ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: Members of opposition in the National Assembly on Tuesday refused to attend an official briefing on relief activities at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat after opposition and treasury benches accused each other of playing politics over the October 8 earthquake disaster.
Speaking on points of order, the opposition MNAs asked the government to hold the briefing in the assembly and not at the PM Secretariat.
Law Minister Wasi Zafar told the opposition that the briefing could not be held in the assembly because participation of experts and government officials and the showing of slides were needed.
He asked the opposition to attend the briefing and ‘not to play politics’ over the tragedy.
His remarks sparked tension in the house and several opposition legislators stood up and asked the deputy speaker, presiding over the session, to give them floor to respond to the minister’s comments.
Acting parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the opposition had extended full cooperation to the government soon after the disaster and since then it had been giving importance to national interests. “So much so that we withdrew the decision to observe black day on October 12.”
Mr Nisar said there were so many issues which the opposition could have highlighted to embarrass the government but it refrained from doing so.
He said the opposition’s cooperation did not mean that they had announced support to ‘the uniformed man’ and added that ‘they will not go to the (army) General Headquarters or anywhere else to attend any briefing.’
“The government should not use this national disaster to improve its credibility,” he said and added that the government should not believe that it would gain legitimacy after this disaster.
Mr Nisar said the people had no confidence in the regime which was evident from the fact that the multi-national companies and individuals were themselves carrying relief goods to the quake-hit areas.
He said the official media was being used for personal projection during the national disaster.
Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan of the People’s Party Parliamentarians criticized the government for arranging an Iftar dinner after the proposed briefing.
Mr Ahsan said the briefing could be held in the assembly under rule 225(B) under which the entire house could be converted into a committee through a resolution. He said any government official, even in uniform, could give a briefing to parliament and there were such precedents.
He said the assembly was in session only to meet the constitutional requirement of 130 days of session.
