Seen and heard: Defensive PTI lawmakers spot a friend among foes

Opposition parties team up to keep critics at bay

ISLAMABAD:

The joint session of parliament convened on Monday to discuss the crisis in Yemen laid bare many veiled aspects of parliamentary politics.

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on the treasury benches stood as one against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

For many political observers, this was the toughest parliamentary day for the PTI, as the party’s lawmakers were apparently behaving like “strangers”, a term which was used against the PTI during the session.

On the defensive

The PTI lawmakers were on the defensive and they were perhaps well-prepared for a backlash, particularly because of their “resignation politics”.

When the session began around 11:45am, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s female legislators, who normally do not participate in the legislative process, welcomed the PTI lawmakers in a taunting manner.

In her traditional style, PTI spokesperson Shireen Mazari was seen and heard roaring when the MQM lawmakers yelled at the PTI legislators.

The day also tested National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who was engaged for some 10 minutes to keep the house in order while advising everyone to exercise patience.

However, his actual feelings were exposed when JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PTI Chairman Imran Khan both turned their microphones on to seek his permission to address the house. The speaker allowed Rehman to speak, and advised Imran to wait his turn. The PTI chief, however, left the house handing over the reins to the party’s vice chairman, Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Friends among foes

A pleasant development for the PTI lawmakers was the friendly manner in which they were treated by legislators from the main opposition party, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

The PTI lawmakers were apparently reluctant to interact with lawmakers of the other parties, but the PTI-PPP tag team was manifest when the former ruling party’s Aitzaz Ahsan rescued the PTI from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s criticism of the party.

Ahsan called the defence minister “Porus’s elephant”, apparently alluding to Asif’s undying loyalty to his party’s chief, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The PPP senator also advised the minister to be polite to the PTI legislators and complained about Asif’s criticism.

PPP-backed NA Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah suggested the ruling party’s lawmakers stage a protest against their own government for winning back the PTI.

Citing Imran, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Ahsan’s speech in parliament was the true reflection of the party chairman’s thoughts.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2015.