Call for civil disobedience: Talks can’t be held with sword hanging over head: PMLN

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Senate on Thursday called for confidence-building measures prior to the talks, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) said it was ready but not with a sword hanging over its head, referring to the rival party’s threat of civil disobedience.

Taking part in the discussion on the recent PTI protest, PTI Parliamentary Leader in the House Barrister Ali Zafar emphasized that trust in each other and CBMs were critically important for a dialogue to take place, as some members exchanged hot words.

Ali Zafar complained that their workers were still being arrested. He urged the government to create a conducive environment for talks and contended how could talks be held in the given situation.

The opposition legislator reiterated his party’s major demand for the formation of an independent commission to probe into what had happened on November 26, asking the government to apologise, if confirmed that peaceful protesters had been indiscriminately fired upon.

He said his party was ready to fight a legal battle on all the cases registered against its leaders, including Imran Khan, and continue the struggle for fundamental rights of the people. He also claimed that their protesters were peaceful and unarmed. He said to peacefully protest was a fundamental right and the exercise of this right can in no way be branded as terrorism and anarchy. The PTI lawmaker contended that political stability was prerequisite for economic stability, saying there will be no need for protests if the people were given freedom.

PMLN Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Irfan Siddiqui, in response to Zafar’s speech, questioned the PTI mantra of peaceful protest, insisting no peaceful protest starts with slogans of jihad or kill, or Panipat war. He wondered how would have Indian or US governments responded, had any state’s administrator led a march on their capital city. “Give one example out of 195 countries, if any protest is carried out with sticks and weapons. This time, no application was submitted for the protest, whereas there are related laws and rules,” he noted.

Siddiqui said: “We have never closed the doors; even today we want to talk openly; we are ready for dialogue but do not want a sword hanging over our heads.”

“It seems PTI’s point of view has changed towards us. If they (PTI) believe that they can shake hands with thieves and robbers, then talks can happen, then they should definitely do it. But they will have to abandon their old ways of politics,” he argued.

He said that even today they want dialogue with an open heart, as things cannot move forward without dialogue. The PMLN legislator said that no formal talks have started with the PTI. “We do not know what the PTI founder’s point of view on talks is.”

He said the PTI founder had a lot of burden on his shoulders. “The burden of May 9 is not small, and what he has done on November 26 is also not a small burden. This burden will not be easily removed by holding negotiations somewhere,” he said.

Senator Siddiqui also said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman always speaks within the framework of the Constitution and law.

PPP Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman, in her speech, said her party had always talked about dialogue but the PTI remained opposed to it in the past; an offer was made to it even at the time of elections, which was rejected. Without naming former ISI DG Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, she said the ground realities have forced the PTI to talk about negotiations.

Taking part in the discussion, PMLN Senator Talal Chaudhry said that parliament had failed the November 26 coup by passing the 26th Amendment.

He claimed that before the 26th Amendment, the plan was that if there was chaos, the building next door would automatically take notice, and the government would be put on trial. However, he emphasized, parliament took back its authority.

He said the PTI was playing tricks on talks to save Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed. Referring to the opposition party’s demand for a judicial commission on May 9 and November 26 events, he said the commission would be formed from the time PTI became Musharraf’s polling agent.

JUIF Senator Maulana Abdul Wasay said that his party was the one running the movement against the 2018 elections, adding that same work that was done by the PTI then, is being done by today’s government. However, he wondered if the PTI was talking about negotiations, then why the government was insulting it.