- NA Opp leader says lack of interest may result in people taking to the streets
- Achakzai calls for banning all sorts of protests and public gatherings at Islamabad’s D-Chowk
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah on Tuesday criticised the government members for not taking interest in the proceedings of the House.
Speaking in the House, Shah said ministers and treasury members should attend the House sessions, adding that lack of interest in the proceedings would result in people taking to the streets. The decisions would then be made through street power and not through political discourse, he said.
Meanwhile, FATA members staged a token walkout from the House because they felt ignored by the government.
Shah Jee Gul Afridi said members from FATA are being ignored and not being taken into confidence on important national issues. PPP also staged a token walkout in support of FATA members.
Rashid Godil said FATA should be made a province and all rights should be given to the people of the area. He demanded that local bodies elections be held to resolve the problems of the people at the grassroots level. He also criticised the Sindh government for not giving development funds to Karachi.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai said FATA members should be taken seriously as all members of the House are equal. He also said that immediate legislation should be implemented to ban every kind of protest, demonstration, or public meeting at D-Chowk in Islamabad. He was of the view that preparations are being made to stage another drama at D-Chowk.
Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights Pervaiz Rashid, while replying to a point raised by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, said that the government would respect any unanimous decision of the House to ban demonstrations and public meetings at D-Chowk.
Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani and Muhammad Khan Sheerani said that the Pak-China economic corridor should be constructed according to its original plan so that far-flung and underdeveloped areas can also benefit from it.
Chairman Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs Mian Abdul Mannan presented a report from the Standing Committee on a Bill to amend the Political Parties Order, 2002 (The Political Parties Order [Amendment] Bill, 2013).
The chair referred a Bill further to amend the Emigration Ordinance, 1979 (The Emigration [Amendment] Bill, 2014) to the Standing Committee concerned for further discussion. Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada said that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource wanted to give its input on the Bill. The Bill was moved by Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani. It was already passed by the Upper House.
The House also referred a Bill to make provisions for the rights of special citizens (The Special Citizens Bill, 2015) to the standing committee concerned. The Bill moved by Belum Hasnain is aimed at providing facilities to the special persons.
At the outset, the deputy speaker announced that PTI MNAs Amjad Ali Khan, Sajid Nawaz, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Arif Alvi and Shireen Mazari had been absent from the House without leave of the Assembly for 40 consecutive days with effect from August 8 last year.