NA session postponed due to verbal slugfest

Shehbaz’s claim that hundreds are dying of hunger infuriates treasury members

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly session on Monday was once again marred by ruckus as leaders of the opposition parties – PML-N and PPP – were infuriated over not being allowed to start a debate on the budget for fiscal year 2019-20 as well as non-issuance of production order for former president Asif Ali Zardari.

The session was chaired by NA Speaker Asad Qaiser.

Opposition Leader in the NA Shehbaz Sharif was not allowed to start a debate on the budget for the second consecutive day, while the PPP staged a sit-in in front of the speaker’s chamber over non-issuance of production orders for Zardari and other members of the lower house.

The NA session that began after a break of two days was once again marred by protests before it could even start. The PPP leaders who staged a sit-in chanted slogans -- “issue production orders”.

Owing to the protest outside the speaker’s chamber, the NA session started an hour late. As soon as the session began, opposition members protested inside the house in which PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also participated.

When the speaker gave the microphone to Shehbaz to start debate on the budget, the opposition leader demanded issuance of production orders for Zardari, Saad Rafique, Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar, saying they “have to represent their constituencies” in the budget.

Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf completed his speech during the uproar and demanded issuance of production orders.

Later, Shehbaz started debate on the budget despite the ruckus by treasury members and targeted Prime Minister Imran Khan. He alleged that PM Imran issued threats during his speech. There was no room for lies in the state of Madina, he added.

“The [former] PML-N government solved the issue of load shedding, brought the inflation ratio down to 3% and also worked hard despite the protests undertaken by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf," said the opposition leader, adding that hundreds of thousands of people were dying of hunger during the PTI government’s tenure.

At this, the charged treasury members started shouting and moving towards Shehbaz, but the PML-N leaders surrounded their chief.

In bid to diffuse the tense situation, the speaker intervened, but the opposition members along with the treasury ones refused to abide by his request.

Qaiser kept telling the opposition leaders to stop making videos on mobile, but his words fell on deaf ears.

On this, the speaker postponed the session till 10:30am on Tuesday.

The debate on the budget could not start owing to the ruckus.

Even after the session, the opposition and treasury members remained engaged in a face-off for a long time.

Earlier, the opposition leaders met the NA speaker before start of the session over the production orders.

The delegation included Khursheed Shah, Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and others.

They told the speaker that he had promised issuance of the production order. They told Qaiser that he did not need the law ministry’s advice as the rules for issuing a production order were already present, but the speaker did not give a positive reply.

Addressing an emergency press conference after the meeting with the speaker, senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah said the speaker was “openly talking about pressure”.

Khursheed said that not even Chaudhry Amir Hussain was such a weak speaker, adding that the prime minister was pressuring the speaker, but “it cannot be said who is pressuring the PM”.

Pervaiz Ashraf said, “The NA speaker is helpless.”

Sherry Rehman said, “Rules for the issuance of production orders are present, but the speaker does not want to fulfil his responsibility.”