All for one!

• PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan says Opp putting weight behind PM just for democracy’s sake
• Criticises Sharif’s governance, says premier should sit and think about who his ‘real friends’ are
• PKMAP’s Achakzai wants capital cleared of protesters, believes in protection of parliament
• JUI-F’s Fazl condemns acts of violence, says treason cases should be initiated against PAT and PTI
• PML-N’s Nisar terms protesters ‘terrorists armed with pistols’, says enquiry will be held into PTV’s ransacking
• NA speaker says he’s delaying the process for acceptance of PTI resignations because he wants to see its members back in the House

Pakistan’s parliament threw its weight behind embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday as a deepening crisis over violent protests demanding his resignation prompted fears of an army intervention.

Sharif, who enjoys a solid majority in parliament, convened a joint session of the assembly as he seeks to reaffirm that he is fully in control more than two weeks after protests seeking to bring down his government erupted in the coup-prone nation.

His office said parliament would be in session all week to allow all members to express their views. A string of politicians took to the floor during the first day, most of them expressing their resolute support for Sharif.

A motion in this connection was moved by Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid on the floor of the House, chaired by National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif among others.

NISAR SAYS MARCHERS ARE TERRORISTS:

Opening the debate on the motion, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan alleged that some of these protesters were “trained terrorists” which belonged to a “militant outfit” and carried “pistols”.

Claiming that the protests were neither democratic nor political, the interior minister termed the sit-ins “mutiny against the state institutions and country”.

Denouncing the attacks on the Prime Minister’s House, Parliament and Pakistan Television (PTV) building, Nisar said that the entire nation stood behind the elected parliamentarians and should give clear suggestions for tackling this “mutiny”.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) backed minister also claimed that the protesters had also looted eight cameras from PTV.

Commenting on PTI and PAT’s announcement to “disown” the attack on PTV, the minister said that an enquiry will be held with the cooperation of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to identify the culprits.

Nisar went on to state that “flag bearers of change and revolution are violating all the rules and regulations of the Constitution”.

Moreover, Interior Minister Nisar said using the army’s name in a political matter was a “criminal act” and the president and chairman of PTI should be summoned in the Parliament and Supreme Court for an inquiry.

AHSAN’S VOTE IS FOR DEMOCRACY:

Addressing the joint session, PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan exemplified the sacrifices made by the opposition to defend democracy despite the PML-N-led government’s far from perfect first year in government.

“PM Sharif, we want to assure you that despite the small group that is protesting in the federal capital, we are standing by you,” Ahsan said, adding that all opposition parties were fighting to preserve the Constitution.

“We are supporting you because you support democracy but once this difficult time is over, we will continue criticising your policies,” said the PPP leader.

Aitzaz went on to criticise the government’s handling of the Model Town incident, saying the state failed to uphold its citizens’ rights.

During his address, Aitzaz asked the premier to sit and think about who his “real friends” are. “Your ministers don’t take matters seriously,” he said.

“Yesterday, you said you would not resign. You had said the same thing in the past but then you resigned; I hope you will stick to your words this time,” said Aitzaz, referring to Sharif’s forced resignation in 1993.

“Today, the police are not listening to you due to the discrepancies in your past policies,” said Aitzaz, while defending the ‘legitimate’ concerns of protesters in Islamabad.

“They have a valid point. There was massive rigging in the elections; there is substance in Imran Khan’s claims of corruption,” he asserted.

However, Aitzaz also criticised the protesting parties and said the media has unjustifiably given them (Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri) too much airtime.

While questioning Imran’s repeated references to similar protests taking place outside 10 Downing Street, the British prime minister’s residence, Aitzaz said: “Where in the world or in which planet do you take stick-wielding, armed protesters carrying cutters and expect not to be stopped.”

“Benazir Bhutto always led the protests from the front; she would put herself in front of baton-holding police,” he added.

ACHAKZAI WANTS SECURITY FORCES TO CLEAR AREA:

Mahmood Khan Achakzai then stepped up for a speech and said that it was unprecedented in the country’s history that all the political parties were rising above their political differences for protection of the Parliament and the Constitution. He said other segments of the society including judiciary and media were also supportive of this cause.

Achakzai said that storming of the Parliament amounts to “sedition and terrorism” and the security forces should be given instructions to clear the area of these saboteurs. He asked PTI and PAT to demonstrate sagacity and allow their supporters to go home.

MQM DENOUNCES VIOLENCE:

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) said his party believed in the continuation of democratic system. He said a few thousand people today would not have dared to challenge the democratic system, had efforts been made to strengthen the system. He condemned attacks on the state buildings by the protesters, saying use of violence is not the appropriate way to get demands fulfilled.

FAZL ASKS PTI, PAT TO ADMIT THEIR POLITICAL DEATH:

Furthermore, speaking on the motion, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam – Fazal (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman said appreciated the unity shown by the parties in the Parliament, asking Khan and Qadri to demonstrate moral courage and admit their political death.

Terming the demands of protesting leaders unjustified, he said it was the constitutional and democratic requirement that Sharif stays as the prime minister of the country and continue to represent the parliament.

Fazl also condemned acts of violence and said that treason cases should be initiated against the PAT and PTI leadership for attacking state institutions.

NA SPEAKER DELAYS ACCEPTING RESIGNATIONS:

On the resignations of PTI members, the NA speaker said he was delaying the process for acceptance of the resignations under the spirit of reconciliation as he wanted to see PTI members back into the House. He however said that sense of the house will be honoured at all costs. He said he has yet to determine whether all the PTI members have tendered the resignations under any pressure or their own free will.