Senate plays ‘good Zardari, bad Zardari’
Despite assurances, treasury members cite scandals.
A file photo of President Asif Ali Zardari. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Despite verbal assurances from the Leader of the House for not criticising President Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its allies in Senate, did not have smooth sailing in praising President Zardari’s personality and his actions.
Members from Treasury benches cited the Swiss cases, President’s dual office practice and the PPP government corruption scandals in reply to speeches from opposition benches.
“I have always wondered why the President and his party had to take cover behind excuses and not produce evidence of his innocence in Swiss cases,” said Senator Muhammad Hamza of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in reply to a speech made by Senator Farhatullah Babar.
The House, on Wednesday, debated President’s record sixth address to Parliament made in June this year.
Senator Babar questioned why only President Zardari’s case was chased out of more than 8,000 NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) cases. He quoted a Swiss judge’s remarks to justify that reopening cases against the sitting President was unjustified.
At one point, Deputy Chairman Sabir Baloch had to interrupt Senator Hamza during his speech. Baloch advised him to refrain from criticising the President for the acts of the government.
“President is the custodian of this House. Please do not attribute to him the actions which he did not perform as President,” said Baloch after Senator Hamza questioned why President Zardari kept the political office of PPP co-chairman.
Senator Babar, who also happens to be the spokesperson for President, said, “The president, who was ridiculed as ‘accidental’, actually turned out to be the unprecedented president of the country in many ways.”
Awami National Party (ANP) senator Afrasiab Khattak also praised President Zardari for the 18th Constitutional Amendment, for surrendering his powers to the Parliament and his statesmanship.
Khattak said President Zardari never received from the then opposition the respect he deserved. The ANP senator took PML-N government to task saying there was no point in finding cover behind criticising the past five year’s performance.
“Three months are enough to give new direction to the country particularly on war against terrorism. There is nothing visible on anything from the government as yet,” said Khattak.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2013.
Despite verbal assurances from the Leader of the House for not criticising President Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its allies in Senate, did not have smooth sailing in praising President Zardari’s personality and his actions.
Members from Treasury benches cited the Swiss cases, President’s dual office practice and the PPP government corruption scandals in reply to speeches from opposition benches.
“I have always wondered why the President and his party had to take cover behind excuses and not produce evidence of his innocence in Swiss cases,” said Senator Muhammad Hamza of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in reply to a speech made by Senator Farhatullah Babar.
The House, on Wednesday, debated President’s record sixth address to Parliament made in June this year.
Senator Babar questioned why only President Zardari’s case was chased out of more than 8,000 NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) cases. He quoted a Swiss judge’s remarks to justify that reopening cases against the sitting President was unjustified.
At one point, Deputy Chairman Sabir Baloch had to interrupt Senator Hamza during his speech. Baloch advised him to refrain from criticising the President for the acts of the government.
“President is the custodian of this House. Please do not attribute to him the actions which he did not perform as President,” said Baloch after Senator Hamza questioned why President Zardari kept the political office of PPP co-chairman.
Senator Babar, who also happens to be the spokesperson for President, said, “The president, who was ridiculed as ‘accidental’, actually turned out to be the unprecedented president of the country in many ways.”
Awami National Party (ANP) senator Afrasiab Khattak also praised President Zardari for the 18th Constitutional Amendment, for surrendering his powers to the Parliament and his statesmanship.
Khattak said President Zardari never received from the then opposition the respect he deserved. The ANP senator took PML-N government to task saying there was no point in finding cover behind criticising the past five year’s performance.
“Three months are enough to give new direction to the country particularly on war against terrorism. There is nothing visible on anything from the government as yet,” said Khattak.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2013.