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KARACHI, Nov 7: The opposition benches in the City Council on Wednesday moved a resolution to debate the imposition of emergency rule but the motion was rejected by the presiding officer, Nasreen Jalil, on the grounds that the issue did not fall within the purview of the city government.
Amongst others, the resolution was moved by Saeed Ghani of the Awam Dost group and Abdul Razak of the Al-Khidmat group. However, Ms Jalil ruled that she could not allow the house to debate the vital issue since the City Council was a government institution. Angry opposition members insisted that house members could not remain silent since the issue related to the fundamental rights of citizens but the presiding officer abruptly adjourned the session.
Tension prevailed right from the outset of the session when Mr Ghani and other group leaders stood up on a point of order and drew the presiding officer’s attention to the imposition of emergency rule. Criticising the government’s move for having curtailed fundamental rights such as the freedom of expression and movement, the opposition said that “the situation was serious” and requested that the resolution submitted by it be allowed for debate.
Ms Jalil responded that she was fully aware of the situation as well as the resolution but ruled that since the City Council was a governmental institution, she could not allow the house to debate the issue — which in any case did not fall within the purview of the city government. She added that house members could raise any issue relating to the performance of the city government.
Incensed, members of the opposition insisted that since the issue related basically to the fundamental rights of the citizenry, the house could not remain silent. Ms Jalil said that she would not allow the destruction of an institution meant for providing basic facilities to citizens and abruptly ended the session in five minutes.
As the chair adjourned the session, there was a thumping of desks from the treasury benches. Members of the opposition chanted “Go Musharraf, go” and “Emergency na manzoor, na manzoor” as they left the house.
The next session of the City Council is scheduled for Nov 13.
‘Martial law’
Later, opposition leaders Saeed Ghani of the Awam Dost Group, Ramzan Awan and Abdul Razak of the Al-Khidmat Group and Dr Ziauddin of the Khidmatgar Group held a joint press conference where they criticised the presiding officer for adjourning the session and disallowing debate on the imposition of emergency rule, which they termed martial law.
Condemning the imposition of the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO), they said that the government was attempting to strengthen a dictatorship through brute force. They also condemned the recent incidents of violence against lawyers, journalists and political activists, saying that even councillors were not safe from the massive crackdown.
Countering the allegation that political parties were not playing an active role in the current situation, they said that the important leaders of all the major parties had been put behind bars yet rallies had nevertheless been organised in different parts of the country.
Claiming that the movement against General Musharraf’s dictatorial regime was gaining momentum every day, they said that the common people would continue their march towards democracy.
The leaders of the opposition in the City Council also issued the contents of the resolution submitted in the house. It specifically condemned the suspension of the 1973 Constitution and the imposition of the new PCO. It also took a strong line against the un-constitutional removal and illegal detention of judges of the superior courts, and the restrictions imposed upon the media.
