NA session: Women MPs stage walkout over remarks

Imam-e-Ka’aba gathers lawmakers; leads prayers at the parliament

ISLAMABAD:

The ‘discriminatory’ policy and ‘irresponsible’ remarks of a few federal ministers drew sharp rebuke from women legislators during Monday’s session in the lower house of parliament. They asked the government to abolish the constitutional amendment which gave proportional representation to women.

The women MPs also made a demand allocation of funds on a pattern similar to that reserved for their male colleagues.

JI’s Ayesha Syed termed this policy discriminatory and anti-women, saying that women parliamentarians were also taking equal part in the legislative business then why they are being sidelined. She then announced a rare token walkout in which the ruling party’s women lawmakers also took part against their own government’s discriminatory conduct. On this party policy deviation, Defence Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif, who is also considered the party’s defence in the house, recalled that women who were elected on special seats have no constituency but their electorate are MNAs who were elected from their constituencies.

He advised his women colleagues that it was not appropriate to demand equal treatment. This is not a constitutional right but it was just a precedent to allocate funds for MPs and we should not debate much on this issue, he added.

Rana Tanveer Hussain, minister for defence production, said, “This is prerogative and discretion of the chief executive [prime minister].” He insisted that former prime minister ZA Bhutto gave proportionate representation to women.

He also claimed that during the previous government of Pakistan Peoples Party, special seats (women legislators) were denied funds, to which PPP female lawmakers made a hue and cry. He also held Pervez Musharraf’s regime responsible for increasing women’s seats through a constitutional amendment.

Dr Nafisa Shah of PPP asked the defence minister to retract his statement against women and said that the issue is not of funds but discrimination, which is against the spirit of the Constitution, citing Article 5 and 25 of the Constitution in favour of her arguments.

“We are also taking part in the question hours, proceedings, motions, calling attention notice etc then how we become lesser lawmakers despite having 60% participation in the house business,” she questioned.

Captain (retd) Muhamamd Safdar tendered apology over the cabinet members’ statements and gave assurance to the female lawmakers that he would convey their demand to the government.

Ghamdi visits NA

Earlier, the arrival of Imam-e-Ka’aba Sheikh Khalid bin Ali al Ghamdi gathered scores of lawmakers for a few moments when they greeted Ghamdi’s delegation in the speaker’s gallery.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman spoke in Arabic and later he himself translated what he said to the imam. Ghamdi was requested to lead Maghrib prayer and he also briefly addressed ministers and other worshipers. He thanked speaker and deputy speaker for inviting him to the parliament.

Peshawar, Kathmandu resolutions

The house also unanimously adopted two resolutions over Peshawar and Kathmandu incidents in which many people lost their lives and vowed to extend the government’s support to the victims.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2015.