Joint-session — Day 4: PM Nawaz’s apology fails to pacify Aitizaz Ahsan

PPP senator thanks the PM but asks him to beware of his close aides

ISLAMABAD:

Proceedings of parliament’s joint session on Friday exposed how fragile parliamentarians’ unity is as a war of egos between two stalwarts – one from the government and the other from the opposition – pushed the debate on imminent threats to the system on the backburner.

The war – which started last night with a statement of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan against Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan – reached its zenith, despite firefighting by several dignitaries, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The premier had immediately intervened to control the damage done last night and on Friday renewed his request through an apology, asking the opposition to show magnanimity but it seemed nothing really worked on the irate Aitzaz Ahsan.



On Friday, he started his speech by saying “I am thankful to the prime minister for apologising and expressing solidarity,” but he immediately mentioned his last speech wherein he had asked him to be careful of his close aides.

“For how long would you apologise on behalf of those who had already left you?” he said. “There were tickers on TV that interior minister stands by his statement.”

He referred to a meeting where Nisar had complained him for censuring the government in his earlier speech and said “his tone was threatening.” At that moment Nisar had reached the assembly and Ahsan pointed out “look at him he is still glaring at me.”

Ahsan asked the PM to reshuffle his cabinet after getting out of the current stalemate and said whatever Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan was saying about the attitude of government ministers was appealing to the masses.



At the peak of his anger, Aitzaz threatened: “if I decide to walk out of the house, I am sure the entire opposition will join me. You will be only left with Mehmood Achakzai,” he said, adding that he would never do that as he believed in this house and the Constitution.

Coming to the main point, Aitzaz said he disagreed on forced resignation and that’s why he and the PPP stood with the PM Nawaz while ignoring criticism of their own party.

He said that Nisar should himself apologise in this house.

Earlier the PM referred to his last night’s phone call to Aitzaz Ahsan and Khursheed Shah wherein he had regretted over the development. “I apologise again and ask you to show magnanimity,” he said.

He said that it was important for all political parties to keep their differences aside for the sake of democracy, the Constitution and to uphold the rule of law.

“I hope the opposition will continue on its path. We [government and opposition] can settle our issues later on but were facing big challenges at this juncture which needed unity,” he said.

While Aitzaz Ahsan was hitting hard at Chaudhry Nisar, there was hardly any minister on treasury benches who did not make attempt to calm Nisar down. Finally, the PM asked Nisar to sit next to him and tried to convince him not to respond.

However, all these efforts failed as Nisar rose up the moment Ahsan concluded his speech but before he could say anything there was Azan for Friday prayers.  It once again gave the PM some more time in which he was seen holding Nisar’s arm and after this Nisar left the house.

Nisar rebuffs overtures

“The party members exerted lot of pressure on Chaudhry Nisar not to respond to Aitzaz Ahsan speech and Chaudhry Nisar is reluctant to accept their respect,” sources said.

“The prime minister called Chaudhry Nisar and had a three-hour long meeting with him in order to convince him to restrain from engaging in any further debate. However, Chaudhry Nisar is still adamant to hold a press talk to present documented facts,” sources added.  Already Nisar had announced that though he could not respond to Ahsan in the parliament house, he would address a press conference at 11 in the morning.

Meanwhile, the prime minister has invited Nisar to join him at breakfast today.

After the joint session, Nisar went to his chamber where NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Hamza Shahbaz called on him but failed to convince. Later on, Nisar had a one on one meeting with PM Nawaz.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2014.