ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah Thursday took strong exception to the release of an accused in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on bail.
“A message is being given to all the politicians that no one is safe in the country. We all will be assassinated if this trend continued,” he said on a point of order in the National Assembly.
He said that Benazir Bhutto was a global leader and was advised not to return to Pakistan, but she came and was martyred here. However, he said efforts were made to conceal facts regarding her death.
Khursheed Shah questioned the nation should be told why the crime scene of martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto was washed out immediately after the attack. The opposition leader said when former military ruler Pervez Musharraf came under attack, a mobile phone chip was recovered from the crime scene and the evidence led the security officials to the terrorists who were sentenced to death. “But when a political leader was assassinated, all the proofs were obvious, but the murderers have been acquitted,” he said. Khursheed Shah said the PML-N never gave importance to the Parliament and now the Parliament has become helpless and its autonomy has ended. “We asked the government countless times to come, sit and resolve the issues in the Parliament, but the government never took it seriously and never gave respect to the legislature,” he said.
The opposition leader called for convening a meeting of the political parties to discuss scarcity of water in the country. “There is no water in Sindh for human consumption and even for the animals,” he said. Khursheed Shah said that instead of 100,000 cusec water share, only 30,000 cusec of water is being release to Sindh. He suggested imposing water emergency in the country due to scarcity of water.
Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said the release of the accused in martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto is a serious issue and he will write a letter after the consultation with the law minister.
The speaker questioned from the law minister why there was delay in the decision in the case of assassination of Benazir Bhutto as the case was in the courts for last 10 years.
Law Minister Mehmood Bashir Virk said Benazir Bhutto case was being heard for the last 10 years, while Nawaz Sharif’s case was being heard in the accountability court on daily basis. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab said Benazir Bhutto was a leader of international stature and the government wants justice in the case.
Meanwhile, veteran politician Mehmood Khan Achakzai called upon the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to stop his subordinates from interfering in politics saying they should not twist arms of the political leaders.
“Bajwa sb for God’s sake stop your subordinates from interfering in political matters,” Achakzai said this while speaking on floor of the National Assembly during the budget debate.
Achakzai while addressing the army chief said any harm incurred to democracy, he would be responsible for it.
He said that justice never meant that it should be applied only on Nawaz Sharif saying that Nawaz Sharif had been disqualified for life and now he would be sent to jail. “You are creating another Bhutto in country’s politics,” he warned saying if that happened such storm would rise from Punjab nobody could think of.
Mehmood Achakzai warned that the country was passing through a very difficult time. “Everyone has to respect the Constitution of the country,” he said, proposing to hold a grand ‘Jirga’ comprising judges, generals, politicians and journalists to discuss important matter to pull country out of crisis.
He maintained if fair and transparent general elections are not held, the country would face serious turmoil.
He said Daesh has lost war in Syria and when these forces would come to Pakistan and Afghanistan and Pakistan would once again be trapped in a dangerous war.
He said, “You killed thousands of people and did every job which a foreign force may do and what do you expect out of it other than Manzoor Pashteen,” Achakzai stated.
He warned that their movement (Pahtseen’s) should not be tackled wrongly otherwise it would be extremely disastrous. “We should also stop interfering in the affairs of neighboring country, Afghanistan. Germans, British, Japanese got killed here besides the Americans,” he said. He also warned Pakistan to be careful about taking decision on Fata.
He said Pakistan is isolated internationally and on the matter of Iran, the Saudi Arabia and Israel would support US. He said acting upon the constitution is the only way to get out of this situation otherwise anarchy would be the fate of the country. He said this is time to take courageous decisions and every institution should remain in its limit including judiciary and army and the directives of Parliament should be obeyed.
He said that everybody should work within his domain saying if a general violates constitution, he must be stopped and if civilian becomes dictator, he should also be tackled.
He called for reducing defence expenditure and more spending be allocated for the health, education and social sector.
Participating in the budget debate, Qari Muhammad Yousaf said an interest free financial system should be enforced to take forward the country on the path of development.
Shehryar Khan Afridi said that special emphasis should be laid on the development of Fata to address the grievances of tribal people.
Describing the budget pro-rich, Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani said minimum wage should be enhanced keeping in view the price hike.
Captain (R) Safdar said the present government rid the country of terrorism and power shortages. He said that Parliament was supreme institution of the country saying that it were the political parties and leadership which should run the country.
The opposition in the National Assembly gave a sigh relief to the government for smooth sailing of passage of budget deciding not to move the cut motions on the demands and grants of the federal ministries and division in a protest.
Both the major opposition parties in the National Assembly had submitted the cut motions on the demands and grants of the federal ministries and division but later on decided to withdraw these in a protest.
