Pandemonium rose over Asif's disqualification

Law minister leaves House proceedings without speaking over IHC’s decision

LAHORE: Although opposition legislators are a little in number in the Punjab Assembly, on Thursday the treasury seemed helpless when pandemonium rose after Islamabad High Court disqualified Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for life.

Law Minister Rana Sanaullah left the House proceedings without speaking over the issue.

Male legislators of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) remained silent while female legislators strongly reacted over the criticism of the opposition.

‘How many loins will you kill? It's an ideology, which will emerge from every house,' was the slogan of a female legislator of the ruling party in response to the slogans being chanted by the opposition against her party.

As the House proceedings started, opposition leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, speaking on point of order, said: "Asif should resign as Islamabad High Court has disqualified him."



The prime minister should force Asif to resign if he didn't tender his resignation himself, he said, demanding the resignations from Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Ishaq Dar.

However, the opposition leader repeated Asif's words ‘Koi Sharam Hoti Hay Koi Haya Hoti Hay.'

Asif had said those words repeatedly in the National Assembly a few months ago.

The female legislators of the ruling party tried their best to defend their party leaders, claiming the nation would decide its fate in the upcoming general elections. A legislator suggested the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to ‘polish shoes'.

PML-N MPA Waheed Gull said PTI chief Imran Khan should also be disqualified for submitting fake documents in the country's top court.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2018.