Musharraf’s departure: Opposition stymies joint session agenda

Nisar vows to bring back ex-president through Interpol if court orders


Riazul Haq March 21, 2016
PHOTO: REUTERS

ISLAMABAD:


All legal avenues, including extradition through Interpol, will be used to bring former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf back to the country whenever the court issues an order in this regard, the government’s top security czar told a joint sitting of parliament on Monday.


Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan assured that his government would use every available option in the event Musharraf refuses to return after Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah accused the government of “striking a deal” with the former dictator allowing him to leave.

Musharraf departs for Dubai after travel ban lifted

Musharraf flew to the United Arab Emirates on March 18 after the government removed his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) even though he was implicated in a number of cases including that of high treason.



The opposition, which has been critical of the government on the subject, was unwilling to let it go on Monday.

They pushed the agenda for a joint session of the upper and lower houses of parliament, which included deliberation on seven key pieces of legislation including the controversial Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Conversion Bill, 2016, onto the back burner to discuss Musharraf’s departure.

First, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Shah Mahmood Qureshi took on the government and quoted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s speech from 2013 where he had said law-breakers would not be allowed to leave the country.

At this point the house broke for evening prayers. Nawaz, who had sat through the session thus far, left and did not return.

After the break, Shah took to grilling the government. He quoted statements of then opposition members Khwaja Saad Rafique and Ahsan Iqbal on Musharraf. It drew desk thumping and jeers of “shame, shame” from the opposition benches.

Musharraf cut deal with govt, says aide

“The sanctity of the parliament would have heightened had the government sought its stance on the former president’s exit,” he said.



PkMAP Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Awami Muslim League’s Sheikh Rashid and other members also rose to talk about the issue but Speaker Ayaz Sadiq seemed adamant to not let the debate expand and kept reminding MPs that the “joint session was not the forum to talk about the issue.”

Nisar, who was fully prepared to counter the opposition, assured the house that they would utilise all possible options to bring Musharraf back, including extradition through Interpol.

Defending the government’s move to allow Musharraf to leave, Nisar quoted the Supreme Court’s decision. But the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan contested Nisar’s claim and read the short order of the court which stated that “order shall not preclude government from taking decision (regarding Musharraf) to leave the country or not.”

At this Nisar said he would read the order and other details pertaining to the case when the National Assembly next meets.

The interior minister added that no chief marshal law administrator in the history of the country had to face what Musharraf had to face. “Those opposing it (Musharraf’s departure) did not utter a single word against the court judgment,” he said.

Nisar terms protests against Musharraf departure 'political drama'

He further accused the PPP of “criminal silence” when in 2011 their government did not put the former dictator’s name on the ECL. Nisar also reminded the PPP how it had agreed to the national reconciliation ordinance with Musharraf.

MQM walks out

Shortly after the joint session started, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement staged a token walkout from the house to protest the arrest of their party leader in Karachi.

Pre-session briefing

Before the session, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and other government representatives briefed members of opposition parties on their plan about PIA conversion which is likely to be discussed today (Tuesday).

However, they failed to satisfy the opposition who later held their own meeting on the subject.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2016.

COMMENTS (1)

NHA | 8 years ago | Reply If the purpose of allowing Gen Musharraf to leave Pakistan was improvement in civil -miltary relations , then making statement that he will be brought back via Interpol if need be is aganst the spirit of the otherwise a wise and bold decision. The other reason for letting him go abroad and more credible is one is the humanitarian aspect that is for medical resaons. This is laudable. The story which the Interior Minister and Inofrmation Minineter should be telling the Parliament and the prople of Pakistan is the above one and defending it to the hilt. They should not allow the opposition vitiate the civil- military relations and blur the humanitarian aspect of the decision. Bold moves are always safe moves.
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