Govt under fire in Senate for ‘surrendering to rioters’

PPP senator laments how TLP protesters hurled threats to judges and generals

ISLAMABAD: The senate session convened on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

Senators belonging to opposition parties asked the incumbent government to devise effective steps to overcome the challenges being faced by the country.

Participating in a debate pertaining to the recent unruly incidents, Leader of the Opposition Raja Zafarul Haq said the government should take effective measures to handle all the problems and challenges.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman said Pakistan needed effective policy to control the numerous challenges. She asked the government to take parliament into confidence before any decision regarding the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Rehman also shed light on how TLP protestors challenged the writ of the state and let them hurl abuses and threats to judges and generals.

"The state ought to protect the judges. Whether they give right decisions or wrong ones, the state should be behind them. Those who are openly rebelling against the law and Constitution should be dealt with. The government should not try to bypass parliament."

She added that the entire nation was at a standstill for three days and what happened this time is a grave tragedy. "We are not here to taunt and challenge the government. Our army chief was called out by name. The judiciary, the state and the army were dragged. The government was all talk and no action. This was the first time we've heard the state challenged like this. How can this challenge be ignored?"

Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri said all the Muslims had great love and affiliation with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and any blasphemous act was intolerable for them.

National Party's (NP) Tahir Bizenjo said extremism was the main challenge for the country and it was the government's responsibility to ensure implementation of court verdicts whereas Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Asad Junejo said the country was facing economic crisis, which needed to be controlled by the government by taking all the political parties on board.

Pir Sabir Shah added that inappropriate remarks were made against state institutions by protesters which were condemnable. "The sentiments of Muslims regarding blasphemy should also be respected by those who talked about human rights."

JUI-F's Maulana Attaur Rehman condemned the killing of Maulana Samiul Haq and asked the government to arrest the people involved in his murder. He also urged the government to provide foolproof security to religious figures. He said there would be no compromise on disrespect to the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).

PPP's Bahramand Khan Tangi congratulated the Senate chairman for successfully holding of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Gwadar. He said the PPP wanted to strengthen the democratic system in the country.

Jamaat-e-Islami's Mushtaq Ahmed condemned the killing of Maulana Sami ul Haq, whose services for Islam and the country would be remembered for ever. "The Maulana had supported the anti-polio drive in the country."

Leader of the House in Senate Shibli Faraz said the government's policy was clear regarding protest in which properties of general public were destroyed as announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan in his address to the nation before going to China.



Talking to a private news channel, he said all political parties and people were on same page regarding the policy on the matter. Faraz said although it was a sensitive matter, submitting a review petition against the court's verdict was the constitutional right of everyone.

Further on in the senate session, Minister of State for Communications Murad Saeed said China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project would be made successful and completed in time.

Giving a policy statement here in the Senate, the minister said relations of Pakistan with Saudi Arabia and China are becoming strong and the friendly countries should not be involved in our own political issues.

The minister criticized the previous governments for putting the country into financial crisis through getting loans of Rs.95,000 billion and not spending this amount on the welfare of people.

He said the country is facing a circular debt of Rs1200 billion and various national institutions including Pakistan Steel Mills and Pakistan International Airlines are in crisis.

The State Minister said that billions of rupees are being recovered from fake accounts and prime minister has given a clear statement of not sparing those involved in looting the national kitty.

Regarding the government's performance during the last 70 days, he said implementation on the five million houses project is underway and foreign policy is improving. He added that the PTI led government is committed to providing shelter to the common man which was earlier promised by the previous governments but not implemented.

The minister said that the list of those involved in riots and damaging the public and private property has been prepared and the state will act as per law against them.

Saeed also criticized the opposition for raising objections on the premier's willingness to answer questions in the Parliament for an hour on Wednesday.

The entire Opposition was taken into confidence to end the recent protests in the country because the government did not want another tragedy in the country like Lal Masjid and Model town.