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| November 30, 2002 | Saturday | Ramazan 24, 1423 |
Pervaiz on LG system
LAHORE, Nov 29: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Friday resolved to put an end to the politics of victimization and said it was the duty of all MPAs to promote as well as protect democracy.
Speaking in the Punjab Assembly after becoming Leader of the House, he said he would make a policy statement later, but hinted that improvements might be made in the local government system and the police setup.
Mr Elahi’s speech was followed by that of the losing candidate, PPP’s Qasim Zia, who criticized the army generals and said the opposition would support the government provided that it served the people and “not those who were under the defence secretary”.
He said the opposition would support the government in restoring the 1973 constitution and withdrawing the LFO. “We will go along with you if you continue to support us,” he said.
The new chief minister announced that he would take the opposition along while formulating policies, but asked it to refrain from launching personal attacks which, he said, “pollute the atmosphere”.
“We are making a new beginning in the wake of a propaganda against political governments. Both the treasury and the opposition benches were condemned as an institution whenever assemblies were dissolved and the democracy wrapped up in the past,” he said, adding that all must learn from the past and show responsibility.
Mr Elahi invited the MPAs to work for progress and honour of the country, elimination of illiteracy and poverty and for ending the politics of victimization. He said he had seen the politics of victimization at close range in jails, where he was sent twice.
He said despite the countless objections that had been raised by the people, the government would not repeal the local government system, but would remove all the loopholes in it in consultation with all.
He said the government would bring about positive changes in agriculture, education and health sectors.
Mr Elahi promised that he would protect the rights of minorities and women and seek their opinion in all administrative and policy matters. The women had got such an adequate representation for the first time in Pakistan beating the so-called democratic India, where a bill for women’s 33 per cent representation in assemblies had been pending for the last many years, he observed.
Mr Zia welcomed the new chief minister’s goodwill gesture but asked him to explain as to what was happening in Pakistan. On one hand, Ms Bhutto and Mr Sharif were not allowed entry in Pakistan while on the other, people wanted by the NAB were being made federal interior and defence ministers, he said.
He said no general had created Pakistan and therefore did not deserve a share in power. It seemed reasonable if generals in Turkey demanded a share in power as they had secured its freedom, he said.
Mr Zia said Pakistan was created by people who had suffered a lot in the process. It was Barrister Mohammad Ali Jinnah and not a ‘General Mohammad Ali Jinnah’, who had led those people and Allama Iqbal and not ‘Lt-Gen Mohammad Iqbal’ who had envisioned the country, he added.
He asked Mr Elahi to stand with the power of the people and the support of the opposition and declare that he would not serve those serving somebody else. “Let’s take an oath on Quran” in this regard, he added.
Some PML-Q members objected when he said he was a follower of Mr Bhutto and his daughter who had suffered a lot for the people and the country.
National Alliance leader Hussain Jahania Gardezi congratulated the chief minister and hoped that he would meet all the challenges being faced by the province.
PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah Khan who had promised to complete his speech in seven minutes provided there was no interruption, could not do so because his remarks created a pandemonium in the House. The MPA from Faisalabad would sit down calmly whenever the PML-Q MPAs including women yelled at him for his attacks on generals and support for the Sharifs.
He started with the remarks that the office of chief minister had been long cherished by Mr Elahi. “This monster has taken too long to come to your house,” he said.
Mr Sana said Mr Elahi had many good examples to follow in the person of his predecessor Shahbaz Sharif. When he praised Mr Sharif, one PML-Q MPA shouted that it was a lie. His immediate remark was: “You used to pamper him when he was here.”
When somebody taunted that it had been the Sharifs who attacked the Supreme Court, Mr Sana said those saying this did not know as to who had sent a jeep full of soldiers to the house of the chief justice just to tell him that he must not go to the court.
There was again pandemonium when Mr Sana said Nawaz Sharif had made Pakistan the first Islamic nuclear power, due to which India had not dared attack it this year.
When the uproar settled, he again rose up and said he felt like saluting Nawaz Sharif while recalling as to how he had resisted five telephone calls. In contrast, those carrying medals of bravery collapsed after a single call on Sept 11, he said.
This made Arshad Lodhi rise and say enough was enough. He condemned Mr Sana who said: “You will again sit at his feet if Mr Sharif returns to the country.” The remarks angered many PML-Q MPAs. The Speaker controlled the situation by adjourning the session for half an hour for Friday prayers.
Later, Mr Sana was left waiting to complete his speech when the session was prorogued sine die because of a lack of quorum.
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