ISLAMABAD: Leader of Opposition Syed Khrusheed Shah’s opening speech in the National Assembly’s special session requisitioned on Friday to grill the government over its plans to privatise Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and for maintaining ‘irrational’ oil prices indicated that the rulers had little to worry about on this front.

Mr Shah spent most of his time on lecturing the house about the parliamentary form of government and the role of politics in society.

It appeared as if the government’s upper hand achieved in handling the PIA crisis over the past week had taken the steam out of the opposition’s intended plans behind calling the sitting of the house.

Mr Shah repeatedly banked on his often repeated sermon-sounding calls to respect the supremacy of parliament and democracy. More than once, he highlighted the importance of democracy versus dictatorship. “It’s the beauty of democracy that we can sit here and have important discussions on critical issues. Even the worst form of democracy is better than the best dictatorship.”

He quoted his own example as a success of democracy: “I am not a son of a landlord or an industrialist but a worker of a political party and have reached this level where I am holding the seat of opposition leader.”

Despite the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf being a joint signatory in requisitioning the session, Mr Shah spent quite some time on recalling — which he does during every sitting of the assembly — how Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his party had turned to parliament for help during the sit-in held by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek and PTI.

“The prime minister realises the importance of parliament only when he and his party face problems.”

The opposition leader also dwelt on politics as a profession. Starting from the Quaid-i-Azam to the late prime ministers Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Khwaja Nazimuddin and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Mr Shah said it was because of politics that Pakistan had come into being and “I am proud of being a politician”.

He discussed nuances of politicians’ role against the background of a recent statement of Prime Minister Sharif in which he had accused the opposition parties of playing politics on the issue of PIA. “What else the prime minister wants us to do if not politics,” he wondered.

Mr Shah highlighted the amount of legislation done during the PPP’s rule, recalling that his party’s government had got passed 137 bills.

The only thing missing from his speech was the purpose for which the opposition had requisitioned the session – PIA’s privatisation and oil prices -- although he had said at the outset that he had some interesting facts to share with legislators.

Realising that he had overshot his time, Mr Shah informed the deputy speaker, who was presiding over the sitting, that he would conclude his speech on Monday.

A PPP lawmaker conceded that Mr Shah lacked the gift of the gab and often got distracted during his speeches. “I fully agree that today his entire speech should have focused on the PIA and oil prices.”

Talking to Dawn, a PTI leader expressed displeasure over how the first day of the session had fared and said that having the privilege to get the microphone at his free will, the opposition leader should prepare his talking points before addressing the house.

LAHORE PROJECT: In response to a call attention notice moved by PPP members, the Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Pervaiz Rasheed, informed the house that the Orange Line metro train project in Lahore wasn’t a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The project was entirely between the Punjab government and China, he said.

The notice had sought the government’s response “regarding serious threats to the national and cultural heritage sites in Lahore due to the construction of Orange Line Train”.

The minister said he would request the provincial government to hold a special briefing for the house to address the concerns.

On the question of a sovereign guarantee given against the Rs200 billion loan secured by the Punjab government from China for the project, Mr Rasheed said the centre would welcome such initiatives by other provinces and provide similar guarantees.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2016