Yemen debate day 2: After a day of reproaches, Imran skips session

Likely to address joint sitting of parliament in days to come


Our Correspondent April 08, 2015
Imran Khan. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: After facing a volley of reproaches in parliament on the first day of the joint session convened to discuss what role Pakistan could play in the resolution of the Yemen conflict, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan decided to skip the proceedings on Tuesday.

The proceedings were different in terms of decorum and attitude of the MPs: no anti-PTI slogans were raised and, instead, the members not only welcomed the party back to the assembly but also criticised the government for how the previous day’s proceedings were conducted.

All the PTI leaders were in attendance except the party’s vice chairman, Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

What had happened?

On Monday, legislators of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) had questioned the legitimacy of the PTI’s returning lawmakers, who had handed in their resignations en masse on August 22.

The ruling party-backed Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had told the PTI lawmakers to demonstrate decency and stop declaring the National Assembly a “product of rigging”.

PTI still has friends

Senator Farhatullah Babar of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which had backed and defended the returning lawmakers, hailed the PTI’s return as “triumph of parliament and democracy”.

He also censured the defence minister for his impudence and called for expunging his “unparliamentarily remarks”.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq termed the PTI’s return a “positive step”. He said his party could work with the PTI for the well-being of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Where was Imran?

According to a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf official, Imran spent the day at home, had meetings with some party members and an interview with a TV channel.

The official quoted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief as saying he would “address the joint session in the coming days”.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2015. 

COMMENTS (1)

NK | 8 years ago | Reply what a crybaby!! the first day he left early. and the second day he doesn't even attend?? imran khan says he is a different politician. a new politician that cares about the people. well if he cared about the people he would stay put in parliament, and be part of the democratic voice of the people that elected him. instead he is acting just like the rest of our corrupt lazy politicians - he is in politics just to win a seat, to win an election, and to move on to the biggest chair of parliament. he's in it for the protocol, the money, the power, the legacy. What else could explain his constant indifference to parliamentary affairs and the province where he was elected. there will be some PTI and IK defenders that will say his job is to run the party. he has bigger fish to fry. NO! as an elected member of parliament his first duty is not to his party and winning an election, but to represent his voters voice in parliament and help run the country. THAT would be new revolutionary politics. the game he's playing is the same one our politicians have played for the past 60 years and that have sunk this country.
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