Verbal duelling spoils NA session

Ministers say Imran living in the lap of luxury behind bars

ISLAMABAD:

Sparks flew in the National Assembly as PML-N and PTI members locked horns, turning the floor into a battleground after the latter blasted the ruling party over former prime minister Imran Khan's conditions in the jail.

The heated exchange quickly spiralled, transforming the assembly into a fish market, as verbal volleys were exchanged.

Opposition Leader Omar Ayub took the government to task over the alleged harsh treatment of PTI's founder in jail, while government leaders Ahsan Iqbal and Hanif Abbasi fired back, claiming the PTI leader was living in the lap of luxury behind bars.

The session, presided over by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, faced an early hiccup when the opposition pointed out the lack of quorum, leading to a temporary adjournment.

When the session resumed after half an hour, with a full house, the proceedings gained momentum.

Omar Ayub Khan raised the issue of protests by Utility Stores Corporation (USC) employees and lambasted the government for allegedly denying the PTI founder his rightful prison entitlements.

Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal hit back, asserting that the PTI founder was enjoying a five-star treatment in jail, with meals from Islamabad's top restaurants.

He accused the PTI leader of turning the jail into a "luxury retreat" and contrasted this with the endurance of leaders like Khawaja Asif, Hanif Abbasi, and Shehbaz Sharif during their own imprisonments.

Iqbal further mocked the PTI leader's frequent health alarms and emotional episodes, challenging him to prove his innocence in court rather than seeking sympathy and stressing that no NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) would be granted to him.

Hanif Abbasi of PML-N joined the fray, dismissing the opposition leader's sudden concern for Balochistan, pointing out that the roots of the province's issues could be traced back to the PTI leader's lineage.

Abbasi argued that any political worker who cannot weather the storm of imprisonment should consider leaving politics.

He questioned the special privileges the PTI leader allegedly enjoyed in jail, including a special diet and a spacious cell, and warned against turning the prison into a personal retreat.

Abbasi also alleged that drugs, including cocaine, were still accessible in jails, leading to the recent reshuffling of the prison administration. However, the speaker ordered Abbasi's remarks about prison conditions to be expunged from the record.