Shama Junejo row fans fire in parliament

ISLAMABAD:

The row over columnist Shama Junejo's alleged inclusion in an official delegation turned into a storm in Parliament on Friday, with opposition members in the National Assembly accusing the government of bypassing consultation on Palestine and criticising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's handling of the Gaza issue.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar washed his hands of responsibility as the opposition members, led by former NA speaker Asad Qaiser, sharpened their knives over the government's handling of Palestine.

Speaking in Parliament, Ishaq Dar categorically stated that he had not signed any letter containing Shama Junejo's name.

"The name of Shama Junejo was not in the letter I wrote. Her name was not included in the official delegation letter. The name was mentioned by the speechwriters and other staff, but not in the list bearing my signature," Dar clarified.

Meanwhile, former NA Speaker Asad Qaiser criticised the government for failing to consult Parliament on sensitive matters, particularly relating to Palestine. "This Parliament should be consulted, but it seems even their own people are not taken into confidence," he added.

He accused the government of sending contradictory messages, saying, "Khawaja Asif says one thing while another ministry says something else. He faced embarrassment".

Qaiser questioned how "a woman was sent to such a forum" and said her statements had raised doubts.

He condemned Israeli atrocities in Gaza, noting that "more than 60,000 have been martyred, and infrastructure has been destroyed. The brutality is beyond imagination."

He lamented the silence of Muslim leaders, asking: "Have even eight heads of Islamic states tweeted?" He alleged that by failing to act decisively, PM Shehbaz Sharif had "bowed the heads of Pakistanis in shame" and "hurt the emotions of the nation with a single tweet."

"No agreement is acceptable without the consent of Palestinians," he said, stressing that history had never witnessed such tyranny and that "Israel will never be recognised."