NA proceedings: PTI, PML-N MNAs exchange abusive language

ISLAMABAD: The proceedings of the National Assembly on Thursday witnessed exchange of abusive language and verbal clash between parliamentarians of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after a member of the frustrated ruling party members unleashed criticism against judiciary.

The lawmakers from two parties using threatening tone, abused and cursed each other after Captain ® Muhammad Safdar, son-in-law of the deposed prime minister said the July 28 decision of the Supreme Court had played havoc with the country. “The SC decision has stopped wheel of progress in the country,” he said.

Safdar who has also been appearing before the accountability court in Islamabad following SC decision in different NAB references, said the controversial verdict has deteriorated shape of the country.

The remarks against judiciary invited strong protest from the PTI members as Dr. Arif Alvi said corrupt people and thieves could not be defended in the Parliament. He also demanded of the chair to ask Captain (R) Safdar to leave the National Assembly hall.

Mian Abdul Mannan, another fire-brand PML-N member from Faisalabad also joined the brawl questioning as if he (Arif Alvi) was uncle (Maman) of the Supreme Court.

In response, Dr. Arif Alvi to stop his gab and shut his mouth questioned if the ruling party’s members are also uncles of any body. “Yes, I am,” Captain (R) Safdar while using harsh language said.

Dr. Arif Alvi and Mian Abdul Mannan also started cursing each other. Hamidul Haq who is also a short-tampered personality while using threatening language, asked Mian Abdul Mannan to sit down.

The parliamentarians sitting close to Safdar continued stopping him from approaching Arif Alvi. The PPP member Abdus Sattar Bachani also reached the seat of Safdar to cool him down.

The discussion on new dams turned into brawl in the House as speaking during a point of order, Captain (R) Safdar asked the Chief Justice of Pakistan to also pay attention on issue of construction of new dams. He said the decision of five judges of the Supreme Court had played havoc with the country.

The issue of Kalabagh dam once again echoed in the National Assembly as an independent member Jamshed Dasti said those speaking against this water reservoir were working on anti-Pakistan international agenda.

He asked the politician who have been opposing Kalabagh dam to come out of regional politics and do politics in interest of the country. Dasti said that over 2.1 million cusecs of water had gone into sea during the last few years saying that Sindh province also could have received sufficient water had the Kalabagh dam constructed.

On that Abdus Sattar Bachani of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) invited Jamshed Dasti to visit Kotri Barrage and see with his own eyes that is sand not water which was going into sea. He alleged the people were being threatened that situation of water shortage would increase if Kalabagh dam is not raised. “We will oppose this project as it is against interests of the Sindh province and are ready to sacrifice their lives for the purpose,” he said. Ghulam Sarwar Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that dam are need of the country but the important issue had been given political colour regretting that no serious debate on Kalabagh dam so far had taken place.

Naeema Kishwar of JUI-F regretted that baseless allegations have been levelled by one of the Fata members against JUI-F with regard to Senate elections. She said that JUI-F was a party having its own ideology saying her party wanted reforms in Fata but feel that some positive measures were needed to achieve required objectives.

PTI member Sajid Nawaz adopted a new way of protest against excessive bill and attended the session while wearing a garland of electricity bills to raise protest on ‘overcharging from power consumers’. He said that fake electricity units are being charged from consumers.

Minister of State for Power Division Abid Sher Ali, responding to the concerns, also came harsh on PTI member and termed the attire of PTI’s MNA as ‘drama’. “We will not allow theft of electricity at any cost. I can also wear hooks (KUNDA-term used for theft of electricity),” he said mentioning that the electricity would only be provided to those paying monthly bills. The government side also managed to pass ‘the regulation of generation, transmission and distribution of electric power (amendment) bill, 2018’, as passed by the Senate, with majority of votes.

The statement of objects and reasons says that power policy 2002 was introduced to facilitate and encourage private sector participation in the sector. It was expected that under the supervision of Nepra the power sector would be radically turned around, the public footprint would be gradually reduced in the wake of competitive tariff structures.

However, the expected outcomes were not successfully met. In part this was because of a regulatory framework, which did not adequately cater for moving to competitive and therefore efficient power sector transactions. The framework also placed excessive focus on tariff setting by the regulator.

In 2013, the bill says, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved the National Power Policy of 2013, laying down key components of a development strategy for achieving an efficient, competitive and sustainable power sector in Pakistan.

Meanwhile the opposition parties on Thursday staged separately walk out from the National Assembly proceedings against planned privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills and problems being faced by employees of the organisation.

The PPP parliamentarian Nafeesa Shah taking part in debate said that this government was pushing employees of the steel mills to starvation questioning as to why the government has withdrawn allowances of poor employees.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) MNA Arif Alvi strongly criticised the government for suspending the allowances of PSM’s employees. “The government should avoid taking this cruel step,” said Alvi.

MQM’s Dr. Fauzia Hameed said the government should not plan to privatise Pakistan Steel Mills. “This step will make the lives of many employees miserable,” she said saying that transport facility has also been withdrawn from them.

Minister for Privatisation Daniyal Aziz, responding to the concerns raised by the opposition, said the ECC had also approved three months salary (October to December 2017) for the employees of Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation (PSM). “We are waiting for the audit outstanding and the further process would start after completion of audit,” said the minister. He said he would share the actual time period for issuing dues after checking from his office. He further assured that the government would not take any step against employees.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly was informed that degrees and certificates of 659 employees of Pakistan International Airlines Company Limited (PIACL) have been found fake, bogus and tempered, out of which 391 have been dismissed, 251 cases are subjudice in various courts and 17 are at different stages of departmental proceedings.

In written reply to a question, the House was informed that verification of educational degrees and certificates is an on-going process whereby authenticity of degrees and certificates of all employees of PIACL belonging to all cadres are sent for verification to the concerned Board and University.

PIACL apprised that revival and improvement of PIA is possible.

The House was told though, PIA is passing through dire financial state but the present government is very keen to make itself reliant and efforts are underway to improve the financial health of the Corporation by reducing its losses through various means and modes. In the written reply, the government claimed that despite facing difficulties, PIAC has been able to improve upon its performance with reduction in losses.