NA debate: PTI urges govt to clarify policy on Iran sanctions

PPP’s Shazia Marri slams attack on Ahmadiyya place of worship in Sailkot

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Shireen Mazari has asked the government to clarify whether it will follow the United Nations or the United States on the question of sanctions against Iran.

“The government must explain whether Pakistan will follow the sanctions imposed on Iran by the UN or it will follow the US sanctions,” said Mazari while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The PTI leader said that India had made it clear that it would follow the UN regarding sanctions on Iran, and not the US.

Talking on the UN Peacekeeping Day, she said the government should have recognised the services of security forces with regard to their peacekeeping role. Pakistani armed forces had rendered a lot of sacrifices for US peacekeeping missions, she added.



Strangely, only one of a total of 105 items on the last Private Members Day in the lower house could be taken up and the rest of the agenda failed to get attention, especially of the government. However, the lawmakers kept making speeches on points of order.

Speaking on one such point of order, Shazia Marri of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) condemned the last week attack on a worship place of Ahmadiyya community in Sialkot. She said it seemed the community, after being declared a minority, was also deprived of the right to be recognised as Pakistanis.

Asiya Nasir of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) strongly criticised the ‘hate remarks’ of PTI MPA Arif Abbasi against an MPA belonging to the Christian community in Punjab Assembly. She also laid emphasis on promoting the culture of tolerance and religious harmony.

The National Assembly passed a resolution congratulating the speaker and parliamentarians on the initiative of establishing a parliamentary task force on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The resolution was moved by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The resolution says Pakistan’s parliament is the first one to have established an SDGs secretariat to oversee the implementation of development goals. The resolution also recommends that the parliamentary task force on SDGs be made permanent part of future parliaments.

Another resolution, moved by Malik Abrar, called for observing the 15^th Ramazan as a national day of orphans. According to the resolution, there are 4.2 million orphan children in Pakistan and there is need to create awareness about their rights.

Earlier, responding to a point of order with regard to the rights of religious minorities, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq told JUI-F’s Asiya Nasir that the minorities are equal citizens of Pakistan. “They are as dear to us as any other people,” he added.

Other members on the occasion also denounced attacks on minority groups. They said their rights should be protected as envisaged in the Constitution.

Responding to a calling-attention notice by PTI’s Ghulam Sarwar Awan, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary said 27 cases were registered in connection with the November 2017 Faizabad sit-in  and the cases were being heard in courts.

In the calling-attention notice, Awan had drawn attention towards the ‘government failure’ to investigate the sit-in “which resulted in the loss of so many innocent lives”.



Responding to another resolution, Minister of State for Finance Rana Afzal Khan said the federal cabinet would consider the matter regarding non-payment of honorarium equivalent to three basic pays to all federal government employees. He said the cabinet could either approve or reject the proposal.

On a point or order, PTI’s Shahryar Afridi said Karark, Hangu and Kohat are oil and gas-producing areas but a majority of these areas were not being provided gas.

Most of the opposition members wanted the house proceedings to continue but PTI’s Sajida Begum pointed out the quorum which led to a headcount and the proceedings were suspended. However, on the resumption of the proceedings, the quorum was still found lacking and the sitting was adjourned to meet again today (Wednesday) at 11am.