• PTI MNAs interrupt Question Hour, try to derail proceedings with protest over Nov 26 events
• Tarar claims party itself not in agreement over ‘number of casualties’ from alleged action
• Asif says attitude not conducive to talks, asks speaker to ensure smooth functioning of house

ISLAMABAD: Even though talks between the PTI and government to bring down political temperatures are set to enter their third round, there was no let-up in the acrimony between opposition and government lawmakers in the lower house of parliament on Monday.

As the National Assembly met for the first time this calendar year, the session was marred by noisy protests by PTI lawmakers soon after Opposition Leader Omar Ayub finished speaking.

At the outset of proceedings, Mr Ayub demanded an independent inquiry commission on the alleged psychological and physical torture of civilians during their trials by military courts. It may be noted that last month, scores of PTI supporters were convicted by military courts for their involvement in the May 9 violence.

Mr Ayub also chided government functionaries for their comments on the possible outcome of the Al-Qadir Trust case and claimed that following a deal between the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and a private businessman, the money landed in the Supreme Court’s account before being transferred to the national treasury. “What have Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi got to do with it?” he questioned.

The PTI also raised alarm over the alleged ‘disappearance’ of its activists on Nov 26 and sought their immediate recovery.

Soon after he wrapped up his speech, opposition lawmakers ins­t­i­gated bedlam. The decision to lodge such a protest had been taken at a joint parliamentary party meeting of PTI senators and MNAs, held earlier, and the environment remained tense throughout house proceedings.

At the very start of Question Hour, a PTI lawmaker, instead of asking a question, raised the issue of the Nov 26 protest. Throughout the session, PTI lawmakers kept raising slogans about the alleged shooting at D-Chowk that supposedly claimed the lives of several protesters. PTI members also staged a walkout during Question Hour.

‘Smokescreen’

The federal ministers for defence and information responded to the party’s outbursts during Question Hour. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the PTI was using dialogue as a smokescreen, and questioned whether talks were possible in such an environment.

“They [PTI leaders] say that I am against negotiations. They do not want to talk, as behaviour demonstrated by them in the National Assembly will not help in making the talks successful,” the defence minister said.

He said the NA speaker himself and a former prime minister, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, were involved in talks, and the most important thing was to ensure the smooth functioning of the house.

He said the PTI used to say the government had no authority and there was no use in talking to the ruling coalition.

Mr Asif advised the PTI to directly negotiate with those who they thought wielded actual power. He observed that the chair extended courtesy to the opposition leader out of the way by giving the floor to him during the question hour, but he misused the opportunity.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also lambasted the PTI, alleging that the former ruling party through their ‘agents’ inside and outside the country built a fake narrative on social media about the Nov 26 crackdown. He pointed out that the PTI leaders themselves had differences over the number of deaths in Islamabad on November 26.

Mr Tarar said that the PTI leadership should remember the killing of innocent people of a family in Sahiwal during their tenure.

The minister also brought up the crackdown on the TLP in Lahore and the stampede in Multan’s Qasim Bagh during the PTI government.

A PTI member, Iqbal Afridi, tried to scuttle the information minister’s speech by pointing out a lack of quorum, but the house was found to be in order.

Agha Rafiullah of the PPP also criticised the attitude of the PTI members, saying that no one should expect that they would speak about issues faced by the public.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2025