National Assembly proceedings turned into a grilling session on Friday with Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan lashing out at the prime minister for pointing fingers at defence authorities for Osama bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s statement is a ‘charge sheet’ against defence authorities, Chaudhry Nisar said, and asked the premier to ‘explain the wisdom’ behind his statement. “This statement can be exploited by anyone on the international forum and in court,” he said.
Premier Gilani had said earlier that those questioning the government about the Memogate affair should first explain who had given a visa to Bin Laden, allowing him to enter and live in Pakistan.
The opposition leader, however, said his party would accept a clarification by the PM regarding the issue and suggested that the premier’s remarks be expunged from the record.
The incumbents have made the parliament “dysfunctional” because of their non-serious attitude, Chaudhry Nisar said, and asked the government to provide details for the ongoing power crisis. “The government should accept its failure and sack the ministers concerned,” he demanded, particularly censuring Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Dr Asim Hussain.
“We are asked to give [former PML-N leader] Javed Hashmi a prominent position, but what have you — the Pakistan Peoples Party [PPP] done? You have accommodated cronies [Dr Asim] who are not politicians and lack the people’s mandate,” he said.
“The absconding minister should appear before the house,” and the government should tell us what steps it has taken to overcome the energy shortfall otherwise there will be agitation, he warned.
Coming to the government’s rescue, Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khursheed Shah referred to a stay order issued by the court in 2009 due to which 300 million cubic feet of gas from Kunar was not added into the system.
He suggested that the opposition have “a special committee constituted” to probe the matter. Rejecting the offer, Chaudhry Nisar said, “There is no parallel in history for the number of special committees set up over the last four years. And yet, there has been no result because the government has not implemented the resolutions of the parliament.”
‘PPP or PML-N should come into power’
In an apparent shot at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), Shah said, “I pray that it’s either us or the opposition [PML-N] that comes into power, instead of those moving forward with the team of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.”
A humble Chaudhry Nisar responded to Shah’s statement by saying, “We do not have the right to decide who should come into power. It is the right of the people to elect … even if it’s Musharraf’s cronies.”
Shah clarified his statement saying, “I meant that the opposition is a government in waiting”.
The house earlier passed the Carriage by Air Bill, 2011 under which a carrier is liable to compensate a passenger in case of death or injury due to the destruction of or damage caused to an airplane. The bill was moved by Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2011.
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