Amid calls for imposition of governor’s rule in Balochistan, the National Assembly on Tuesday was a replica of the country where nationwide protests were held over power outages on the second consecutive day on Tuesday.
The Lower House too witnessed severe criticism, anti-government slogans and a walkout by two major opposition parties. Frustrated parliamentarians from both sides of the divide demanded the federal government either impose governor’s rule in Balochistan to control the law and order in the restive province or abdicate admitting failure in protecting the citizens.
Strongly condemning the killings of the members of the Hazara community in Balochistan, the parliamentarians criticised both federal and provincial governments for their failure in providing security to Shias further demanding the government impose governor’s rule in Balochistan. PML-Q’s Riaz Hussain Pirzada, federal minister for professional and technical training, said all institutions of the state had failed in controlling the law and order in the country. PPP MNA from Balochistan Nasir Ali Shah, who heads the Hazara community, announced that he would continue to boycott the National Assembly sittings until the imposition of governor’s rule in Balochistan.
Usman Khan, an independent MNA from Balochistan, alleged that secret agencies were backing target killers in Balochistan. Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of the PML-N said there was no writ of the government in place. ANP Central Vice President Bushra Gohar said Interior Minister Rehman Malik and the Balochistan chief minister should resign as the law and order in the province was deteriorating. Nadeem Afzal Gondal of the PPP said the party’s tickets and membership of the National Assembly had no value for him if he could not protect the lives of people.
Awais Leghari of the PML-Q said Balochistan had become a den of criminal elements. Asia Nasir of the JUI-F said the internal threats facing the country were severe than foreign threats. Hamid Saeed Kazmi said the people of the country were not part of the Shia-Sunni conflict which was being fanned by some miscreants at the behest of foreign hands. Maulvi Asmatullah said the enforcement of Sharia in the country was the panacea for all existing problems confronting the country. Anusha Rehman of the PML-N reminded the PM of his pledge of setting up an independent accountability body in the country.
Meanwhile, participating in the debate on the energy crisis and long hours of load shedding in the country, MNA Saad Rafique said the future of the democratic system and the country was at stake as four or five people were controlling the government. When PPP MNA Jamshaid Dasti started his speech after Rafique, the PML-N and MQM walked out. Dasti said the PML-N went out of the House as it did not have the courage to listen to his criticism and stories of corruption by the Punjab government. Earlier, when the debate on the energy crisis started, PPP MNA Akhunzada Chattan said he wanted to speak as amendments in the FCR, announced on August 12, were not being implemented.