Taking a stand: Opposition walks out of assembly
Lutfur Rehman says opposition boycotting session over treasury MPAs’ behaviour on October 30.
PESHAWAR:
As the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly reconvened on Monday it was clear that the treasury and opposition benches had not put aside their differences. In protest to what the opposition termed the government’s efforts to stifle dissenting voices, its lawmakers boycotted the session.
Registering protest
The house was tense even before the proceedings started; opposition members periodically thumped their desks to point out the delay as the session which was scheduled for 2pm started at around 3:30pm.
As soon as the recitation of the Holy Quran was over, opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman stood up and on a point of order drew the house’s attention to the ruckus in the assembly during its previous meeting on October 30 after he criticised PTI’s sit-in.
Rehman reminded the treasury benches that usually the chief minister and opposition leader’s speeches at the house floor are not interrupted and both sides of the aisle listen to what they have to say.
Criticising the treasury lawmakers’ behaviour, Rehman who belongs to the JUI-F said that for the first time in parliamentary history, the treasury benches staged a walkout from the assembly that day.
“While other parties are free to hold public meetings, we are in the crosshairs of bomb attacks and target killings. In addition to this, the government is making attempts to stifle the opposition’s voices,” said Rehman.
The MPA also claimed that treasury lawmakers used derogatory words for a female member of the opposition, adding the opposition was boycotting this session in protest against the government’s behaviour. Following the speech, Rehman led opposition members out of the house, ignoring Speaker Asad Qaiser’s calls to sit and listen to senior minister Inayatullah Khan’s response.
On his way out, an opposition MPA chanted Ro Imran Ro (Cry Imran Cry) which elicited chants of Go Nawaz Go from the treasury side. However, senior treasury members stopped their colleagues from chanting any anti-opposition slogans.
Overtures
When Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan took the floor, he said the government wants to resolve this issue amicably as the opposition and treasury have to run the house jointly.
“What happened that day was inappropriate and breached the house’s sanctity,” said Khan. He added the treasury benches regret the incident and asked opposition members to return to the house and take part in its proceedings in the public’s interest.
Later, Speaker Asad Qaiser tasked Inayatullah Khan, senior minister Shahram Tarakai, Law Minister Imtiaz Shahid and Finance Minister Muzaffar Syed with pacifying the estranged opposition.
However, when the ministers arrived at the opposition leader’s chamber, he had already left the assembly premises, forcing them to return empty-handed.
Meanwhile, the house also passed K-P Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2014, K-P Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014 and K-P Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2014.
The session was later adjourned till Tuesday afternoon.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 11th, 2014.
As the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly reconvened on Monday it was clear that the treasury and opposition benches had not put aside their differences. In protest to what the opposition termed the government’s efforts to stifle dissenting voices, its lawmakers boycotted the session.
Registering protest
The house was tense even before the proceedings started; opposition members periodically thumped their desks to point out the delay as the session which was scheduled for 2pm started at around 3:30pm.
As soon as the recitation of the Holy Quran was over, opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman stood up and on a point of order drew the house’s attention to the ruckus in the assembly during its previous meeting on October 30 after he criticised PTI’s sit-in.
Rehman reminded the treasury benches that usually the chief minister and opposition leader’s speeches at the house floor are not interrupted and both sides of the aisle listen to what they have to say.
Criticising the treasury lawmakers’ behaviour, Rehman who belongs to the JUI-F said that for the first time in parliamentary history, the treasury benches staged a walkout from the assembly that day.
“While other parties are free to hold public meetings, we are in the crosshairs of bomb attacks and target killings. In addition to this, the government is making attempts to stifle the opposition’s voices,” said Rehman.
The MPA also claimed that treasury lawmakers used derogatory words for a female member of the opposition, adding the opposition was boycotting this session in protest against the government’s behaviour. Following the speech, Rehman led opposition members out of the house, ignoring Speaker Asad Qaiser’s calls to sit and listen to senior minister Inayatullah Khan’s response.
On his way out, an opposition MPA chanted Ro Imran Ro (Cry Imran Cry) which elicited chants of Go Nawaz Go from the treasury side. However, senior treasury members stopped their colleagues from chanting any anti-opposition slogans.
Overtures
When Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan took the floor, he said the government wants to resolve this issue amicably as the opposition and treasury have to run the house jointly.
“What happened that day was inappropriate and breached the house’s sanctity,” said Khan. He added the treasury benches regret the incident and asked opposition members to return to the house and take part in its proceedings in the public’s interest.
Later, Speaker Asad Qaiser tasked Inayatullah Khan, senior minister Shahram Tarakai, Law Minister Imtiaz Shahid and Finance Minister Muzaffar Syed with pacifying the estranged opposition.
However, when the ministers arrived at the opposition leader’s chamber, he had already left the assembly premises, forcing them to return empty-handed.
Meanwhile, the house also passed K-P Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2014, K-P Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014 and K-P Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2014.
The session was later adjourned till Tuesday afternoon.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 11th, 2014.