ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), it seems, will be attacking the government from left, right and centre with all the weapons it has in its armoury, after the leader of the Opposition wrote a letter to the speaker of the National Assembly on Friday, asking for her impartiality.
Clearly, the noisy protests inside the parliament and threats of public agitation outside it are not enough, and the party has decided to utilise the office of the Opposition leader in the National Assembly held by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to further raise the heat against the incumbent Prime Minister.
In an apparent move to intensify its opposition against Yousaf Raza Gilani after his conviction by the Supreme Court last week, Nisar said he would dispatch a series of letters to government functionaries, holders of important constitutional positions, diplomats, think tanks and leaders of other political parties.
To get started with this new strategy, Nisar on Friday dispatched the first letter to Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza and her deputy Faisal Karim Kundi, asking them to rise above their party affiliation and act impartially when the question is put before them to judge whether the Prime Minister stood disqualified or not.
“The sanctity of the offices you [speaker and deputy speaker] hold demands you to be impartial and fair to all parties. You, however, have not been,” Nisar wrote in the letter, the content of which he shared with the media.
PML-N last week accused Mirza of being biased, when she ‘leaked’ to the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) a letter sent to her by a deputy registrar of the Supreme Court about the short verdict against Gilani.
Mirza on Thursday told media her role in the Gilani’s disqualification case would start when the court will provide the detailed verdict.
Nisar said that he also reminded the speaker and her deputy about a resolution seeking the creation of four new provinces that was submitted by the PML-N to her office on Thursday. “It should have been on the agenda of the house on Friday,” said Nisar.
COMMENTS (17)
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Mr. Nisar you have to keep it in your mind firmly and strongly that Fehmida Mirza is elected as Speaker National Assembly by the PPP's votes and she also belongs to PPP also so how can she be impartial?
@Hasan Awan: I agree that the resignation thing isn't really an answer. But, as opposition... they do go too far in some cases. They basically hold up all governmental progress they're involved in and then complain when nothing gets done. They have no concept of good timing and rarely any range in the severity of the reaction. They make time stop and throw immature temper tantrums. If something is wrong and they're right to be opposed to it, there are usually other roads to be taken because if there is a violation of something, there's usually a process to punish it. Instead they just cause a scene and make demands that will never be met because nobody is obligated to meet the demands of their party. They do have to meet the demands of the process of the system, though.
There's nothing to appreciate in that. If anything it makes it look like a circus.
Jibran: I pity you because you comment first without looking at the facts. No one can ask the supreme to disclose the detailed verdict until the time they wish to provide it impartially. Secondly, there is already a petition going on in the Lahore High Court filed against the Premier, asking him to be removed from office. And these were the simple answers to the reasons why you decided to label someone a treacherous. The Premier walks free while the opposition is under attack from trolls like you.
What can happen to Pakistan when its SC judges cannot even write a clear verdict about their decision? When the highest officials are this "efficient" then why talk about the rest? It is not a rocket science to declare the decision one way or the other. It appears that the PCO SC wants to create more chaos in the govt and the country. Courts are for decisions not confusion. The short verdict is debatable and can be interpreted either way. After this many days and months the SC is not even sure about its own verdict or playing cat and mouse with the future of the country. PM must resign if the SC writes a clear decision and if his appeal fails and the speaker and election commission agrees with (which they would) the SC. The only option to save the PM is presidential immunity.
This parliament is run by genetic garbage of Pakistan. The truth is all these parliamentarians are so stupid they don't even qualify for a janitorial job.
This is called treason. Why doesn't the Pakistan Memo League go to the supreme court to get the detailed verdict or disqualification?
PTI trolls' logic is mind boggling:
PM is convicted; instead of asking PM to resign , they are childishly asking PML N to resign!?!!!?!!
