Parliamentary antics: Opposition employs new theatrics to disrupt NA

PML-N demands headcount thrice, citing a lack of quorum.

ISLAMABAD:

The opposition, it seems, has found new ways to pressurise the government.

While Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) anti-government campaign took a back seat, the party on Thursday tried to disrupt proceedings citing a different reason — lack of members present in the National Assembly.

The PML-N, on three different occasions, disrupted the proceedings, citing a lack of quorum with no sign of their pledged anti-government protest.

The National Assembly session can be declared null and void if less than 86 members are present during the proceedings at any point in time.

PML-N’s Saud Majeed raised objection and demanded a headcount in the National Assembly on three different occasions — each time disappointed with the result as 86 or more members were present each time the headcount was performed.

“It is a joke with the parliament,” said Religious Affairs Minister Khursheed Shah in response to the objection raised by Majeed.

Sarcastically criticising the opposition’s theatrics – when Majeed would leave the floor after demanding a headcount, in a bid to render the proceedings void – Shah said: “We are thankful to the opposition that it kept our quorum intact.”

Riaz Hussain Pirzada of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) also censured the opposition and stated that pointing out quorum was a “bad parliamentary practice”.

He also urged the speaker to give a ruling against the PML-N for disrupting the proceedings.  “Opposition members should have gone through the rules of business,” he said.

After failure to get the house adjourned, over 60 members of the PML-N present in the lobbies entered the lower house and started chanting slogans after Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was absent for a second consecutive day.

But this time around, the government was prepared — using the additional loudspeakers installed in the house, the moment opposition members started making noise, the additional gadgets were turned on and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Akhunzada Chittan started to deliver his speech — trying to trump the noise.

Only five members participated in the budget debate and focussed their arguments on the attitude of the opposition instead of the budget.

PPP leader Zafar Ali Shah criticised own government over a number of issues. “I will give suggestions but am aware of the fact that the government will not pay any heed to them,” he said.

Posing a question over the government’s intentions behind the creation of a Seraiki province, he said: “It had been done to fuel confrontation.” He said that the situation had worsened to such an extent that “I fear that either emergency will be imposed in the country or the current government’s term will be increased.”

He said that although the government had given its fifth budget, “I am not sure where this money would come from”.

While commenting on the opposition’s absence, he said that it would have been better had the opposition leader given his input over the budget.

Kishan Chand Parwani of the PML-Q also took jibes at the government saying: “What is your performance during the last four years despite tall claims? There has been nothing except corruption in the country.”

Published In The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2012.