Barbs fly as opposition, treasury members clash over minister’s remarks

NA approves increase in the strength of IHC judges

ISLAMABAD: The fate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s second mini-budget, presented on Wednesday, hangs in the balance as Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned the National Assembly session for an indefinite period on Friday without any discussion on the new financial measures.

During a stormy session, two former prime ministers, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Raja Pervez Asharf of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), strongly protested against ‘non-parliamentary’ remarks made by a minister in the National Assembly.

The furore over the comments made by Communications Minister Murad Saeed during Thursday’s session also led to an exchange of harsh words between Abbasi and Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari during Friday’s sitting.

Saeed’s scathing criticism of the top leaders of the main opposition parties prompted a loud protest in the National Assembly on Thursday as well, which subsided only after the chair ordered to turn off mikes of the minister.

In Friday’s session, Abbasi fired a broadside at the PTI government, saying the ruling party would not be able to run the parliament affairs like this. Reacting to his comment, Mazari termed the PML-N leader’s criticism a “threat”.

Raja Pervez Ashraf also expressed serious concerns over “unruly behaviour” of the PTI ministers, saying the parliamentary decorum was being violated on a regular basis under this government.

Later, Abbasi, along with other PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Marriyum Aurangzeb addressed a press conference outside the Parliament House. He termed PTI leader Naeemul Haq’s statement pertaining to cancelling production orders of Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif an “open threat”.

The lower house resumed its session with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair. The house passed Islamabad High Court (Amendment) Bill, 2019, moved by Parliamentary Secretary on Law and Justice Malika Ali Bukhari. She said the bill was aimed at increasing the strength of judges in the high court.



The bill was passed after the treasury benches rejected the amendments proposed by the opposition lawmakers. Former prime minister Abbassi has moved an amendment seeking for submission of tax returns and assets by the judges. The parliamentary secretary opposed the amendment, saying that Article 193 of the Constitution would have to be amended for the purpose.

According to the statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill, the existing strength of the IHC judges was six plus one chief justice, which was not enough given the number of pending cases and the filing of new cases. “There was a dire shortage of judges [in the high court] … we have fulfilled the obligation in order to ensure early disposal of cases,” Bukhari remarked.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan presented “The Elections (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019” aimed at delimitation of general seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly after the merger of former Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).



The ordinance said: “Pursuant to 25th Constitutional amendment, the Election Commission is obliged to conduct election on 16 general seats of erstwhile Fata including FR Regions for the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before July 25, 2019.”

The house also adopted a motion for the establishment of standing committees of the house. The motion authorised the speaker to include any member and make changes in the composition of these committees.

The NA session was later prorogued for an indefinite period.