Budget debate: Opposition walkout mars NA session

PPP-P and PTI refuse to take part in discussion when denied live coverage on PTV


Qadeer Tanoli May 30, 2017
PHOTO: APP

ISLAMABAD: The opposition’s demand for a live telecast of their speeches on PTV and their subsequent walkout from the National Assembly marred the general discussion on the federal budget that kicked off on Monday.

The treasury benches rejected the demand, contending that there was no precedent of opposition leaders being covered live on the state-run television. This led to the two sides arguing on the issue, with the opposition finally walking out of the House.

The National Assembly session lasted for nearly two hours on Monday during which the opposition lawmakers -- instead of providing productive input on budget proposals -- tried to disrupt the proceedings by repeatedly pointing out lack of quorum in a bid to embarrass the government.

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As the session started, Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah was asked by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to initiate a debate on the budget. Shah started off by calling for a live TV coverage of his speech.

To this, Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb told the House that there was no such precedent between 2008 and 2014.

But Shah insisted that his last speech over the budget had been telecast live on PTV. He said he was entitled to expressing his opinion on the budget.

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PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi supported Shah’s demand and said the government’s point of view had been advocated by the finance minister during his budget speech. He said the government needed to set a good tradition by telecasting the speech of the opposition leader live even if there was no such precedent.

Shah then asserted that if the speaker could not provide him an equal opportunity, they needed not sit in the House.

“We do not want to disturb the House so we are staging a walkout,” Shah said before members of the PPP-P and the PTI walked out in protest and did not return until the sitting was adjourned.

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Even when the information minister assured that salient features of the opposition leader’s speech would be telecast in PTV’s late evening bulletin, the opposition stayed away from the House.

Four lawmakers took part in the general discussion on the budget for 2017-2018.

PPP-P lawmaker Shazia Marri twice pointed out towards a lack of quorum, but the headcount was found to be complete on both occasions. The lawmaker subsequently objected to the counting and protested.

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The deputy speaker had to adjourn the sitting till Tuesday (today) when another PPP-P lawmaker tried to point out the same for a third time. 

Call for removing Mufti Munib

On a point of order, PTI lawmaker Sajid Nawaz criticised the official Ruet-e-Hilal Committee for not taking into consideration moon-sighting evidences from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. He called for appointing Mufti Popalzai as chairman of the committee.

However, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousuf defended Mufti Muneeb and said it would be injustice to single out somebody, adding that the committee had 23 members and the chairman took the decision, keeping in view the opinion from every member.

He also wondered why Mufti Popalzai only interfered with moon-sighting on the occasions of Ramazan and Eid and never objected to Ruet-e-Hilal Committee’s decisions regarding any other lunar month.

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Women lawmakers, meanwhile, protested over some remarks made by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. A few of them also protested when Dar described Marriyum Aurangzeb as ‘Bachi’ (child).

But Speaker Ayaz Sadiq subdued the uproar by women lawmakers, saying that it was rude to call someone an aunty, but what was wrong if anyone referred someone as sister or daughter.

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