Settling differences: Reconciliation overtures follow K-P assembly ruckus

Opposition, treasury lawmakers to strategise course of action before proceedings resume

PESHAWAR:

Following the ruckus in the provincial assembly caused by opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman’s comments against women participating in PTI’s sit-in, Speaker Asad Qaiser has initiated efforts for reconciliation among the estranged treasury and opposition benches.

On the warpath 

The K-P Assembly turned into a fighting arena on Thursday and lawmakers looked ready to strike at each other when JUI-F’s Luftur Rehman accused Imran Khan of “making the daughters of the nation dance in front of his container.” This drew the ire of PTI’s women lawmakers who stood up on their benches in protest and demanded the opposition leader retract his statement. He refused and the situation continued to spiral out of control.

Fortunately, security officials intervened before Minister for Public Health Engineering Shah Farman, PTI MPA Fazl Elhai and PML-N’s Wali Mohammad Khan could resort to violence. Subsequently, Qaiser adjourned the session till November 10.

Overtures

In the aftermath, it is expected both the treasury and opposition benches will be gearing up to give each other a hard time when the session resumes next week. To tackle this, Qaiser has begun reaching out to lawmakers for an amicable resolution.

“So far, Qaiser has contacted all parliamentary leaders and urged them to remain patient and ensure tolerance in their ranks,” an official at the Assembly Secretariat told The Express Tribune on Friday.

According to the insider, Qaiser has spoken on the telephone with opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rahman, as well as parliamentary leaders PML-N’s Aurangzeb Nalutha, QWP’s Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, PPP’s Syed Muhammad Ali Shah and Sardar Hussain Babak of ANP.

Similarly, Qaiser has also discussed the matter with house leader Pervez Khattak and his cabinet members as well as coalition partner JI’s Inayatullah Khan and AJIP’s Shahram Tarakai. For now, the speaker is attempting to take the two sides into confidence. He will formulate a reconciliation plan later, said the insider. “There is a possibility that a joint meeting of parliamentary leaders will be held before assembly proceedings resume.”

Gearing up

The treasury bench MPAs will be making their own plans to address the issue. Shah Farman, a PTI stalwart, told The Express Tribune a joint meeting of all three coalition partners will be held before the session resumes.

In response to a question, Farman said, “The opposition leader used abusive language against women, therefore, we will take women MPAs into confidence when the strategy to tackle the situation in the house is formed.”

Likewise, the opposition will not enter the house next week unprepared. PPP’s Nighat Orakzai told The Express Tribune opposition lawmakers are in contact with each other and their course of action will be finalised before the assembly regroups. Putting the responsibility of Thursday’s clash squarely on the treasury MPAs, Orakzai insisted it was PTI’s lawmakers who resorted to violence, not the opposition’s.

“There is nothing new in the opposition leader’s remarks about PTI’s sit-in in Islamabad. Such comments have become a routine feature in the media,” said Orakzai.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2014.