Member of National Assembly (MNA) Jamshed Dasti. PHOTO: INP
A privilege motion has been moved in the National Assembly Secretariat seeking the suspension of MNA Jamshed Dasti’s membership after he protested on two consecutive days – once during the president’s address on Monday and then during the announcement of the budget on Tuesday. Members of parties across the political spectrum signed the motion against Dasti.
While hardly popular amongst his peers after he announced in February this year that parliamentarians brought ‘alcohol, hashish and even dancing women’ to the Parliament Lodges, Dasti seems to have earned the ire of female colleagues in particular - the motion against him was signed by almost all female members of the assembly.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had formed an eight-member committee to probe Dasti’s allegations after he was provided with what Dasti termed ‘video evidence’. The committee comprises Imran Zafar Laghari, Arif Alvi, Rohail Asghar, Mian Manan, Shahida Akhtar Ali, Sohail Mansoor and Kazim Ali Shah. During the assembly session, Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid proposed that the committee probe Dasti’s allegations. The proposal was unanimously approved.
The committee was not satisfied with evidence presented by Dasti and consequently termed his allegations baseless. The committee also suggested that a privilege motion be tabled against the lawmaker with Parliament’s consent.
However, Dasti claimed he was being victimised for his stance against the PML-N and PPP. Talking to The Express Tribune, he said, “My friend Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad had already told me about this development yesterday.” He claimed that the prime minister ‘is behind this move’.
Dasti said the committee was not independent and he would challenge the privilege motion in the Islamabad High Court. “How can they be a judge for their own cause?” Dasti asked. He said interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali had ‘rejected’ his allegations against the parliamentarians as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2014.
COMMENTS (12)
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Dasti , who lied about his educational credentials Is there any law, can be applied on him, or let him play like this...
" The committee was not satisfied with evidence presented by Dasti and consequently termed his allegations baseless." --- Let the public in general be shown the video evidence submitted by Dasti and let the public decide if the evidence is prima facie acceptable or not ? Make it transparent. Every voter has a right to know the affairs of representative he/ she chose to send in national Assembly.
@Syed
why did you only see PMLN and PPP in between the lines. There were members from PTI and JI in the venture who all went against Dasti. By the way there is a grand operation going on against Dasti's family members for many different reasons. He wanted to catch/divert attention to hide his family's wrong doings and appear as a victim.
Regards,
From a person belonging to Dasti's constituency
...looked at from a different point of view....this is actually a good sign.
This will make Dasti As an emerging hero, And his followers will increase immensly... Because every one knows, his allgeations were 110% right.
This man was proven to have lied about his educational credentials in a court of law and yet he continues to be a lawmaker?
Mr dasti is not all that clean. He betrayed zardari and now on his own he is no more than a political clown
Dasti , who lied about his educational credentials is now becoming a darling of chattering classes. Dasti couldnt prove his accusations and now lying through his teeth again to score some points.
Sh. Rasheed MK II in the making
“How can they be a judge for their own cause?” this is how PML N and PPP wanted to treat the problem. They are all involved in this issue. Poor Dasti raising his voice against feudalism, we are a 'Chaudhry' 'Khan' and' Wadera' country. This is not democracy.
Dasti Sahib - you know these thugs and looters better than anybody else. You should have joined PTI or Sheikh Rashis's PML on day one unconditionally to survive from the wrath of Nawaz Sharif.
Don't u ever dare to break the shackles and tear apart the false face of ruling class, no1 would stand with u and make u pay heavily