A tame parliament meets days before show of power

Published November 27, 2014
The image shows a view of the National Assembly. — APP/File
The image shows a view of the National Assembly. — APP/File

ISLAMABAD: Four days ahead of a promised show of people’s power outside parliament house, the National Assembly began a delayed autumn session rather tamely on Wednesday. Some senior ministers avoided concerns voiced about issues such as violence against minorities and a slump in the prices of Pakistan’s crops.

Contrary to expectations of challenges to the Nov 30 rally called by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan as part of what he calls a “decisive battle” with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government, the agenda of the session’s opening day had little of interest for lawmakers or their constituents.

Yet, in speeches on points of order, a Christian woman from the government-allied Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Asiya Nasir, set off some sparks over the burning to death of a pregnant Christian woman and her husband on the unproven charge of blasphemy at a brick kiln in Kot Radha Kishan, Punjab, as well as taking on ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz member (PML-N) Shahabuddin Khan over the discovery of 26 girls from his Bajaur tribal area, from a home in Karachi.

Ms Nasir referred to previous incidents of violence against Christians in what she called a “misuse of a law” and said if the culprits in one case had been hanged in public, other incidents would not have followed.

Her outburst, backed by some members of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party , drew a quick response from Ports and Shipping Minister Kamran Michael, who told the house that the prime minister had issued instructions to make Kot Radha Kishan a “test case” in which, he said, “we ourselves will be the plaintiffs” rather than leaving the matter to individuals who could be influenced by the other party.

While a Muttahida Qaumi Movement member, Sheikh Salahuddin, asked why government ministers were not responding to lawmakers’ concern over different issues, PPP members Azra Fazal Pechuho and Nafisa Shah assured the house that their provincial government in Sindh would do its best to bring to light the facts regarding the 26 girls found in Karachi.

Some members from both sides of the house, representing the farmers’ lobby, held a perceived government disinterest responsible for a slump in the market prices of both food and cash crops in the country, to the detriment of growers.

Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir said the government was “closely monitoring the situation”, which he blamed on a “precipitous drop” in the world market.

While most discussion took place on points of order, little was said about the planned Nov 30 PTI rally or the continuing party sit-in at what is called D Chowk, outside the parliament building, since mid-August, although a new deployment of shipping containers at important crossings in the capital has been seen over the past few days.

Imran Khan was roaring against the government from his container at the PTI sit-in just as National Assembly members drove home late in the evening after Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq adjourned the house until 11am on Thursday.

Before the start of the sitting, a meeting of the business advisory committee of the house decided that the new session, put off from the previous tentatively scheduled opening date of Nov 17, would continue till Dec 5, a committee press release said.

Published in Dawn, November 27th , 2014

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