Parliamentarians on Friday unanimously condemned the marches and sit-ins staged by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) in Islamabad and urged the protestors to resolve all issues through dialogue.
Participating in the debate in the National Assembly, Nawab Ali Wasan from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said that Pakistan has sufficient resources to be prosperous but the country is being weakened through sit-ins and marches.
He said the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should meet former president and PPP Co-Chirman Asif Ali Zardari, adding that if the two leaders meet, the issue would be resolved within days.
Wasan condemned the tone being used by PTI Chairman Imran Khan against NA Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah.
SUPPORTERS OF RULING PARTIES MAY REACT:
Mehmood Khan Achakzai said that protestors are breaching the privilege of the House.
“Khan and Qadri had promised that they would not enter the Red Zone,” he said, adding that the protestors should leave the Red Zone so that the movement of foreign ambassadors is not hindered.
He said the issue should be resolved soon as the workers of ruling parties are losing patience and they can react to the disrespectful attitude towards their leaders.
CONSPIRACY AGAINST SHAHBAZ, COUNTRY, DEMOCRACY:
Sajid Mehdi said that conspiracies are being hatched against Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. He said independent candidate Siddique Baloch won the elections against PTI Secretary General Jehangir Tareen. There was no rigging in the elections, he said.
He said Punjab is the center of PML-N, alleging that PTI and PAT want to make the ruling party weaker in its power base.
He said PM Nawaz and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif must not step down over threats by the PTI chief and PAT Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri.
He asked the PM to appoint Khan as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.
Parliamentarian Naseema Hafeez from Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) urged all political parties to make collective efforts to strengthen democratic institutions.
She lauded Balochistan Assembly for adopting a resolution in support of democratic institutions.
Raja Javed Ikhlas of PML-N wondered why Khan and Quadri are conspiring against the country and democracy.
“PML-N has respected the mandate of PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and refused to be part of the attempt to topple the provincial government,” said Ikhlas.
He said that the PM had given opportunity to nationalists to form their government in Balochistan and had refused to be part of the attempt to topple the government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Stressing the continuity of policies for the country’s economic development, Dr GG Jamal criticised Khan’s call for civil disobedience.
He condemned the attack on PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s residence, saying that it is conspiracy to aggravate the present situation.
Lauding the patience and acumen of PM Sharif, Sahibzada Tariqullah said that the country has endured huge losses in the last 10 days due to the sit-ins.