ISLAMABAD, June 17: The combined opposition walked out of the National Assembly session on Friday when the government failed to assure them that it would talk steps to end political victimization of opposition MPs and target killings in Karachi.
However, the absence of the opposition helped the government in the smooth passage of the finance bill.
Earlier, the government continued to pursued the opposition outside the house to stop creating disturbance in budget proceedings.
The house continued second reading of the Finance Bill 2005-06, when the combined opposition walked out and the ministers sent by the chair could not bring the opposition back in the house.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had declared on the floor that the life and honour of every citizen was sacred to the government and it would take all steps to curb killing of innocent people.
The premier said: “The government was seriously pursuing a policy of taking the entire opposition along, and he has asked the provincial administrations concerned as well as agencies to report to him about the grievances of the opposition.
He said: “I want to make it clear that we will not allow state machinery to be used against anyone on the basis of political differences.” He assured that the government had taken the notice of the killings in Karachi and the reported maltreatment of opposition’s Sindh MPAs. It would take necessary steps in this regard, he held out assurance.
Before the walk out, the combined opposition strongly criticized the government for the suspension of two Punjab MPAs, killing of three Sunni Tehrik workers in Karachi and political victimisation of a PPP Parliamentarian lawmaker at by the Punjab administration.
The opposition also expressed its resentment on the reports of heart stroke to country’s nuclear founder Dr A.Q.Khan and condemned the treatment that the government was meting out to a national hero.
Opposition leaders, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Aitzaz Ahsan, Tehmina Daultana and Sahibzada Fazal Karim of the ARD, and Liaqat Baloch and Sahibzada Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair of the MMA had warned the government that the atmosphere created for a smooth sailing for the passage of fiscal budget would not remain intact if the government failed to provide satisfactory assurances on the concerns of the opposition.
They said that despite public criticism of an opposition-government leaguing on the passage budget, opposition parties had cooperated with the government and fulfilled what had been agreed.
Javed Hashmi’s detention was also resented by opposition leaders because of his outspoken criticism of the army’s political role.
They alleged that PPP Parliamentarian’s Qamaruz Zaman Kaira and his family were being subjected to worst victimisation at the behest of the Punjab government; two Punjab MPAs Rana Sanaullah and Rana Mashood had been suspended without sufficient reasons and opposition’s workers in Karachi had been killed using state machinery.
When the house resumed its post Asr prayer sitting, the opposition staged the walk out to provide the government opportunity to pass the finance bill along with the amendments.
Opposition leaders alleged that the killings in Karachi had been directed by a certain party (MQM). The party, they said, was involved in misusing its authority to harass and intimidate the opposition through terror tactics.
In reply to opposition’s allegations, MQM parliamentary leader Dr Farooq Sattar, in a very polite tone, said some hidden hands were involved in these killings since a number of his party’s senior leaders had also fell victim to the acts of terrorism.
He offered the opposition to sit together, for which the MQM was convening an All Parties Conference to sort out all the differences and suspicions and to find out the common enemy that was tearing the peace of Karachi apart.
In response to the allegations against Chaudhry family for the victimization of Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain challenged that none of his family members, including chief minister Punjab, were involved in any personal vendetta.
