National Assembly session: Govt voluntarily defers PPO extension

PML-N, PTI pick on each other, passing snide comments on Sunday’s protest rally .

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday deferred a resolution to extend the controversial Pakistan Protection Ordinance (PPO) voluntarily.

The resolution was on the agenda and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was supposed to present the resolution, but he left the house and later the National Assembly deputy speaker informed legislators about the government’s decision.

Despite the deferment, almost all the political parties condemned the PPO during the debate on law and order.

During the entire session, members of the treasury benches seemed uncomfortable in their seats due to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's rally on Sunday and their plans to stage more protests against the alleged rigging in last year’s general elections. The PML-N, visibly irked, continuously picked on PTI members and vice versa, whatever the topic of debate.

Jamaat-e-Islami had called an attention notice, asking Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal about what the government had in the pipeline for the country’s less developed districts. In response, Iqbal chose to make PTI the scapegoat, pointing fingers at their protest rally, instead of answering the question. “Development is not possible with these ongoing rackets,” he retorted.

Earlier, PTI’s Ghulam Sarwar moved a privilege motion against the 10-month suspension of his National Assembly membership, but Speaker Ayaz Sadiq took over an hour to reserve a ruling on the issue.

Despite intervention of two heavyweights – Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah and Mehmood Khan Achakzai – the speaker did not refer the issue to the relevant privilege committee of the house. The move triggered a debate on the speaker’s neutrality.

Even though it was unrelated at the time, PML-N’s Barjees Tahir, opposing Sarwar’s motion, taunted, “Why you are embarrassed about the fact that your estimated 500,000 people could not attend your ‘show’ on Sunday?”

A representative of the Hindu community, MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar, addressed the house and listed six incidents wherein temples and religious books were burnt and desecrated in Sindh, “a province where progressive Pakistan Peoples Party is in power”.

All legislators quietly and attentively listened to his powerful and emotional speech that brought pin-drop silence in the house – as if putting the lawmakers to shame.

Dr Kumar asked why issues of minorities never came under discussion in the house. “We are also equal citizens of Pakistan and our holy books should also be considered equally respectful and sacred,” he said.

The government members assured the house that minorities will be protected, particularly in Sindh.