What is opposition cooking for Mamnoon’s speech to joint sitting?

View from the Gallery

ISLAMABAD: Yet another day in the National Assembly goes to waste as the agitation hardy opposition further drags its feet on the issue of allowing its ceremonial (cheer) leader Khurshid Shah a live speech on state-run television. 

The governmental refusal has now developed into a full blown clash of egos on the heels of what looked like a minor publicity stunt by the Opposition Leader on Monday. What looms large at the moment is the possibility of opposition disturbing President Mamnoon Hussain’s annual address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday. 

A quiet and toothless resident of Aiwan-e-Sadar for the last four years would be wondering “why me”? Perhaps for the first time since his elevation to the highest state office, President Mamnoon might have to face a rude parliamentary opposition his predecessors Asif Zardari, General (R) Musharraf faced with varying degrees. 

But former Presidents had to face music as Opposition was convinced the gentlemen were part of the problem, or actually the problem. The case t hand is unique in nature. Opposition of the day feels obliged to do indulge in agitation assuming they have pushed to a tight corner. 

For the second straight day in a row, the opposition refused to open debate on the budget proposals 2017-18. And opted for a walk out to stay put at the lobby, rendering the budget debate a boring, one sided affair. As back benchers kept on praising Premier Sharif’s leadership and Ishaq Dar’s brains in a fashion that suggested as if we are witnessing a debate in a central Asian, Soviet era parliament. 

Rest of the ministerial bandwagon however remained indulged in pep talk, jokes etc. And then the obvious scenes of some yawning, half asleep back benchers. Rest busy killing time. Their Opposition colleagues desperate to get the proceedings suspended through two back to back quorum calls. That didn’t work. The third one forced the short tempered Deputy Speaker Mr Abbasi to adjourn the proceedings till Wednesday as he visibly fumed in anger. He could see some difficult-to- assemble treasury MPs had already slipped away from the NA Hall under one pretext on another. Moments ago, Opposition Leader Khurhsid Shah was hoping against hope for the treasury to budge. 

The impatient wait forced him to hit hard, employ his usual salvos, unlimited political rhetoric. First, he came up with some valid argument, stressing the whole budget session has been rendered useless in absence of input from Opposition MPs. Then tried the obvious, claiming the Speaker succumbed to treasury’s dictates. Ayaz Sadiq pleaded innocence, refusing point blank he came across such ‘order’ from the PM House.  Mr Shah was however quick in playing the authority card – how Senate chairman Raza Rabbani acts in comparison to Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. This prompted minister Rana Tanveer to intervene. Employing his usual rough, plain talk style, the minister complained that the Opposition Leader is under PTI pressure. 

On his turn, Shah Mahmood Qureshi hastened to refute this argument. And then the final moments, Khurshid shah leading the Opposition bandwagon for a walk out. Now each one of them won’t stop short till he is assured a live coverage by the state run TV on Wednesday. A big ask indeed. During the last few months, as Panama case progressed Mr Shah had to increase political pressure on the ruling Sharif after necessary prodding from elder Zardari sahib. 

PPP top tiers thought they stood a chance of political revival in the Punjab if Premier Sharif were to resign in case of an adverse court decision. That didn’t happen. In the process the Opposition leader used harsh political language against Sharifs. This change served twin purposes – to act as ‘real’ opposition, and re-establish his credentials dented during 2014-15 for going too soft on the government.

But he went too far, and ran out of favours from the treasury – point blank refusal to allow him live airtime on state run TV is a real clear message. Skeptical PTI quarters tend to disagree. For them, Mr Shah (PPP’s parliamentary strength) is still a precious asset for the treasury that can be used at critical junctures. As the conspiracy theorists have it, the current row over the live speech denial on Monday was an effort to further establish Mr Shah’s diminishing credentials as rest of the Opposition has to follow him.

The same factor being a major turn off for Imran Khan too who on occasion had to play second fiddle to the PPP man. Most of PTI’s urban egoists resent such images aired by media where Imran had to stand in the back row as Mr Shah interacted with media. That said, the current row over the live speech streaming has to be resolved as the Opposition plans to muddle President Mamnoon Hussain’s address.

A tricky situation indeed for ruling PML-N. As they look for smooth sailing in Parliament in the election year, their inability to settle issues on time costs them politically.

Their ace, political heavy weight ministers don’t act timely, or not authorized to do so. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq is handy at crucial junctures when it concerns political impasse related to legislation etc. He however cannot poke his nose in every issue given his stature as custodian of the Lower House. PML-N’s  Financial Czar, Ishaq Dar, is always there to intervene, negotiate at key moments. He too has his hands full at the moment i.e. economy,

 election reforms, special task from Premier Sharif.  At the moment, the treasury lacks handy political trouble shooters with an ability to resolve issues without waste of time.  Look at the case at hand. It’s a tradition and norm that the Opposition Leader opens the debate on Finance Minister’s budget speech. Now many treasury and ally back benchers have already spoken on the heels of the controversy revolving around live speech. Still, the all accommodative Opposition leader is ready to deliver his speech provided it is live. That will satisfy his ego and resolve the impasse for now. But the catch here is that the Opposition folds might increase the bar of demands on Wednesday – live speech telecast of all the Opposition parliamentary heads. 

As a result, double the airtime compared to what was demanded on Monday. In case, the treasury resorts to political bravado, an opposition agitation, walk out during the Presidential address is a given. And then a tough time in Senate where the treasury doesn’t enjoy majority. For sure someone at the helm of affairs would be minutely calculating cost, benefits and down side of this minor issue having been blown out of proportion through untimely handling.