The sitting was fixed for 10 am, but a big number of reporters kept waiting for more than two hours for it to begin. A sizeable crowd of the PML-N legislators meantime were sitting on stairs to the Speaker’s podium. Wearing black bands on their arms and waving placards demanding the resignation of Gilani, they seemed all set to fiercely disrupt the legislative business for another day.
The ruling party benches looked deserted and most ministers were neither sitting in the hall nor in their respective chambers. No one responsible was available in parliament house to explain why the government was taking so much time for letting the parliamentary business proceed.
In sheer frustration, some of us decided to gate crash into the Speaker’s chambers to find out. After inaugurating an exhibition, she appeared all set to leave for the house. Spotting us she simply suggested that instead of stopping her with questions we had better rush to the press gallery. “Two very important resolutions are to be presented in the house today,” she revealed to send us rushing back to the gallery.
The house started with the usual business. Throughout the question hour, the PML-N howlers kept shouting slogans. Once again the militant-types from amongst them kept standing too close to the prime ministerial chair, with the clear intent of blocking his entry to the house.
Yousaf Raza Gilani didn’t turn up, but immediately after the question hour, Dr Fehmida Mirza left the presiding chair for the Deputy Speaker, Faisal Karim Kundi. Only by hindsight I can now report that it was a clever move. After all since coming to this assembly, he had increasingly emerged as a very vocal supporter of getting his ancestral Dera Ismail Khan out of the control of Pashtun-dominated Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to join the much-cherished “Seriakistan.”
After taking the presiding chair, Kundi instantly gave the floor to Farooq Ahmad Naik, the shrewd minister of law and parliamentary affairs. In the heat of slogan-chanting, the PML-N howlers could not anticipate and prevent the government from springing politically potent surprises. Stonewalling the ear-deafening noises around him with firmly put head phones, Naik hurriedly read two resolutions in quick succession. One demanded the creation of “South Punjab” while the other reposed confidence in Yousaf Raza Gilani as the prime minister of Pakistan.
The cunningly-crafted draft of the first resolution passed the burden of saying yes or no to the division of Punjab to the incumbent provincial government led by the PML-N. The reposing-of-confidence resolution, on the other hand, very subtly asserted in a polite but assertive language that only the ‘sovereign parliament’ of Pakistan could initiate the process of ‘disqualifying’ any of its sitting members. The ruling party loyalists jubilantly hailed the quick passage of two resolutions. That provoked and frustrated some PML-N members. Abid Sher Ali triggered some scenes of feisty scuffles between youthful members from both sides.
It is but obvious that in concrete political terms, the ruling alliance has not even initiated the formal procedure of dividing Punjab through getting a resolution passed on Thursday; provincial assembly of that province is the one and only forum to start it. Yousaf Raza Gilani will still go to “Seriaki Wasaib” with a puffed chest to brag that he had fulfilled the promise of getting a “pro-Seraiki suba resolution” passed from the National Assembly he had been leading since 2008.
The reposing of confidence may not help him much as well if via the anxiously-awaited detailed judgment regarding his disqualification, the apex court clearly suggested so in view of the ‘conviction’ that he already had faced last Thursday. For posterity, though, he now has a document to claim that his possible disqualification through a court order “violated sovereignty of parliament.” While heading towards the next elections, Gilani, his party, and their allies did succeed in spinning stories that may keep their votes intact in their concerned ‘base.’ Not a bad deal, if you think long term.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2012.
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If politics is really the "Game of Chess" than PPP___ by ending up in court & now fighting for their life doesn't look very smart to me. Being an established democratic legendary party I expect better moves by them. But then, even good recitation and knowledge of the rituals don't help if your "clothes" are unclean. How about Zardari either satisfy the people's concern about the "money" in question or bring a solid proof of Nawaz's embezzlement of funds? Only then he can save PPP from enemy misadventures.It's true, it's only PPP's calibre and national standing that it is able to handle "Three-Pronged" attack on it's life. Secret of PPP's strength simply lies in the democratic principles it adhere to_ which are "comparetively" better than other. As a matter of fact: No "cunning" moves work if you are not a "popular" party in majority of Pakistan.
PML N has taken a gamble for KPK, FATA... erm not sure if the resolution was needed to be filed now. PML Nawaz has saved face by putting resolution immediately. Their graph in next few weeks depends upon their seriousness to oust this corrupt govt.
@Tahir Younus: my comment was in the context of starting sentence of the Article 'Politics is all about playing tricks to baffle your enemies and please friends' if it would have been otherwise, me, you or Nusrat Javed had been there...
@nazar m chohan: Could the smartness of PPP (of Zardari, indeed) ever be used for the betterment of this country and people, or it is just for playing political gimmicks.
PPP is doing nothing good for Pakistan. Zardari may be the winner but Pakistan is loser. PPP government has ruined Pakistan.
Rule of law Libertarians consider the rule of law to be a crucial underpinning of a free society. In its simplest form, this principle means that individuals should be governed by generally applicable and publicly known laws and not by the arbitrary decisions of kings, presidents, or bureaucrats. Such laws should protect the freedom of all individuals to pursue happiness in their own ways and should not aim at any particular result or outcome. ...
yes..PPP walas are too smart...PML N's munafqat and idiocity ruins them...
Already the Provinces as well Federal Government are in chronic financial deficit. Who is going to Pay the expenses of the new province(s)? Might not have the resolution or the report given some indication?. Are new taxes to be imposed. Will it not tantamount to rob the Peter to pay the Paul? Has the Government the requisite majority to go for the adoption of such a drastic measure in concrete terms? In the circumstances does it not appear to be merely illusory to create a pretense? In the difficult moral situation the Prime Minister finds himself, is the Government tactic of any help, or, is it merely a sham, of little help, or would it only aggravate the plight of the Party (which has avoided to hold local bodies elections) and its Prime Minister?