PML-N’s roar silences opposition in NA

ISLAMABAD: Generally known as unexciting and tedious, Tuesday’s session of the National Assembly was far from that as slogans in favour of Nawaz Sharif and newly-elected Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi eclipsed opposition’s protest amid jam-packed galleries and lawmakers in full attendance.

Since their arrival at parliament in the afternoon, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers followed a well-thought-out strategy to steal the show leaving opposition no room for anti-government manoeuvres.

At the entrance of the parliament, dozens of camerapersons and journalists welcomed lawmakers, both male and female in festive dresses, shoving cameras and microphones in their faces.

The corridors of the parliament, especially the ones around the National Assembly, were brimming with PML-N loyalists and half of them were from the ancestral city (Murree) of the newly-elected PM.



The overzealous workers first welcomed him with slogans “PM Khaqan Abbasi” in the lobby and then continued the exercise till the very end.

The lawmakers inside the house were going from one aisle to the other to meet other members, while in the VIP gallery, adviser to former PM on national security Sartaj Aziz, former finance minister Ishaq Dar, Nawaz Sharif’s trusted bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad and former PM’s spokesman Mussadiq Malik were seated.

In the speaker’s gallery, Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman and Sindh Governor Muhommad Zubair were present.

While the MNAs were exchanging pleasantries, to everyone’s surprise a flood of people from Abbasi’s hometown hit the guests’ gallery chanting slogans “Sher Aya, Sher Aya” (Tiger has come, tiger has come).

The security staff deputed inside the hall struggled to confine them to the guests’ gallery, but they soon took over the press gallery where journalists were in full attendance and many of them had to stand outside or between the aisles to cover the event.

Dar and Aziz were whispering most of the time, while former interior minister remained silent during the entire session except for shaking hands with a couple of non-prominent party members apart from Chaudhry Tanveer and Khawaja Saad Rafique.



Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for - nomination of contestants for the PM’s slot.

As speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced Abbasi’s name, the hall roared with “Yay”, while many, including MNAs, yelled “Sheeda Talli” when Sheikh Rashid’s name was proclaimed.

Rashid was jeered to such an extent that the speaker had to issue a warning and order the security staff to intervene.

When the voting was announced, all lawmakers, who were carefully shepherded by former minister for parliamentary affairs Sheikh Aftab, moved towards the gates of the dedicated lobbies to cast votes.

PML-N lawmakers, especially women, returned to the hall with posters of Nawaz Sharif to which PTI MNAs objected and the speaker requested to put them down as placards were not allowed in the assembly.

As soon as the speaker announced the results revealing Abbasi as the new PM, the whole hall roared to congratulate the new PM. MNA Jamshaid Dasti, wearing a ribbon reading ‘prisoner of throne of Lahore’ in Punjab, continuously teased Abbasi during his debut speech.

During his speech, the PM claimed to do 45 months of work in just 45 days.

Pointing towards Rashid, Abbasi said that he knew the former premier (Nawaz) as to what kind of a leader he was. Rashid stood up in no time and loudly replied, “He is a thief, thief,” prompting a rare, but loud laughter from the opposition benches.

The awkward moment was when Abbasi went to meet the parliamentary heads of the house and even went as far as to draw the attention of PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who was leaving his seat when he saw him coming and could not respond in a civilised manner.