Words of caution, walkouts mark NA debate on cartoons
By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, Feb 17: Strong words of caution eclipsed those of abandon in the National Assembly on Friday as members voiced their anger against blasphemous published in some European countries on the third day of an unfinished debate on the issue.
While most members from both sides denounced violence seen during anti-cartoon rallies, opposition parties pointed fingers at the Punjab government over its handling of protests in Lahore and staged walkouts, complaining victimisation of political opponents.
A passionate appeal for the government and opposition to put their heads together to ponder a response “in the benefit of the country” came from former prime minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, while warnings of dangers from sidelining moderate politicians came mainly from the People’s Party Parliamentarians and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).
The PPP and the PML-N staged a token walkout in the midst of the debate on the objectionable cartoons, protesting against alleged victimisation of their activists in connection with the protests.
They were immediately followed by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal over what it called a police siege of the Jamia Naeemia in Lahore.
PPP secretary-general Raja Pervez Ashraf called for following the Islamic teachings of tolerance and restraint while protesting against blasphemous cartoons in the beginning of the day’s debate, but he was furious when he led the walkout by his party and the PML-N later, accusing the Punjab government of detaining hundreds of workers in what he called ‘governmental terrorism’.
The PPP’s Naheed Khan described the prevailing violence in the country a result of what she called usurpation of people’s rights and the government’s policy to ‘corner’ progressive and moderate leaders like former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.
While pleading for tolerance and controlling emotions she said the government’s policies could lead the country into the “control of extremists or secessionists or a revolution that will sweep away all of us”.
Ms Khan said the violence was the work of either a ‘third force’ or President Pervez Musharraf himself to “save his army uniform” and impose emergency in the country to prepare ground for another rigged election.
Mr Jamali saw something sinister in the series of developments including protests over water reservoirs, the sugar crisis blamed on artificial shortages, violence over cartoons and the murder of three Chinese engineers at a cement factory in Balochistan.
He noted that the violence occurred while Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Afghan President Hamid Karzai were visiting Pakistan, the Chinese engineers were killed ahead of President Musharraf’s visit to China and calls for more protests and a general strike had been given before a scheduled visit here by United States President George Bush.
Mr Jamali, who continues to be in the Pakistan Muslim League since being eased out as prime minister in 2004 but has chosen a front-row seat close to opposition benches, said the government and opposition “should sit together and consider what is in the benefit of Pakistan”.
He did not agree to going to the United Nations over the issue of cartoons, saying the “UN itself has become a cartoon”, and said Muslims could not have a strong say in world affairs until they stood on their own feet.
The PML-N’s Saad Rafiq seemed to have a foreknowledge of what was to happen to him later in the day when he said he might not be “available in the house after today’s speech” and then, holding a copy of Sura Yasin in his hand, swore his innocence of any involvement in violence in Lahore on Tuesday and complained of a police siege of his house and a roundup of his relatives and party workers since Thursday night.
Hours before he was picked up by police in the federal capital, Mr Rafiq said he wondered why it was happening after what he called a ‘positive response’ to his complaints by Law and Justice Minister Mohammad Wasi Zafar in the house on Wednesday and later by Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao.
Addressing Mr Jamali, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao and former speaker Hamid Nasir Chathha, he asked them to see “who are provoking people in Punjab” and “why are you pushing the moderate leadership to the wall”?
