- Nisar defends imposition of Article 245 in Islamabad, says it is not meant for political purposes, urges Rashid, Sherpao, Achakzai to broker truce with PTI
- NA opposition voices concerns over army in capital, deems it govt’s failure, asks it to review decision
- Khurshid Shah says PPP to launch bigger agitation than PTI and PAT if govt does not revoke Article 254
- Achakzai grills govt over Article 245, vows to work against anti-democratic forces
While defending the imposition of Article 245 in the federal capital and reaching out to parliamentarians for support, the besieged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) to call off its “Azadi March” scheduled for August 14 in Islamabad.
During the National Assembly session on Tuesday, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan requested the PTI to engage in talks directly or through mediation of other political leaders to resolve its differences with the government. However, they clarified that the request should not be seen as a weakness on the government’s part.
“I request the PTI to postpone the march and not to adopt the mindset of Dr Tahirul Qadri,” said Khawaja Saad Rafiq, adding that the only way to keep democracy going was through talks.
“It is strange that a party that is an ardent supporter of talks with the Taliban is not ready for talks with the government despite our repeated requests,” said Rafique.
Further, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also asked PTI to settle matters in the National Assembly rather than resorting to sit-ins and protests.
On Article 245, Asif said that the army was called in the federal capital to protect the properties of citizens and not for any political motives.
The minister said that the government did not feel threatened by PTI’s long march and if parliament unanimously opposed the invocation of Article 245, the government might consider the matter again.
NISAR DEFENDS ARTICLE 245, URGES PTI FOR TRUCE:
Interior Minister Chauhdry Nisar took the request a step further and asked leading political figures, including leader of Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Qaumi Watan Party Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao to play a role in resolving PTI’s differences with the government.
Interestingly, the interior minister also asked his rival Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to play a conciliatory role. “It would be a great service to the country and the government would respond positively to such a move,” he said.
Nisar also that there was no shame in calling in the army to the capital as the civilian and military leadership had decided that military assistance would be extended to the civilian administration wherever required.
Nisar reiterated the government’s stance that imposition of Article 245 had no link with any political party, protest rally or other march. He said there was no other motive behind the move except to counter terrorism threats.
“I assure this house that the government would neither involve the army in political affairs nor will use it against any political rally or protest. Anyways, the army does not serve any political party, it is for the entire country,” the interior minister said, adding that there is no shame in asking the army for help.
The interior minister also assured the House that high courts’ operations would continue even after implementation of Article 245.
Nisar added that parliament was not asked for approval before imposing Article 245 for 24 times in the past and therefore, it was wrong to criticise PML-N for not taking parliamentary approval.
“However, if the opposition parties want to terminate the Article 245 from the constitution then we are ready to sit together in the parliament for amendment in the constitution in this regard,” he said.
The interior minister added that the federal government had written to all four provincial governments informing them that the army could be deployed anywhere upon their request.
“Why shouldn’t the government call for military support pre-emptively rather than reactively?” he questioned.
“Let August 14 remain Independence Day, every Pakistani should have the national flag. The day should unite the country’s citizens rather than dividing them.”
OPPOSITION CRIES OUT AGAINST ARTICLE 245:
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would protest against the government with greater intensity than the PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) if government failed to revoke its decision to implement Article 245.
Demanding an explanation for government’s decision, the opposition leader said calling the armed forces could be seen as a failure of the government.
The PPP leader claimed that the imposition of the article was equivalent to trying to eliminate political forces.
Shah said the PPP government had only invoked Article 245 of the Constitution in the Malakand division and that too after taking the parliament into confidence. He added that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had invoked the said article and had summoned the army to aid the civil administration in Lahore in 1977 and had later regretted the decision.
The senior PPP leader said that the high courts would be rendered incapacitated due to the government’s move.
In addition to PPP, every political party in the opposition opposed government’s decision of invoking Article 245 and demanded for an immediate withdrawal of the decision.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Sahibzada Tariqullah said invoking Article 245 had exposed the government’s weakness. He added that the JI was prepared to make efforts for reconciliation between the government and PTI and even suggested the formation of a committee for this purpose.
Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao criticised both the government’s decision of calling in the army and PTI’s call for a long march, saying that Independence Day celebrations should have been aimed at strengthening the country’s unity.
Awami Muslim League (AML) President Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said the country had never witnessed true democracy in the past 65 years nor were the issues of the common man ever resolved. He said the government’s decision to call in the military for assistance in the federal capital city had pushed the opposition to a point of no return.
Moreover, Awami National Party (ANP) MNA Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said the current situation in Islamabad did not warrant the calling in of the military, adding that the government had taken the decision only after the PTI had announced its long march.
ACHAKZAI GRILLS GOVT, PTI:
Before the National Assembly meeting, PkMAP Chairman Achakzai met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and urged him to convene a meeting of all political leaders including PTI chief Imran Khan for resolution of issues. He also suggested that the Senate, National Assembly and provincial assemblies pass a resolution saying that “no compromise” will be made if the Constitution is violated.
Further, Achakzai said that it is PTI’s right to hold a political rally but their plan of not ending the sit-in is dangerous and Parliament should decide whether sensitive areas in Islamabad could be used for political rallies.
“We have to accept that the people voted some to power,” he said in response to PTI’s demand for re-elections, adding that the mandate of 200 million people was not a joke and could not be overrun by a mob of thousands.
“I will fight against those jeopardising the country and constitution as traitors and as going against the ideology of Pakistan,” he added.
Moreover, he also voiced his opinion against Article 245 saying that its invocation had exposed the government’s weakness. He also suggested a resolution to condemn any move against democracy or the constitution.
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