ISLAMABAD, Nov 4: Opposition members continued their protest in the National Assembly on Tuesday in a manner that was harsher in slogans but relatively controlled in action.
The proceedings also saw National Assembly Speaker Amir Hussain climbing down from his threatening rhetoric of “taking action” against opposition members.
While the opposition circled his rostrum, constantly raising slogans for the release of ARD president Javed Hashmi and PPP leader Asif Zardari, the speaker restrained his reaction to mere pleadings of “take your seats.”
He kept adjusting his earphones and carried on with the business of the house, completely ignoring the opposition’s clamour around his podium.
The treasury’s retreat allayed the fears, triggered by Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali’s warning on Monday about supporting a possible action by the speaker against the protesting MNAs, that the proceedings might become more violent or unruly on Tuesday.
The addition of Asif Zardari’s release to the list of demands seemed to have enthused more vigour to the opposition’s shouting. It was interesting watching Asif Zardari’s arch critics, among them being Liaquat Baloch, Tehmina Daultana and Khawaja Saad Rafiq, demanding for his release from jail after seven years of confinement.
The opposition seemed to have changed its tactics. They had smuggled into the house a dozen of banners that carried lethal inscriptions against the president, the National Assembly Speaker and the army.
“Rule of the generals not acceptable,” read one banner. Another sought the end to LFO and President Musharraf’s rule. And still another demanded, not without humour, that “the Speaker be released.”
The tone of their sloganeering was even more harsh. There was almost a revolutionary touch to their shouts: “Lay kay rahengay Azaadi from the army and from the president.”
MMA’s Liaquat Baloch and Khawaja Saad Rafiq resorted to the kind of shouting that was reminiscent of their student politics. They introduced sloganeering in chorus, much like the way they did on the campuses of their universities.
Manzurul Hassan, Nahid Khan, Dr Fehmida Mirza, Hafiz Hussain Ahmad stayed in the vanguard, while the ‘sophisticated’ lot, like Aitezaz Ahsan, stayed in back rows. While ARD’s women activists were in the front rows, the MMA kept its female folk
out of what they considered was the ‘men’s job.’
However, the most prominent protester, the one with the strongest lungs, was definitely PML-N’s Abid Sher Ali. He cried himself hoarse by shouting against the junta for almost 45 minutes. The opposition staged a walkout in the end.
Prime Minister Jamali stayed away from the proceedings for the day, perhaps because of fears about a possible physical showdown. His cabinet seemed visibly tense while watching the opposition taking digs at the speaker.
Though many ruling alliance MNAs seemed itching to rush to the rescue of the speaker, but the strategy, it seemed, was not to provoke the opposition any further. PML-Q’s Rana Tariq, who had almost pushed Javed Hashmi’s daughter Memoona on Monday, was particularly cautioned by senior stalwarts to avoid any provocation. The treasury showed restraint even when Dr Sher Afgan was called “lota” time and again.
This subdued response of the treasury to the opposition’s digs on Tuesday seemed to reinforce the perception that many government members sympathized with the opposition on the issue of Mr Hashmi’s arrest. Many of them were seen nodding in approval while the opposition was raising slogans for Mr Hashmi’s release.
