- Speaker Ayaz confirms FATA reforms bill under discussion
- Ruckus mars proceedings, as some MNAs create disturbance
Sloganeering and ruckus marred the proceedings of the last session of the National Assembly before a start of the next fiscal year here on Thursday as the treasury and the opposition members raised slogans amid name-calling leaders on either side of the political divide.
The reports of an alleged telephonic request made by Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan-F chief Fazlur Rahman to Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for delaying the passage of the FATA Reforms Bill made the opposition and the tribal lawmakers furious.
But it was Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai who pulled another controversy, calling the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) as an ‘independent’ area between Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying the region could not be governed by Pakistan government.
The opposition leaders criticised the government for what they believed its ‘failure’ to convince its coalition partners – JUI-F and PkMAP – who were now adamant not to support the lawmaking in this regard. On a point of order, opposition leader Khursheed Ahmad Shah said that the government was not serious to back FATA reforms.
He said that the way legislation on the FATA reforms was blocked, it was condemnable. He also blamed the government for not taking into confidence either the opposition nor allied parties over the issue. He said that the seriousness of the government could be gauged by the fact that government’s allies were openly threatening to block the legislation.
MNA Shah Mahmood Qureshi joined in, saying that the government should have taken its allies into confidence before tabling the bill in the House. ANP’s Ghulam Ahmed Bilour came up with supporting FATA’s merger with Pakhtunkhwa, suggesting that there was a need to respect the opinion of the tribal members regarding FATA bill.
Achakzai opposed the merger of FATA with Pakhtunkhwa, claiming that FATA was an ‘independent’ area. “FATA is an ‘independent’ area. First prisoner of FCR was Ghaffar Khan and second was my father,” he said. His remarks attracted criticism from the opposition and the tribal members equally.
Khursheed Shah also rushed to take the floor and strongly debunk Mehmood Achakzai’s assertion. “What one can say about a person who hates the law of the land and the constitution,” he said. He also said that FATA was very much a part of Pakistan. He also asked the government not to toy with the issue and rather go for legislation on FATA reforms bill.
“FATA is a part of Pakistan and there is no other way but to merge it with Pakhtunkhwa,” he added. Qureshi said that there was no right to anyone including Achakzai to talk rubbish about the tribal region. “FATA is very much a part of my country. If you (Achakzai) prefer to live in Afghanistan, it’s your choice but don’t use enemy’s language,” he admonished Achakzai.
Then, Achakzai chose to respond to the critique of the opposition lawmakers, saying that there was a need to respect the opinion of the people from FATA rather than the lawmakers from the tribal areas. “No one should teach me about Pakistan,” he added. Shah Ji Gul Afridi, the parliamentary leader of FATA group, tried to take the floor in an emotional way to respond to Achakzai but the chair did not allow him doing so.
States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch made an attempt to clear the air about Nawaz-Fazl contact to delay the FATA bill, saying that the government believed in the supremacy of the parliament. “This is why the Tribal Areas Rewaj Act was laid before the House… FATA reforms package comprising 36 points and it was formulated in consultation with all stakeholders,” he told the House.
He said that mainstreaming of the tribal areas and the abolition of FCR were main points of the package. As if the controversy over FATA Reforms bill was not enough, a statement of Water and Power Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif against an opposition lawmaker stirred another controversy which attracted foul language by the opposition benches for the leadership of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N.
Asif, who was caught using derogatory language against Shireen Mazari in past too, called Ayesha Gulalai ‘Bijli Chor,‘ but Shireen Mazari who is most often seen in the House speaking without mike least caring to reminders of the chair, hit back as per her routine at the treasury benches, calling Shehbaz Sharif a ‘thieve.’ Shah raised the matter immediately, asking the chair to direct the minister to retract the objectionable remarks against the fellow parliamentarian.
“It’s better if the minister draws back objectionable remarks,” he said, adding that the lawmakers shouldn’t provide an opportunity to public at large to disgrace the parliament. He said it was also inappropriate to hold one city or province responsible for power theft which is prevalent across the country including Lahore.
Amid loud sloganeering and repeated demands to render an apology, Asif refused to budge. During the proceedings, the speaker had been asking, again and again, Shireen Mazari to lower her voice and stop disrupting the proceedings. The most unpleasant was the attitude of Shah Ji Gul Afridi who have been shouting all the time regardless that who was talking what.
He was all the time trying to sell his own product least caring requests of the Speaker. This invited ire of the chair and the speaker had to strictly warn Afridi to behave, denying him the mike and also telling him “I shall have you thrown out of the House.” He also asked Shireen Mazari to lower her voice and do not speak out of turn. Like always, Mazari continued with a full throat shout that compelled the chair to warn her.
The mike was given to senior politician Ghulam Ahmed Bilour who said over the period the parliaments have changed many laws of the British era as per needs and there was also need for reviewing FATA laws. “Nobody can stop implementation of decisions of the parliament. Let the bill be brought to the House for debate and voting,” he said. On this, the speaker informed the House that the bill was under discussion at the committee that has already held its first meeting.
While the minister continued his speech, MNA Sajid Nawaz pointed out quorum and the chair took the opportunity to prorogue the session due to lack of quorum.