PML-N announces boycott of NA’s current session

PML-N boycotts NA's entire session; move draws criticism not only from government but also from opposition members.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday boycotted the National Assembly’s entire current session in what appeared to be the first ‘real opposition posture’ by the party in two-and-a-half years.

But the move against Tuesday’s passage of a bill immediately backfired by drawing criticism not only from government lawmakers but also from fellow opposition members of other parties.

The bill was aimed at providing legal cover to the reinstatement of all those employees who were sacked by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif during his second stint in power (1997-99).

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan delivered a hard-hitting speech before he led legislators from his party walking out of the house, fourth such instance in as many days.

Chaudhry, whose party is often dubbed ‘friendly opposition’ by its political opponents and critics, warned of stopping support to what he called the government’s unconstitutional steps.

The passage of the bill was one such move, said Nisar. A fellow party colleague, MNA Zahid Hamid, later explained the PML-N’s objections to the piece of legislation.

The party’s boycott and a subsequent flurry of speeches by government and opposition lawmakers including Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani overshadowed an overnight debate in the house on last week’s repeated incursions by Nato helicopters from Afghanistan into Pakistan’s tribal regions.

There were calls for permanently blocking supplies for international forces stationed in Afghanistan through Pakistan’s land routes unless Nato stops drone strikes inside the country’s border districts against alleged al Qaeda operatives.

Provoked by the PML-N boycott of a bill that they described was aimed at reinstating poor employees, lawmakers blasted the party for its anti-poor stance and called its attitude as uncalled for.

Members from almost all other parties — PML-Q, MQM, ANP and JUI-F — supported the government on the bill.

Premier Gilani said providing people with jobs was part of his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s manifesto and his government would continue to do so in any case.

“I congratulate the nation over the passage of the bill…this (reinstating sacked employees) is a noble cause. I have been in jail for this,” said Gilani, referring to his five years’ imprisonment for what was alleged as illegal appointments in the National Assembly Secretariat during his tenure as speaker.

Labor Minister Khursheed Shah said why the PML-N did not oppose the bill either at the time of passage or when the house committee was reviewing it for almost a year.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2010.