Ruling MPs protest against organizers: Invitation to SAF Games ceremony
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, March 29: Ruling party members National Assembly on Monday protested against the organizers of the 9th SAF Games for not inviting them to witness the opening session of the event.
They said the organizers had breached the privilege of the house and, therefore, the matter should be referred to the house privilege committee for further consideration.
PML-Q's Wasi Zafar on a point of order drew the attention of Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain towards the fact that not a single member of the lower house had received invitation for the event when complimentary passes were issued and distributed by bureaucrats and military officers among themselves.
This amounts to double standard, he said, asking the speaker to boycott the inaugural ceremony of the games. "I am reflecting the voice of the entire members who feel dejected and consider that by not issuing passes to them, they are being devalued," he said.
A similar attitude was also meted out to us during the recent one-day international cricket matches between India and Pakistan, he said. Earlier when we were members Punjab Assembly we used to receive such passes, he said.
He said SAF Games were a national event and, therefore, it was the right of the members to be invited. He deplored that parliamentary secretary for sports was avoiding the members by not attending the proceedings of the house.
MQM's Dr Farooq Sattar also asked the speaker to seriously consider the matter as attempts were being made to downgrade the members. At this, the speaker asked the treasury benches to explain as to why no such passes had been issued to any member of the lower house.
But the ministers tried to pass the buck to one another by first Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar saying that minister for sports should be asked to reply.
