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Friday March 29, 2024

Govt members start budget debate in NA

By Muhammad Anis
May 30, 2017

Speaker sets new tradition; opposition stages walkout protesting against denial to live telecast of Khursheed’s speech

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Monday set a new tradition by kicking debate on the federal budget by the members from the treasury benches after opposition parties, including MQM, staged a walkout from the National Assembly following refusal of the government to allow live telecast of the speech of the opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah.

After refusal of the opposition leader to kick off the debate, the Speaker asked members from the government benches to start discussion. It has been a tradition in the National Assembly that debate on the federal budget is initiated by the opposition leader. However, the tradition was broken after the Speaker and the government could not accommodate the demand of the opposition leader of live telecast of his speech. “Why should I sit in the House if the Speaker cannot safeguard our rights?” Syed Khursheed Shah said.

He recalled that during the tenure of the incumbent government, it was then Information Minister Senator Pervez Rashid who resolved the issue and made arrangements for live telecast of his speech on the PTV News.

The Speaker pointed out that it was not his jurisdiction to allow the live telecast of any speech in the House rather it was task of the Information Ministry. He said he would also have to go through past tradition regarding live telecast of the opposition leader’s speech.

Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb also contended that there had been no such tradition from the year 2008 to 2016. She further said in order to make live transmission, the management of Pakistan Television had to make prior arrangement as commercials were already booked.

Marriyum Aurengzeb offered the opposition leader that complete recording of his speech would be telecast on PTV channel. The opposition leader Khursheed Shah told the Speaker that 35 minutes before the start of Monday’s proceedings, he had informed him (Speaker) about his demand. “The finance minister delivered his speech which was live telecast and now it is also my right to get the same facility,” he said.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) questioned as to why the government was hesitant and afraid of giving time to the opposition leader on television.

The opposition members while staging walkout also raised slogans of ‘Shame Shame’. On resumption of proceedings after break for Asr prayers, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad informed the Speaker that he talked to the opposition leader and he was not ready to deliver his speech unless his demand was accepted.

Shazia Marri of PPP raised question of lack of quorum in the National Assembly but the House was found in order on counting. Shiza Fatima Khawaja of PML-N initiating debate on the federal budget said it was not a political budget rather it was people-friendly budget. She said that the government believed in uplifting the health sector.

Naeema Kishwar Khan of JUI-F congratulated the PML-N government on presenting the 5th consecutive budget which she said reflected strengthening of the democratic system. She said the Pakistan government should get rid of interest-based economic system observing more amount than any other head had been made for payment of interest on loan.

She complained that the female parliamentarians were not getting development funds Mehmood Bashir Virk of PML-N criticised the opposition leader Khursheed Shah for not starting budget debate saying that there was no such tradition of live telecast of opposition leader’s speech.

Meanwhile, the PML-N member Daniyal Aziz and Murad Saeed of PTI exchanged harsh words while leveling allegations against each other’s top leaders. The PML-N member said a member of the House had been declared proclaimed offender by the Anti-Terrorist Court and notice in this regard had also been pasted at his residence located in Bannigala. “The court should be requested to arrest him whenever he comes to this House,” he said.

In response, Murad Saeed said the whole country was searching for a thief while two judges of the Supreme Court had also declared that he was no more Sadiq and Ameen. “His investigation is still continuing and let us see what comes out of his pockets,” he said. Syed Esa Noor of Balochistan National Party on a point of order raised issue of water shortage in Gwadar saying that one water tanker was available for not less than Rs15,000.