One can ask Ch. Sahib is his party following constitution in Punjab? The grumblings which we see now from PML-N is only due to their own doings. They are now in wilderness and haunted by Mr. Imran Khan's popularity. Sometimes one feels as if he needs some days to spend in Fountain House - Lahore. Loneliness really hurts.
Chaudhary Nisar is notorious to meeting "Government Officials", and writing letters to them inciting for treason, and coups. Again, one he is playing dirty politics, with the blessing of Sharif Senior. Why Pakistan Memo League does not go to the supreme court for a detailed judgement, and clarification, instead of giving verdicts in Sharif court.
@ Kaleem:
You are right in saying that but look at the Prime Minister’s role. Mr. Gilani after becoming Prime Minister of Pakistan should have become impartial, but he stood behind the President.
Had Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan knew that Fahmida Mirza will play an impartial role; he would have never asked Fahmida Mirza to remain impartial.
Unfortunately, our politicians before any elections are held in the country they go to the masses and beg for the votes, but after winning the National and Provincial Assembly Elections, they never look back at the voters.
Pakistan is destined to progress but it is very unfortunate that our politicians instead of serving the masses, they protect their individual interests.
When General Musharraf was President, the politicians wanted to get rid of from the dictatorship and bring back the democracy. Now for the last four years democracy is prevailing in the country and every body has seen the difference between the rule of General Musharraf and the PPP.
To clarify my position let me elaborate here that I have never been a member of any political party or regime. My only ambition is to see Pakistan and Pakistanis flourishing and prospering and nothing else.
@ Hassan Awan & Uzair:
Gentlemen, you are talking some which is theoretical and not practical.
I am a student of politics for 40+ years. At various forums I have been predicting about the national and international politics and change of governments.
It will not be Fahmida Mirza who will disqualify the sitting PM Gilani, but it will be the letter which will be issued by Election Commission of Pakistan in the name of the Speaker of National Assembly that after Mr. Gilani’s indictment and conviction by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Mr. Gilani stands disqualified and cannot remain Member of the National Assembly at which time Fahmida Mirza will have no other choice, but to announce disqualification of PM Gilani.
There will be no direct role of Fahmida Mirza to disqualify Mr. Gilani.
Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: In fact you are a kid who does not understand that it is the role of the opposition and politics. The speaker should be neutral, just like the President and the Governors. But of course one cannot expect such in Pakistan, I am not a PMLN fan but give credit to them rather than joining against them. The main target should be the government not the opposition, no matter how inefficient they may be. This is the problem with us, I've seen people like a certain 'Pakistani Politics' who seems to have a personal grudge against PMLN. We must learn to be rational because if educated people like us will behave this way, one cannot expect anything from the less privileged people.
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: Sorry to say It means you dont know the Clauses of the Pakistani Constitution. Do you know according to the Pakistani Constitution the Speaker of Assembly must be impartial and the Speaker actually cannot take the line of any party and the Speaker's role is like the Judge of the Parliament. So What is wrong if PMLN asked the Fehmdia Mirza to be neutral which is sound and according to the Constitution of Pakistan.?
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan:
You are not a kid in Pakistan's politics then why you are asking Fahmida Mirza, Speaker of the National Assembly to be impartial?
Don't you know that Fahmida Mirza is from PPP and she was NOT elected from her constituency as an independent candidate.
PMLN move is sensible and at present we can only see PMLN taking the lead in opposition while Imran khan is as usual on the wait and see policy and deviating public by so called Judiciary bachao protests.
I think the role of Opposition of the PMLN is good enough and that is what Opposition can do in democratic countries. They are building pressure and protesting and that is what they can do. So we must appreciate it at all costs. Also for all those who want PMLN to resign dont understand the Pakistani Political system. At present PPP and its coalition dont have a clear majority or 2&3 majority and If PMLN will resign then PPP will field in their candidates and then they will have 2/3 majority and in the end they can do whatever they want and can amend any part of the constitution. So PMLN should not resign at all from Parliament but they should protest the way they are doing it right now.