ISLAMABAD: Charges of electoral irregularities and manipulations continue to haunt the Parliament, as the opposition in the Senate Monday called for a judicial probe into the alleged rigging in 2018 and 2024 general election.
The government again came under fire in the House for the recently passed the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024, being PTI-specific, a charge that was rejected outright by the treasury benches.
At the outset, PMLN parliamentary leader in the House Irfan Siddiqui defended the law to regulate public assemblies in the Federal Capital, saying it was not new and was justified in the light of the Constitution.
Responding to him, Leader of Opposition Syed Shibli Faraz again levelled serious rigging charges and remarked, “Let us move a joint resolution for formation of judicial commission to probe what happened in 2018 and 2024 elections”.
He alleged that the PMLN-led coalition government had been brought to power through manipulated Form 47, as he showered praise on his party for the massive public show a day before and threw a rare challenge to the PMLN and the PPP to hold a rally in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and promised to facilitate them in every possible way. But he could not stop claiming that the two parties would not be able to ensure assembly of over two thousand people.
Shibli continued that the government could walk with crutches but could not run, and take major decisions, accusing the regime of being so confused. He said there were two-three finance ministers; both Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Finance Minister Aurangzeb give economic revival plans, claiming the government appears to be in a state of complete confusion and does not know how to move forward.
“When you don’t know where are you going, all routes take you there. Everything in the country is being run on debt while the IMF plan has gone for a six. I ask the finance minister to explain as to why tax targets could not be met and where the country is being taken,” he said.
Shibli regretted that while the economy was in a shambles, the government was utilising all available resources to contain the PTI and persecute its leadership. He said no election tribunal had decided poll petitions in over six months and accused the government of making anti-people legislation and slammed the law to regulate public assembly, recently adopted in the two houses of the parliament and said such fascist laws would not benefit democracy.
Shibli said that while the constitution was clear, all individuals and institutions must operate within the confines of law and the constitution. Then he referred to Article 16 and many other Articles of the Constitution dealing with fundamental rights and said, “whenever we legislate, the legislation should be in line with, or at least the spirit of the constitution be followed”.
He regretted that the law penalises public assembly that is a right guaranteed by the constitution, and prescribes a jail term of up to 10 years to the participants. Rejecting the government’s claims that the law was meant to ensure free movement of residents of Islamabad, he asked as to why entire Punjab, the federal capital and boundary of KP had been blocked and sealed. He said Islamabad had been cut off from rest of the country and motorway and GT road were also blocked.
Earlier, PMLN’s Senator Irfan Siddiqui was on his feet to respond to the remarks indirectly passed against him by Leader of Opposition Senator Shibli Faraz during the Friday sitting. However, he preferred not to drag the matter and remarked, “I forego the remarks passed by him and also I am grateful to him for appreciating me twice when I conducted the Senate proceedings”.
Senator Irfan chose to give response in detail to Shibli’s apprehensions and charges, concerning the recently adopted bill to regulate public assembly in the federal capital and brushed aside the impression that the law was any party specific or new.
He pointed out stringent related laws existed in several other countries, including the US, the UK and France. He agreed to Shibli that the constitution allowed peaceful political activity and assembly, but insisted there was a need also to put a check on the unbridled discretion of the administration. He also explained that the law carried signatures of PPP, MQM, BAP and ANP besides PMLN in addition to the support from the independent senators. “The legislation whether good or bad is done by the majority in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and other provinces, having the mandate to do so. The law is bad or good will be determined in due course of time,” he contended.
Speaking on a point of public importance, ANP chief Aimal Wali Khan expressed concern over the fact that KP was in the grip of terrorist wave and in majority of districts, one could not pass through even in the protection of squads.
“The situation is so grim that the police could not be seen in the darkness of night, as it goes back to the police stations at night and can be spotted during the day only. At night, terrorists take control effectively,” he claimed.
The things, he pointed out, were so complicated now that people came out in Lakki Marwat against terrorists and the police joined them, demanding the army pull out and leave it to them and the terrorists/ Taliban.
Senator Aimal charged that either the state had decided on the basis of a powerful force to hand over Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to terrorists or it was sleeping and intelligence was no more working.
He reiterated his demand for formation of an inquiry commission regarding the permission to settle 40,000 terrorists back in Pakistan to find out who were the facilitators and on what points, the reconciliation was made. “There must be action against the facilitators,” he demanded.
He also said that when no IPP was producing single unit of electricity in KP, the amount being paid to them in power bills in the province should be stopped. His demand was referred to the House committee concerned by the chair.
The House witnessed uproar over the remarks made by KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur during the PTI rally at Sangjani on Sunday. PMLN Senator Afnanullah Khan raised the matter and slammed him for passing highly objectionable and shameful remarks against women. His speech at the rally showed that he could not be chief minister of a province, he charged, triggering commotion in the Senate with members from both sides started speaking at the same time.
Meanwhile, the journalist fraternity staged token walkout from the Senate press gallery against the remarks passed by Ali Amin Gandapur and returned only after assurances were given to them.
Senator Sherry Rehman, who conducted the Senate proceedings, said according to her information, the media was angry over Ali Amin Gandapur’s statements. “A few members of the House should go and listen to their grievances and remove their objections, as we know the importance of media,” she observed.
It was a private members day, and six bills were introduced in the Senate including ‘The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Federal Supervision of Curricula, Text-books and Maintenance of Standards of the Education (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2024’. The chair referred the bills to the standing committees concerned. The House will resume now on Tuesday afternoon.