Opposition refuses to end NA boycott

ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties continued boycott of the proceedings of the National Assembly for the fourth consecutive day as they vowed to continue their struggle till the Fata people got their due right.

However, the opposition parties on Thursday failed in their attempt to get the House adjourned due to lack of quorum.

To the embarrassment of Fata parliamentarian Shah G Gul Afridi, the House was found in order when he pointed out lack of quorum following opposition members’ walkout of proceedings against Fata reforms bill missing from agenda of the day.

The House, however, saw some rumpus during speeches of Mahmood Khan Achakzai who has been opposing merger of Fata with KP province and Ali Muhammad Khan of PTI who was also snubbed by the deputy speaker for using aggressive language.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai from Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party suggested creation of a supreme council to address issues relating to the tribal areas.

He said it was right to oppose or support the proposed Fata reforms and merger of Fata with KP province. “It is being said that I am opposing the Fata reforms bill. It is my democratic right,” he said.

Achakzai said that Fata did not fall within the domain of Parliament saying that the President of Pakistan could make an end to the Frontier Crimes Regulations. “If you want to end FCR, this can be done by the President of Pakistan,” he maintained.

He informed that a big delegation from Fata also met the army chief and told him that no decision about their fate should be taken without will of the tribal people. “The people from Fata should have say in any decision to be made for them,” he said.

He observed that an acceptable and practicable solution for Fata areas should be given saying that it could have been much better had Fata areas given their own governor.

He also referred to Government of India Act 1935 according to which Fata was declared an independent area.

He also complained about attitude of Shaikh Rashid Ahmad whose seat in the National Assembly hall is located next to him. “My neighbour talks about me but we both do not speak to each other,” he said.

In response to hooting and shouting from the opposition members during his speech, Achakzai said he would not respond but abusive language should not be used.

Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah strongly reacted to speech of Achakzai saying that they were bound to follow 1973 Constitution of Pakistan and not the British rule’s Act of 1935. “We only follow the 1973 Constitution and not any theory of Afghanistan or India,” he maintained.

He said that Parliament enjoyed mandate of the people of Pakistan and it would never accept any law of aliens or white people.

Khrusheed Shah said 95 percent people of Fata wanted their merger with KP province saying the opposition parties would not participate in proceedings of the House till tribal population was given its rights. “We want to give people of Fata their rights by bringing them in the national mainstream,” he said maintaining that Parliament could not be used as a rubber stamp.

Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi warned the PTI member Ali Muhammad Khan to behave in Parliament. “You should take care of parliamentary traditions and its sanctity,” Abbasi asked Ali Khan who was speaking in loud voice without given the floor.

Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao called upon the government not to delay issue relating to Fata reforms as the problem was not in the sight after a long time. However, he said every parliamentarian had the right to express his views. He said it would be a credit for the federal government if it resolved the issue at the earliest to give rights to Fata people majority of whom wanted merger of tribal areas with the KP province. “The government should not fizzle out this golden opportunity of bringing Fata people in the national mainstream,” he said.

Talking to newsmen outside Parliament, Shaikh Rashid Ahmad said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Mahmood Khan Achakzai had been working on the Afghan funding and wanted to serve wishes of Afghanistan.