Riaz-Zaheer moments steal the show

LAHORE: The leader of the opposition and the senior minister yesterday exchanged heated words on the PA floor, accusing each other of deceiving their parties.

Also, the opposition protested the remarks of lawmakers belonging to treasury benche against its women legislators.

Legal action against former president Pervez Musharraf and the removal of US General Stanley McCrystal by President Obama were also discussed.

Raja Riaz, senior minister and PPP parliamentary leader, prompted started a series of verbal blows when he termed the PML-Q a “tonga party.”

The senior minister said “I knew that the PML-Q would emerge as a tonga party following Musharraf’s ouster. I pay homage to the female members of the party for their loyalty as most male members have already proven disloyal to Musharraf,” he teased.

Zaheedruddin responded by saying: “Riaz never played an active role during PPP’s time in opposition.”

“It was either Uzma Bukhari or Sami Ullah Khan who used to take a stand. Riaz himself was too busy serving as a masseuse to Elahi’s friends,” he responded.  To this, Riaz said, “At least I’ve always remained loyal to my party. Elahi came to Zaheeruddin’s rescue and prevented him from joining the PML-N when he was seeking an entry in that party.”

Zaheeruddin also brought to the attention of speaker Muhammad Rana Iqbal abusive language used by Alauddin, a PML-Forward bloc MPA.  He said Alauddin’s use of abusive language for Samina Khawar Hayat during Monday’s session had prompted other male members to do the same. Speaker urged the members to shun such practices. “They violate the sanctity of the house rules.”  The situation became tense when Seemal Kamran, a PML-Q MPA, criticised the performance of police and demanded a cut in grants for the department.

Raising his hand in opposition’s direction, a PPP MPA, Shaukat Mehmood Basra interrupted Kamran and said, “These people have violated law in the past.” “They have no right to speak as they have shared connection with the dictator in the past.” He also referred to the female PML-Q MPAs as Zaheeruddin’s flutes’. Basra was urged by the speaker to stop but he went on. Infuriated by his remarks, Zaheeruddin said the speaker should bar Basra from the session for using such language. He also protested Allauddin’s earlier remarks.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2010.