Together they handle legislative affairs, douse out political fires in parliament. PHOTO: FILE
Together they form the government’s shield with Hamid dealing with legislative business and bills while Aftab countering criticism of the government.
Hamid, a seasoned lawyer and politician, is the prime minister’s right hand and the godfather for all legislative businesses inside and outside parliament.
Serene and unruffled by criticism while remaining clear and to the point in his answers, he has been at the forefront when it comes to introducing new bills and acts for amendments or clearing the government’s position on the floor of the assembly or in parliamentary panels on various issues.
He serves as the de facto law minister, even though he relinquished the ministry in November 2014 when the Special Court trying former president General Pervez Musharraf for treason declared him an abettor in the case.
Ahmed, on the other hand, is the closest thing the government has to a magic bullet in responding to questions from the opposition.
The calm and collected PML-N stalwart from Attock, who turns up in his signature shalwar kameez and waistcoat, can field any question in the house relating to the government – even the ones not on the agenda.
In one of the sessions, he landed himself in hot water when he promised to share “complete” details about the government’s plans for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The next day he came and sat quietly till PTI’s Shireen Mazari and Pakistan Peoples Party’s Nafisa Shah prodded the speaker on the matter.
He promptly left the house and returned with a sheet of paper and presented a “comprehensive” reply, speaking for 15 minutes on past and future development plans the PML-N had for the national flag carrier.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2016.
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