NA speaker bulldozes opposition’s ‘B-Team’

The opposition kept shouting slogans, “Jago Jago, Speaker Jago!” [wake up, wake up, speaker wake up] exactly when Asad Qaiser was busy bulldozing the opposition’s “B-Team” by passing one bill after another and sarcastically asking them to take the floor and give speeches instead of protesting around his desk.

Commotion had almost no effect on the speaker and he did not pay any heed to the opposition’s vapid sloganeering a day after the deadline given by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – an anti-government alliance of the opposition parties formed in last September – to Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign fell flat on its face.

In the absence of the main leadership of the opposition parties – Asif Ali Zaradri, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif, Khawaja Asif, Khursheed Shah, among others – who missed Monday’s assembly session by choice; on health grounds or simply for being in jail, the speaker simply ignored the rest. He remained unfazed to the slogans like “Gali Gali main shor ha, Speaker hamara kamzoor ha”.

Even the loudest of the shouts of “NO” by the opposition members during the voice voting process couldn’t disturb his momentum; the bills kept sailing through the assembly, new bills and an ordinance were tabled despite the hue and cry of the opposition members standing around his desk; shouting slogans against him; tearing papers and throwing them in the air and employing all possible means to stop him. It all went in vain.

Amid pandemonium, it seemed Qaiser only heard Prime Minister’s Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, who also didn’t waste a minute to complete the legislative business for the day by presenting standing committees’ reports and the bills.

Knowing that the treasury benches had the numbers to complete the legislative business for the day, the duo took no time in passing -- The China Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority Bill, 2020, The Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and The Pakistan Single Window Bill, 2020 -- even though the federal ministers concerned – Asad Umar and Abdul Hafeez Sheikh – were not present in the house.

Soon after abruptly ending the question hour, the speaker and the adviser began the legislative business. Throughout the voting process, there was only one dominating voice and that was of the speaker.

Awan would read from the agenda, Qaiser would put the motion before the house for consideration and ask for “ayes” and “nays” – the practice of asking the lawmakers if they are in foavour of the motion or against it.

Qaiser went through ‘the ayes have it’ speech with frequent intervals. “Give a speech on these [bills],” Qaiser calmly taunted the opposition members before going back to the business. At one point, he also appreciated the loudest among the opposition.

Those who did not take part in surrounding the speaker’s desk busied themselves by mercilessly banging the books on the tables to disturb the proceedings. Amid desk-and-book thumping, Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari started teasing the opposition members by, apparently, asking to bring some rhythm to it to make it more louder, if they could. There came a time when the minister was no longer facing the speaker as she had turned her chair to the opposition benches to have a better view of the use of books by the opposition members.

The opposition, which usually subverts house proceedings by pointing out the quorum after exhausting all possible means, did not even bother to point it out as the treasury benches had covered up the vulnerability.

Earlier, during the question hour, MNA Abdul Shakoor urged the assembly to make efforts for giving 10 years’ share in the NFC Award to the erstwhile FATA, saying people were facing troubles and they have G3 rifles but not 3G in the area.

The parliamentary secretary concerned replied that the CCI meeting will decide soon on the issue while the Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed said that the provinces have yet to give their share.

Dissatisfied, Shakoor walked to Saeed; sat with him on treasury benches and continued discussing the matter as the rest of the opposition members started protesting when the speaker did not give them the floor and started wrapping up the legislative business within minutes before adjourning the House till Tuesday 4pm.