be, as till the last reports, the communication between Presidency and PML-N government suggested otherwise. So, we will have next regular session of the National Assembly in mid-March.

On the last day of the current session, the government dearly wanted the Islamabad local government bill passed. And it got what it wanted without much fuss, though opposition benches did their bit to register their concerns. PPP, PTI, JI, or even MQM legislators wondered how come that a metropolitan corporation like Islamabad has three deputy mayors when in large cities like Karachi, they have only one slot for this office. Islamabad is a relatively small city as compared to provincial capitals and rest of the most populous cities the country has. Even Islamabad’s twin city, Rawalpindi doesn’t have three mayors.

PTI legislator Asad Umar while opposing the bill, felt agitated the way the current legislation, after the local government ordinance had lapsed a few days back, was handled to suit treasury’s wishes and interests. Treasury had no remorse. It was done citing past precedents. The brainy PPP duo – Nafeesa Shah and Shazia Marree – did not lag behind in registering their due share of criticism. But Asad was exceptionally harsh, and his rhetoric has some strong background reasons too. Of the two seats, the capital offers for National Assembly, Asad occupies the one that mainly lies in urban area, the other one belongs to Minister of State (MoS) Dr Tariq Fazal. Elected in 2013 by-elections on a seat vacated by the then President of the party Javed Hashmi, the freshman PTI legislator is known for his proximity with PTI Chief Imran Khan, though some party colleagues blame him for losing the local bodies’ polls to the ruling party. Choice of union council candidates, grassroots level politics and handling, they say, is not Asad’s expertise at all. Hence the poor showing at hand. But it was an unexpected poor show put up by PTI in the whole of Punjab, especially in Rawalpindi where it had secured the two city seats – one for Imran Khan and the other for Sheikh Rashid. PML-N routed PTI and Sheikh Rashid’s local bodies’ candidates, so was the case in rest of the Punjab. As a result Chaudhry Sarwar, the former Punjab governor picked as all-purpose brain and administrator for PTI Punjab, is now in hot waters. Even run out of favours from party chief Imran Khan. Dr Tariq Fazal’s case is bit different. It was second time in a row he got elected from Islamabad. It was only a few days before the latest local bodies’ polls in Islamabad that Fazal was elevated as in-charge of CADD Ministry. He was given the task to prop up ruling party’s chances to win the capital in the wake of PTI’s challenge. The ruling party finally won the Islamabad union councils through a narrow margin, and hence it got its mayor and three deputy mayors elected. The new mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz, a construction businessman, was a surprise choice of Premier Sharif, a decision he kept close to his chest that even top PML-N leaders from Potohar didn’t know about it. Tariq Fazal and company could never imagine what was coming their way as they were bent to get elected local influential of their own choice as the first every mayor of Islamabad. This was not to be. All this has started a new but covert tug-of-war between experienced politicians of the city and the new, privileged but relatively apolitical lot. The new mayor wants real powers under his authority including important CDA as well as those under Islamabad district administration (lands and societies). With backing from the Prime Minister’s office, he is likely to get what he wants to deliver. Some, high-profile, fast track projects are in the offing. A powerful Islamabad mayor can be handy in setting example for rest of mayors, lord mayors to grab powers from the reluctant provincial governments.