A united opposition comprising legislators from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) staged a token walkout from the proceedings of the National Assembly on Friday to protest against the gunfight in the Malir and Landhi areas of Karachi, which left around a dozen people dead and many injured.
Meanwhile, estranged Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi asked the government to clarify allegations of fudging numbers leveled by a section of the media.
Referring to a media report suggesting that the government was involved in fudging numbers vis-à-vis the revenue target for the current fiscal year and calling for the formation of a parliamentary committee comprising representatives from all political parties, Qureshi said the allegation must be probed as it could hamper the country’s international funding as well as credit ratings.
Speaking on a point of order, Qureshi said the opposition had also made similar accusations against the government during the budget debate. “I myself had said in my budget speech that the government had set an exaggerated revenue target, which was unrealistic. The target of Rs 1.588 trillion was incorrect. The presidents of private banks were approached and were asked to submit Rs 43 billion to the government before June-end, which was to be returned to the banks in July. This figure-fudging is a breach of this august house,” he said.
He said the resignations of State Bank governor Shahid Kardar and chief economist Jaffer Qamar and the premature removal of the auditor general of Pakistan were significant events and must have linkages to this “figure-fudging”.
He said the “fraud” would not only compel the government to impose further taxation to meet the shortfall but it would also be taken into account by international financial institutions and other donors.
Earlier, protesting against the recent violence in Karachi, MQM National Assembly Member Sajid Ahmed accused a Lyari-based gang of being involved in the shootouts in Malir, which he claimed were supervised by Sindh Senior Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza.
Abdul Qadir Baloch of the PML-N said law and order in Balochistan was deteriorating fast. He read out a statement by Southern Command Commander Lt General Javed Zia and said the army had distanced itself from the killings of missing people and abduction of nationalist political leaders. He demanded the government take immediate steps to unmask the actual perpetrators who, on the behest of foreign forces, were destabilisng Balochistan.
AQEEL ATTENDS: PML-N Chief Whip in the National Assembly Sheikh Aftab said arrested party MNA Anjum Aqeel was not produced in the National Assembly despite the fact that his production order had been issued.
Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi told the House that Aqeel’s production order was issued on the evening of July 21. He asked the PPP Chief Whip Khursheed Shah and the National Assembly Secretary to find out why Aqeel was not produced in the House.
Later, Aqeel joined the session. Speaking on a point of order, Aqeel told the House that he was arrested by Islamabad police in a case which was lodged against him a year and a half ago.
Aqeel said when he was arrested and brought to Shalimar police station, his supporters and party workers reached there and the police party present on the occasion “staged a drama” and engaged party workers in a clash. He asked the House to set up a committee to look into the matter and investigate why he was charged with Section 78 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. He said he would face the court and defend himself.
Saad Rafique of the PML-N said the country’s courts were independent and his party would accept the superior courts’ verdict on Aqeel’s case. He said that Aqeel had surrendered to police contrary to police claims, and asked the National Assembly to set up a committee to probe the issue.
Later, Kundi prorogued the 32nd session of the National Assembly, which was summoned on requisition of the opposition to discuss the law and order situation in Karachi.
