Parliament turns on Imran

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) on Thursday passed a resolution to condemn PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed for using derogatory and indecent remarks for the parliament while addressing a public meeting in Lahore on Wednesday night.

“This House strongly condemns the use of words ‘Laanat’ and ‘Laanti’ by PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Sheikh Rasheed at a public meeting in Lahore,” the resolution moved by the Minister of State Mian Balighur Rehman said.

The resolution says that Imran Khan and Sheikh Rasheed in this way have made intentional attempts to damage respect and dignity of the House of which they also happen to be members.

Through the resolution, the NA observed that it is the representative institution of over 200 million people. “By insulting the House, they have also humiliated over 200 million people of the country which is a highly condemnable act,” it said.

“This is firm belief of the parliamentarians that the dignity, progress and strength of Pakistan is linked with the parliament according to vision of the Quaid-e-Azam and in true spirit of the Constitution,” the resolution said.

The resolution was adopted by the House in the absence of PTI members, and signed by members of the PML-N, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). It maintained that there was no room for any other system in the country in the presence of parliament.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah came down hard on Imran Khan and Sheikh Rasheed for using derogatory remarks for the parliament.

“The opposition may have the right to abuse or criticise the government but nobody has the right to abuse the parliament,” Khawaja Asif said, adding they would not allow anybody to abuse the parliament.

Khursheed Shah said Imran Khan abused the same House of which he wanted to become the leader, which shows he was a “mean person” and “Bazari”.

He said that Imran and Sheikh Rasheed had no moral qualities like shame, respect and dignity. “They will return to the parliament after tendering their resignations. It is the same House they are abusing now,” he said adding that he could say with guarantee that Shah Mahmood Qureshi had requested the Speaker that resignations of PTI parliamentarians might not be accepted.

“The House should also be apprised of what facilities the PTI members continued to accept when they were not attending proceedings after tendering resignations,” he said. Observing that both Imran Khan and Sheikh Rasheed have breached privilege of the House, he requested the chair to constitute a privilege committee in which the two should be called and arrested if they do not turn up.

He said the PPP and PML-N have given numerous sacrifices for democracy and it was their responsibility to protect the sanctity of the parliament. He advised Imran Khan that he could not become the prime minister in this way.

Commenting on the role of Dr Tahirul Qadri, the foreign minister said the man who was present on the container is a Canadian national and had nothing to do with Pakistan.

Khursheed Shah said it was painful to hear abuses used for the parliament which was an umbrella of safety for all questioning Imran Khan as to what would be the next option for him if there was no parliament. “Do you want to invite a dictator after locking the parliament and then you will bow before him?” he questioned, adding that it did not make difference if anybody wanted to resign but the parliament should not be blamed.

He said they wanted to see strong courts, armed forces and other institutions. “We want to see a strong army for defence of the country while the courts are making independent decisions,” Shah said.

He said that such words were used for the parliament which he could not repeat. “Ash and dust in those mouths that used such words,” he said. The opposition leader said the insulting remarks given for the parliament had pained not only them but also 200 million people of the country. “I have also been receiving calls that I should also speak like that but I always say Pakistan Zindabad, Democracy Zindabad, Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad and Parliament Zindabad,” he said.

He said that they did not insult the institutions even when cases were framed against the PPP leadership and the Supreme Court was asked to give punishment to Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, adding audio tapes in this connection still exist in the record of the apex court.

He said their elected prime minister was shown the door within seconds but still they did not curse and insulted the institution and never said that they did not want Pakistan. “Today, the judges of the Supreme Court must be feeling as to what was done with the PPP which is a patriotic political party and wants prosperity and progress of the country and its people but we never insulted the institutions,” he said.

He pointed out that the Zainab tragedy in Kasur was condemned and they also termed it as failure of the Punjab government but attempts were made to hide such crimes in Mardan and Dera Ismail Khan.