ISLAMABAD: Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur came under scathing criticism from the opposition in the Senate on Wednesday for calling ex-PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) a traitor, charging that the language being used by some ministers was opening up a new political tug-of-war.
For some time, it became inaudible as former chairman Raza Rabbani resorted to loud slogan-chanting against the government and its ministers. Some opposition lawmakers came near the dice of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. There was complete unity in the ranks of lawmakers belonging to PPP, PML-N, JUI-F and other parties as they joined hands to condemn the minister for Kashmir and asked what message he was giving to Kashmiris by such utterances.
The opposition senators decried the kind of language used against ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, whereas the treasury senators tried to respond to the opposition’s criticism and Leader of the House Dr Shahzad Waseem said the opposition leaders should apologise for the kind of language they used during their poll campaign in Azad Kashmir.
PPP’s Mola Bux Chandio after the question hour rose to protest, saying that an abusive minister of the abusive government had used filthy language the other day in Kashmir and that he must be ashamed of himself for this.
Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentary Leader Senator Sherry Rehman said the minister against whom the case has been registered was going to Azad Kashmir and polluting the environment. “Who are these people who give certificates of treason? This is not acceptable at all,” she asserted. “Those who point fingers at Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto should first look at themselves. How can those involved in the Gilgit-Baltistan election rigging come again to steal these elections? This propaganda against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his family continues even today after 50 years. Those who offer bribes of crores for a single vote have no knowledge of history or morality. The PTI government has not set a good precedent by not apologising for these comments,” she noted.
Raza Rabbani said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is a benefactor of Pakistan because of whose wisdom the country stands here today and if Pakistan is taking pride in nuclear deterrence today, he brought it into existence. He said if Pakistan could look in the eyes of India today, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had kissed the gallows for it. “If today Pakistan has nuclear weapons in the whole Islamic world, it is because of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
PMLN’s Azam Nazir Tarar said the language used by Gandapur about ZAB and Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz seemed to be raising voices from prisons.
JUIF’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri expressed solidarity with PPP and PML-N and said Bhutto’s good deeds might be more than his mistakes.
Leader of the House Dr Shehzad Waseem was on his feet to say that what was said in the election meetings was discussed here while “you can take out video clips and see the top leaders of their parties what they are talking and contended that they should apologise for the language used by their leadership in Azad Kashmir public meetings”. He said that ZAB threatened to break the legs of those who would go to East Pakistan and raised slogan of ‘Aither Hum, Outher Tum’ and raised Dilai Camp.
Senator Sherry Rehman said Malala Yousafzai was shot, she fought extremists. The news came that the Punjab Text Board has banned the book which has a picture of Malala Yousafzai, why she was counted among the heroes. “What message are you giving to the new generation?” she asked.
Senator Ijaz Chaudhry of the PTI said the book of Malala's picture has been published by Oxford, the book has nothing to do with the Punjab Board.
The Senate also passed the Protection of Women's Property Rights Bill (Amendment) 2021. The bill was introduced by Science and Technology Minister Shibli Faraz on behalf of the law minister and was passed unanimously by the House.
The opposition members minus JUI-F and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) staged walkout from the National Assembly over remarks of the Federal Minister Ali Amin Gandapur against Late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and PML-N leadership.
Naveed Qamar and Murtaza Javed Abbasi after registering their protest through speeches announced to boycott proceedings. The JUI-F and JI members, however, did not join the walkout.
Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Rana Tanveer Hussain went up to JUIF and JI members but they refused to follow them.
The PPP member Shamim Ara Kanwal strongly condemned the use of the word ‘traitor’ for Zulfikar Ali Bhutto asking the Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur to apologise on the floor of the House.
Syed Naveed Qamar of PPP said there are some personalities who are seen in the historical perspective like Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Al Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto whose contributions to the nation building are always acknowledged.
The PTI parliamentarian and ex-PPP leader Raja Muhammad Riaz also joined protest of the opposition parties and strongly condemned remarks of the federal minister.
Murtaza Javed Abbasi of PML-N also regretted derogatory remarks used by the federal minister for Kashmir Affairs for leadership of PML-N including Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. “We will also call Imran Khan a dacoit if our leadership is dubbed as dacoit,” Abbasi said.
He warned the PTI leaders to refrain from targeting the personalities of opponent and only talk about their performance otherwise they would get the befitting response.
Murtaza Javed Abbasi also announced a boycott from the House.
Nawab Muhammad Yousuf Talpur said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto started Pakistan’s nuclear programme which actually was initiated in 1974. He said then US also threatened Bhutto that he would have to pay the price for starting a nuclear programme and he would be made an example.
“Ziaul Haque hanged Zulfikar Ali Bhutto at the behest of America and then his daughter Benazir Bhutto was also assassinated and she embraced Shahadat,” Talpur said.
Adviser to the Prime Minister Ali Nawaz Awan on remarks of Naveed Qamar said the political point-scoring is two-way traffic.
He said it was a matter of fact that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto signed the Simla agreement and surrendered Kashmir to India by ending the role of the United Nations from the issue. “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto agreed with India that Kashmir will be a bilateral issue between the two countries and the same was not accepted by Pakistani people,” he said.
He said the PTI leaders did not want to talk about historical incidents like drone attacks and Abbottabad incidents. “You allowed drone attacks and we stood before Nato containers,” he said.
The National Assembly also offered Fateha for the departed soul of Hockey Olympian Naveed Alam who died of cancer.
Iqbal Muhammad Ali of MQM called upon the government to extend financial support to family of Naveed Alam who represented Pakistan in Olympics and Sydney Hockey World Cup. He said on his appeal, Naveed Alam got treatment at Shaukat Khanum Hospital while the Sindh government also supported him.
Nawab Yousuf Talpur soon after completing his speech pointed out lack of quorum in the House, Deputy Speaker suspended proceedings till completion of quorum.
The chair, however, had to adjourn proceedings on resumption after 30 minutes due to lack of quorum till Friday.
Meanwhile, the PML-N senior parliamentarian Ahsan Iqbal demanded of the government to clarify the ambiguity as to whether the United States asked for air bases or the current regime made self-fabricated refusals.
Adviser to the Prime Minister said it was also the stance of the government during in-camera security briefing to the parliamentarians that Pakistan would not give any air bases to the US. “We can be partners in peace but not in confrontation,” Babar Awan while quoting the prime minister said.
The PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal while raising issue of a tragic incident in Dasu area of Gilgit Baltistan near site of Diamir Bhasha Dam, demanded of the chair to direct interior minister to give a detailed briefing to the House on security situation in the country.
“The incident is attack on the country's development, energy security and water security,” Ahsan Iqbal while speaking on a point of order said.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan agreed to the opposition member that the interior minister should give a detailed briefing to the House on the security situation in the country.
