LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) showed solidarity with Palestinians by waving flags of the Palestinian Authority during proceedings of the Punjab Assembly and holding a rally outside the assembly building here on Friday.

PML-N lawmakers entered the house along with opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz wearing mufflers of Palestinian flag colours and holding flags of the Authority in their hands. They claimed the assembly’s security staff had barred them from taking the flags inside the chamber.

MPA Khalil Tahir Sandhu quoted the security men as saying that they had been ordered by the higher-ups not to allow carrying the flags.

Responding to Mr Sandhu’s claim, Law Minister Raja Basharat pleaded that the house should give a message of solidarity instead of difference of opinion. He said when the assembly secretariat told him that the opposition leader wished to talk on the issue of Palestine in the house, he immediately approved it, directing that Mr Sharif should be allowed to speak on it as much as he wished.

Taking the floor, the opposition leader said the oppression of Palestinians reminded one of subjugation of the Kashmiris. He said when Muslims elsewhere were buying new clothes for Eid, the Palestinians were purchasing coffins.

He regretted that reaction to both Kashmir and Palestine issues was confined to condemnations, while Muslims were taken to task when any incident took place anywhere in the world. He said Israel was repeatedly committing crimes of war but there was none to hold the Zionist state accountable for it as the world was practicing double standards for human rights.

Describing Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s speech in the UN General Assembly as the voice of the nation, he demanded an inquiry into the security men’s attitude for barring the opposition members from entering the house.

Mr Sharif said he didn’t wish to do politicking on this day but the fact is that the country is in multiple crises facing issues on foreign and economic fronts and there’s a visible political divide within the country and inflation and unemployment are at their peak.

He ended his speech as a protest when some women treasury members interrupted him.

The chair asked Mr Sharif to continue his speech as the opposition protested at the attitude of the treasury.

The law minister said that all the elected assemblies in the country give a message of solidarity. He said Mr Qureshi played a leading role in the UN as world press lauded Pakistan and Turkey’s role on the Palestine issue.

Referring to the raising of the Kashmir issue by Mr Sharif, he said both the PML-N and PPP had been raising the issue during their tenures, while the PTI was following suit now.

Later, the chair put off the house proceedings for Monday afternoon as PML-N lawmakers led by Hamza Shehbaz held a rally outside the assembly building to show solidarity with the Palestinians.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2021