National Assembly session: MPs say PM has their vote of confidence

Advise premier to find a swift solution to defuse the protesters

ISLAMABAD: The Azadi and Inqilab marches seemed to have overshadowed events both inside and outside the National Assembly building on Friday. After entering from the back doors for the third consecutive day, lawmakers unanimously said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif — who also attended the session for the fourth consecutive day — has their vote of confidence.

But at the same time they advised him to be wary of conspiracies and to find a quick solution. Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party’s Mahmood Khan Achakzai warned that the political workers of other parties could also turn violent if PAT and PTI supporters do not end their protest. He pointed out that both Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri had reneged on their pledges not to breach the Red Zone, which shows their “weak character”. Achakzai, however, did not respond to the allegations levelled against him by Imran Khan for supporting the government.

The house, with a thin presence on the opposition benches, also passed a resolution condemning attacks on journalists by participants of the protests. The government benches also requested both Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri to call off their sit-ins immediately as they are causing great loss to the country.

The house also unanimously passed a resolution condemning the manhandling of journalists by the participants of sit-ins. PML-N’s Raja Javed Ikhlas said the party could have formed a government along with its allies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa but the prime minister made a principled decision and allowed PTI to form its own government in the province.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sahibzada Tariqullah appreciated the government for its generous attitude towards the protesters, suggesting the prime minister consult his party members to resolve the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2014.