Govt flayed for not acting upon SC order on ECL

Opposition members hailing from PPP, PML-N criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for not removing names of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari from Exit Control List (ECL) on the Supreme Court orders and termed it destroying the politics in the country.

On a point of order, PPP Parliamentary Leader Syed Hassan Murtaza flayed the PTI leadership for not implementing the SC orders while federal cabinet turned down the SC orders and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry proudly declared it. He left the House for a moment as a token walk-out.

Hassan Murtaza said that no one is superior to law and Constitution while PTI ministers trying to prove that they were above the law by not implementing the SC orders. ‘This behaviour of the PTI will annihilate the politics”, he stated. He questioned that did the Supreme Court’s decision require cabinet approval. ‘The PTI should keep under the Constitution and issues arise when someone overdo the Constitution”, he said adding that JIT report was just a report and no one should be allowed for media trial on the basis of JIT report which authenticity was already questioned.

Hassan Murtaza said that accountability should be carried out across the board and one should not be victimised. ‘Currently victimisation is being done through accountability’, he remarked. Responding to Hassan Murtaza, Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed made it clear that no one would be exempted from punishment for looting public money. ‘We did not make any reference against PML-N and PPP so far while dozens are ready with us. Both parties should wait for those references too’, he said adding both PPP and PML-N lawmakers have been putting the corruption of each other under the carpet for the last one decade. However, now they are being trialed for their corruption, he added.

Mehmood-ur-Rasheed questioned that where the SC respect was when it asked then Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani to write to Swiss Banks. He said the PTI had zero-tolerance for corruption and would not accept any pressure from anywhere either it’s a Sindh card or any other card, only Pakistan’s card will work now. He termed the PPP and PML-N passengers of same truck while the PTI respected the Supreme Court decision. Additionally, it is right of PTI to appeal in Intra-court on Supreme Court decision, he added. He said that the PML-N leadership was handcuffed due to their mega corruption while PPP leaders would also be there due to their corruption.

PML-N’s MPA Samiullah Khan speaking on the issue said that PTI was claiming that it would make the PML-N cry on corruption while crying of PTI information minister was watched by everyone on Imran Khan Reference in NAB. ‘Our leadership is in jail without proof of corruption but the PTI is crying with only reference’, he said adding that Aleema Khan admitted Benami properties and God knows either she paid fine on it to FBR or not. He said had Aleema Khan Surname been Sharif or Bhutto she would have been definitely in jail by now. He asked Imran Khan to constitute a JIT on Aleema Khan case to make the accountability process transparent.

“Whether Aleema Khan had paid the fine and if she had then House be told why she was fined. Why PTI is crying over helicopter’s case”, Samiullah stated.

He said the PML-N would not allow PTI to treat small province in a manner Bengal was treated in 70s and will stop its way. “What message we wanted to give small provinces by not removing Sindh CM’s name from ECL despite court orders. The PML-N will stop PTI from treating provinces in such manner and will not allow the PTI to hit CM of any province”, he added.

As the atmosphere of the House turned into heated discussion, the deputy speaker adjourned the House by Monday 3pm.

Earlier, during question answer session provincial law minister Raja Basharat admitted that former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and his family travelled on their expenses on the foreign tours. However, during the 40 visits in which around 300 officials accompanied him were travelled on government expenses.

On the other hand, provincial minister for Zakat and Ushr Shaukat Ali Lalika said millions of Zakat fund was misused in different areas across Punjab. It irked the PML-N lawmakers.