Nawaz getting worst treatment: Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Murtaza Javed Abbasi said on Wednesday that the treatment mated out to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was even worse than the Indian atrocities in the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK).

The chair soon after announcing the result of speaker National Assembly gave floor to ex-deputy speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi who immediately termed the mandate secured by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the July 25 elections as fake, inviting sloganeering from his colleagues and PTI members.

Former speaker Ayaz Sadiq thanked the PPP and Asif Ali Zardari for facilitating the first handover of a democratically elected government to another one in 2013.

He said he and his colleagues in the assembly had tried to work for the betterment of Pakistan. “I smiled through chants of ‘fake speaker’ and listened to people say they didn’t accept what I said but God gave me strength to get through it. When people said there are thieves in this assembly, we all were hurt,” said Ayaz Sadiq.

He said he hope he would not disrespect the new speaker. He urged the MNAs to respect the speaker and his position. He also praised the PPP for supporting him during the assembly session as the opposition. He said he was able to work with the support of Nawaz Sharif, Khursheed Shah as the leader of the opposition and the JUI-F and ensure that the MNAs who left the assembly were not kicked out.

On a lighter note, he said he hoped one day that Shireen Mazari could head a session and if he was frustrated, he could take it out on her the same way she took out her frustrations on him.

Ayaz Sadiq said he always did the right thing and gave time to all members and he has no regrets.

“Let us work for the benefit of Pakistan, for the betterment of Parliament. We get a lot of abuse but no one appreciates our good work. We need to appreciate the good work we do for the betterment of Pakistan,” he said.

Ayaz Sadiq asked the newly elected speaker to look at the last assembly’s records to check and see how much time was given to the government and opposition. He thanked the PPP, PML-N and Khursheed Shah, whom he said showed him how big of a heart you have to have to be in this role.

Senior leader of the PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he appreciates Khursheed Shah’s speech and that he showed ‘political maturity’. “If we want to take the country forward, we need to continue like this,” he said.

Shah Mehmood said the role of the opposition is important and the government will safeguard their democratic right. He said the government will need the opposition’s help to resolve the economic issues of the country and urged them to continue to raise issues.

The MQM Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, while felicitating the newly elected speaker, said it is a step forward towards transition of power in a democratic way. He urged the political parties to play their due role in strengthening Pakistan and the Parliament as envisioned by founders of the country.