PTI MPs cursed and cornered in NA

ISLAMABAD: Amid the PTI members’ uproar, members from the government and opposition benches on Tuesday criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for cursing the parliament and asked him to take back his words.

The PTI members gathered in front of the Speaker’s dais and continued raising slogans, ignoring repeated requests made by the chair to call off sloganeering. They were protesting against the remarks of Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi that the whole nation condemned Imran Khan’s remarks.

In his ruling, Abbasi said the whole nation should curse the one who’d cursed parliament (Poori Qaum us per la’anat bhejay jo parliament per la’anat bhejtey hein). Abbasi said parliament should legislate to take action against those who’d cursed the sacred institution. He said those cursing parliament were not acceptable in the democratic system. He asked the parliamentarians to punish such immature politicians, who often curse the parliament and use derogatory language against it. “It is duty of each parliamentarian to ensure the sanctity of parliament,” he said.

He said the persons involved in defaming the parliament would be ousted from politics after being declared cursed. “Parties involved in defaming parliament should be barred from participating in politics,” he said. He also expunged some remarks used by the PTI parliamentarians.

Earlier, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, before suspending proceedings for 45 minutes for lack of quorum, said parliament was meant to serve the masses. “The institution could not deliver unless its members respect the House. Parliament is the supreme institution and nobody could be allowed to disgrace it.” He suggested that the lawmakers should pass a legislation to punish those who curse parliament.

Defending Imran, PTI’s Sheharyar Afridi said the remarks were passed in some other context. He said lawlessness, poverty, unemployment and immoral activities were on the rise, while parliament was passing a law to facilitate just one person. “When people in parliament will tell lies and engage in looting, then they will face nothing but curses,” he said.

As member from the government side and PTI were exchanging hard words, Raza Hayat Hiraj of the PML-N said the exercise of cursing each other should stop now. He asked both the opposition and treasury members to respect the parliament and the office of the Speaker, as both the government and opposition derived their strength and power from parliament.

He said it was an obligation of all the parliamentarians to jointly ensure sanctity of parliament and avoid slinging mud at each other. He said parliament enjoyed absolute power and its decisions could not be challenged even in the Supreme Court. Condemning the remarks against parliament, the PML-N and PPP parliamentarians said the PTI members should quit parliament and return millions of rupees they had pocketed as salary during the last four and a half years.

Captain (retd) Safdar of PML-N criticised the PTI MNAs for their unbecoming attitude towards the deputy speaker. He said former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged for initiating the nuclear programme, while the country was divided into two parts because of depriving Maulvi Tameezuddin of justice by late Justice Munir. Criticising former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, he said Article 6 should be for enforced for his trial.

Ayesha Syed of Jamaat-i-Islami criticised the PTI for using derogatory language against parliament. She said each MNA represented hundreds of people of his/her constituency and all should jointly work for the welfare of their electorate.

Mehmood Khan Achakzai of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKAMP) proposed a one or two days debate on the sanctity of parliament. Shazia Marri of PPP said her party would not endorse any anti-parliament campaign and emphasised an across-the-board accountability.

Sajid Ahmad of MQM demanded that the PTI members should tender their resignations. “If parliament is so bad, then they (PTI) should immediately tender resignations and curse their salaries,” he said. Abdul Sattar Bachani of PPP came down hard on the PTI lawmakers for defending the remarks of their chairman. Amir Dogar said a former member had termed Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman as his hero but no action was taken against him.