Omar Ayub urges COAS to address security failures for Chinese citizens

Opposition leader demands urgent corps commanders meeting to address Chinese leadership’s concerns

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, has urged Army Chief General Asim Munir to call an immediate Corps Commanders Conference to discuss security failures concerning Chinese citizens.

The call was made during a National Assembly session chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Saturday.

The session saw the return of PPP members, who ended their boycott, increasing their presence in the assembly. Among those present were Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Sharmila Farooqi, Syed Naveed Qamar, Ejaz Jakhrani, Abdul Qadir Patel, and Jamal Rehmani.

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Mirza Ikhtiar Baig praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's initiative to provide cheaper electricity to the industry. He questioned whether the government would bear the Rs240 billion subsidy or if the burden would be shifted to consumers.

Omar Ayub Khan raised a point of order, expressing concerns over the Chinese leadership's remarks on security threats to Chinese experts in Pakistan, stating it jeopardised CPEC investments. He urged the army chief to convene a conference solely focused on the security of Chinese citizens and experts. Ayub also demanded a review of the current security measures and accountability for any failures.

Also read: Omar Ayub condemns Budget 2024-25 as ‘economic terrorism’

He further criticised the recent arrests of over 100 PTI workers in Punjab during protests and called for action against the Punjab IG for filing cases against assembly members.

‘How can we win a war against Allah and His Messenger (PBUH)?’

MQM-Pakistan member Mustafa Kamal highlighted budget concerns, noting that Rs9,500 billion would be spent on interest payments, consuming 51% of the revenue. Kamal questioned the PTI's silence on interest payments despite their talk of an Islamic state and criticised the government for not implementing the Federal Shariat Court's decision to eliminate interest.

Kamal urged a review of agreements with IPPs, pointing out that capacity charges were higher than the PSDP allocation. He suggested that leaders like Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, and others contribute from their wealth to reduce Pakistan's debt.

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He proposed that serving generals and other affluent individuals should also contribute, and parliament members should allocate 25% of their earnings. Kamal argued that if the wealthy leadership made symbolic contributions, the public would be motivated to help reduce the national debt.

Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal raised the issue of a person being burned alive in Swat, highlighting it as an extreme act of militancy. He called for the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate the causes of public vigilantism and propose solutions.