ISLAMABAD – Expressing reservations over the way the country was being governed and parliament being run, the opposition on Monday asked the government to ensure the supremacy of parliament so that other institutions could stay out of the driving seat.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and PML-Q unanimously demanded the government to make parliament meaningful. Faisal Saleh Hayat said Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in his recent statement had levelled charges of bribery on members of both houses, which was a humiliation of all parliamentarians, while Opposition Leader Nisar Ali Khan vowed that his party would not allow land grabbers to get their vested interests stamped by parliament.
“Shaikh in his address to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce alleged that some elements used and financed politicians against the imposition of reformed GST. It is a breach of privilege of all parliamentarians,” Hayat said. He asked the speaker to allow his party to move a privilege motion or the minister should offer an apology over the issue.
The PML-Q leader said due to the government’s approach of reducing parliament to a redundant body, the people were knocking at the door of the Supreme Court and it was the apex court which was settling all corruption scams, including the rental power plant project, haj corruption, dyke breaches and PIA.
Referring to Defence Housing Authority bill, Opposition Leader Nisar Ali Khan said his party would vehemently resist any move aimed at giving a legal cover to acts of land grabbers whose hands were blood-tainted.
“This bill is so controversial that even Musharraf dared not table it in parliament. The minister for law had assured me that this bill would not be tabled in the House in the present form, but now it was being introduced in the current session while the law minister was nowhere to explain the matter,” he added.
“If the bill was brought in the House, I will reveal such pieces of information about some particular generals who hold bank accounts in billions and will also publicise the details about murder cases which occurred in the name of housing societies in the twin cities,” he said. He questioned how could the PPP and parliament approve a bill that was being moved by land mafias in the name of Pakistan Army.
