Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order in Balochistan and Shia cleansing in the country, the National Assembly on Tuesday announced that it would call a special joint session of parliament.
The private members day’s agenda was suspended in the 49th session of the National Assembly so that the recent Quetta blast, in which over 80 people were killed, and the ongoing Shia genocide across the country could be debated.
Members of parliament raised questions about the poor performance of the government, the security forces and the intelligence agencies in connection with incidents of targeted killings related to sects.
To a point of order, MQM’s Wasim Akhtar said the Quetta carnage failed to gain the rulers’ attention and now the government’s team was negotiating with the protesters, not for their protection but to bury the dead.
“The headquarters of the terrorists are based in Punjab,” the MQM MNA said, adding that indiscriminate action should be carried out against terrorists.
Other members of the MQM stressed that forming committees was not the solution but stern and brutal action against the enemies of humanity was.
The MQM MPs then staged a walkout.
Minister for Religious Affairs Khurshid Shah clarified that the government was fully aware of the seriousness of the issue, adding that that was the reason the provincial government had been replaced by governor’s rule in Balochistan.
He suggested that all political parties should sit together and come up with a solution to curb terrorism in the country.
PML-N’s Naseer Bhutta was of the view that the recent statement by the Balochistan governor reflected the helplessness of the government against the terrorists. Countering the allegations leveled by MQM’s Akhtar, Bhutta said the Punjab government had its writ established in the entire province and terrorists were not given a free hand.
PML-Q’s MNA Sardar Bahadar Khan Sehar suggested that the seminaries system across the country be changed, adding that the present system was promoting extremism and sectarianism.
Demanding the government curb Shia genocide across the country, and provide protection to them, Sehar said all parties had to formulate a joint policy to deal with the situation for the sake of the country.
PPP’s Ejaz Ahmed Virk questioned the performance of the intelligence agencies, saying they had failed to break the terrorists’ networks across the country.
PML-N’s Bargis Tahir said Quetta was burning and the Shia community across the country was on roads protesting against the failure of the government. Later, the PML-N MPs also staged a walkout from the House.
“No thing called a government exists in Quetta, Karachi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while President [Asif Ali] Zardari is engaged in his visits to Lahore, and Islamabad enjoying a luxurious life in a house worth Rs 5 billion,” said Awami National Party MNA Himayatullah Mayaar.
Condemning the brutal killings of Hazaras, Mayaar said the entire country was on fire.
“There are around 40,000 terrorists in the country, including Uzbeks and Punjabi Taliban and banned outfits such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jamatud Dawa, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, and Jaish Mohamad have public offices across the country,” the ANP MP revealed.
He asked why had all these offices been opened in Punjab. He demanded that a ban be imposed on working of these banned outfits under other names.
Khawaja Asif of the PML-N pointed out that despite the assurances given by the prime minister, the Shia community was being targeted and killed throughout the country and that too on a daily basis which was tragic.
He said only in Balochistan 2,400 Hazaras had been assassinated in the past few years, urging that the whole parliament should join PPP MNA Nasir Ali Shah, who was on protest over the issue.
The PML-N MNA demanded the government summon a joint session of parliament and question security and intelligence organisations on their failure to protect Pakistanis.
PML-N’s Akhtar said numerous briefings had been given to parliamentarians in the past but all in vain.
Khurshid Shah informed the House that he would consult with the leader of the House and would call the joint sitting next week, to which Chair of Penal Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor said the session should be kept open for everyone as in-camera sessions in the past had failed to gain their objectives.
Zafar Baig Bhitni said normal grafting of terrorism was insufficient, adding that the menace should be completely uprooted.
FATA MNAs also expressed solidarity with the demands of the Shias and staged a protest walkout from the session.
Later, when PML-Q’s Kashmala Tariq pointed out the low quorum in the House, the National Assembly session was adjourned until Wednesday (today).