NA session: Govt defers PPO under mounting opposition

Many parties strongly criticise certain clauses of proposed law.


Azam Khan February 04, 2014
File photo of the National Assembly of Pakistan. PHOTO: APP

ISLAMABAD:


Opposition groups forced the government on Monday to defer three bills, including Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO), reading the small print in several contentious clauses of the proposed legislation.


At the outset, Muttahidda Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Asif Hussnain asked National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to allow a debate on the controversial anti-terrorism laws that were placed on agenda.

The speaker, however, turned down the request.

However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman – whose party is a coalition partner of the government –termed the PPO against basic human rights.

“This is a principle of international jurisprudence that the accused is given the benefit of doubt but through this legislation a person can be murdered on the basis of doubt,” said Maulana Fazl.  He also severely criticised the clause of the PPO that said a person could be held for 90 days.

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“What does it mean? This is an effort to impose a permanent state of emergency in the country. Surely this law can be misused at ease. Don’t give blanket immunity to the forces.

“We opposed such a move for last ten years and you are going to legitimise it from this duly elected house,” Maulana said in his furious tone.

He said Musharraf was held responsible for his one day call to impose emergency in the country and he was facing the consequences.

“But you are going to suspend the operations of the courts in settled areas permanently. If it is not martial law then sure it is a plan to impose emergency,” he added.

This strong worded intervention by the JUI-F chief forced the government to drop the PPO bill immediately from the agenda.

“In light of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s suggestion, we defer the PPO bill from the agenda,” announced Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid, adding that the government would take up a bill related to anti-money laundering.

Hamid’s remark flared the opposition parties and after a flurry of speeches by the opposition members, the government also deferred the scheduled legislation for further consultation.

Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai suggested the government to further hold consultation on the proposed legislation.

Opposition leader from Pakistan People Party (PPP) Syed Khursheed Shah said government would be responsible for failure, as the upper house could block such legislation in the absence of consensus.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said this draconian law was not much different from the black law which was imposed by India on Kashmir.

“I wonder how a party (PML-N) that was once a victim of a military ruler is now going to pass such legislation in the name of political expediency,” he said.

After hours’ long consultation with legal experts, the PTI penned down a five-page dissenting note against the PPO, the PTI leader said. “The main theme of legislation is welfare of the people but this legislation will land them in trouble,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4th, 2014.

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