ISLAMABAD: A war of words broke out in the Senate between treasury and opposition members on Tuesday, with both sides accusing each other of playing the religion card for political gains and making hate speeches and some members even shouting at each other and leaving their seats.

As Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar sought leave to move a bill aimed at amending the Railways Act of 1890, Leader of Opposition in the House Dr Shahzad Waseem stressed the need to also review other laws “being used to oppress the opposition and silence dissenting voices” through Section 144 and detentions.

Strongly reacting to remarks made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in the National Assembly against PTI chief Imran Khan, Dr Waseem alleged that the minister delivered a hate speech and played the religion card, while Minister Javed Latif did the same a few days ago in a “hate speech” telecast by PTV.

“They are severely perplexed ... and are now on a dangerous path,” he told treasury parties and advised them to avoid misusing religion in politics and added that elections were the only way to move forward.

Shahzad Waseem takes exception to ‘hate speech’ against Imran by ministers

He also called for revisiting colonial-era laws used to stifle dissent and target political opponents and offered the opposition’s support for such a move. Law Minister Tarar welcomed the offer and said the ruling coalition parties always had a positive view on it and were ready to sit with the opposition for it.

“If we are to enter the democratic era, leaving behind colonial legacy, then ‘we all will have to adopt democratic conduct and acknowledge the power of the vote and accept the parliament’s supremacy and will have to talk while sitting in it and will have to halt coming to cities with groups,” Mr Tarar said.

However, Senator Saleem Mandviwala, former deputy chairman of the Senate and chief whip, noted that everything mentioned by the opposition leader “was started by the PTI and Imran Khan”.

“All the wrong things they started and now blaming others. It was they who made false cases against senators, played havoc on the country and instigated people,” he said, wondering what they wanted to prove by regularly saying that there was a threat to Mr Khan’s life.

JUI-F’s Maulana Attaur Rehman regretted that at a time when flood victims in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needed relief and rescue, the chief minister’s helicopter was spared for the PTI chief.

PPP Senator Moula Bux Chandio reminded the PTI that it was Imran Khan who used the term the “state of Madina” for the first time and then allegedly desecrated the premises of Masjid-i-Nabwi and branded political opponents as “Yazeedi”.

PTI Senator Mohsin Aziz and PPP lawmaker Mr Chandio exchanged hot words when the former, speaking on his calling-attention notice, questioned the need for building the Metro bus project from Peshawar Mor to the Islamabad airport at the “huge cost of Rs16.4 billion” and “without proper cost-benefit analysis and passenger load factor study.”

Mr Chandio interrupted the PTI senator during the speech, leading to a fiery exchange of words and the chair had to expunge some of the remarks uttered by Mr Aziz, who was also censured by the PPP leader for using the “objectionable words”.

He said the PTI didn’t know how to behave and speak in parliament, adding: “Whenever someone talks about using the religion card in politics and defaming the democracy, the PTI’s name would be remembered.”

PTI Senator Zarqa Taimur Suharwardy also continued interrupting Mr Chandio, and PPP lawmakers also used some harsh words for woman lawmakers in response.

There was quite a furore in Senate when the opposition staged a protest walkout from the house and pointed out a quorum, prompting the chair to adjourn the sitting until Friday.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2022