Opposition united on Monday to boycott the debate on Finance Bill 2017-18 in protest over official electronic media, Pakistan Televisions’s (PTV) bias by not telecasting opposition leader’s speech.
Treasury benches also looked in no mood to accommodate the demand made by the leader of the opposition. The rejection of demand by the opposition was a clear violation of the parliamentary traditions. National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq asked the members of the national assembly (MNAs) from the ruling coalition to start the debate.
It was, however, opposition leader Khurshid Shah who raised the issue of the non-availability of the live coverage by the PTV of the budget debate. When the speaker refused to accept his demand, Shah declined to open debate on the finance bill 2017-18.
“We are also elected representatives of the people of Pakistan. If PTV can live telecast the budget speech of Ishaq Dar, why not equal opportunity is given to the leader of the opposition,” remarked Khurshid Shah.
Khurshid Shah asked the government to ensure live coverage on the PTV during the budget speech.
“I need the same coverage, as finance minister Ishaq Dar’s speech was broadcasted live on PTV,” said Shah, while he gave a reference of live coverage to opposition leader’ speech on PTV in 2016.
PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi also supported the opposition leader. “If there is no tradition, let’s start a new one,” Qureshi remarked.
The speaker national assembly sought a response from the treasury benches who refused to entertain Shah’s demand.
State Minister for Information Mariam Aurangzeb argued that there was no such tradition in the past to live telecast the speech of the opposition leader. “We (government) will make a package to run on TV in news but for now, it will be difficult to telecast it live,” she asserted.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Law Minister Zahid Hamid also supported the information minister’s argument, saying that there was no tradition to telecast the speech of opposition leader live on PTV.
The opposition leader also floated a proposal for the finance minister to take back a couplet he uttered at end of his budget speech. “This couplet was giving a lesson of equality… so, are you ready to withdraw it from finance bill,” Shah asked referring to Ishaq Dar.
However, Dar did not fall into Shah’s trap, saying that he had read the couplet in some other context.
Finally, opposition leader after engaging in this dialogue for over an hour opted to walk out from the proceedings of the house.
“Why should we sit here when we have not been provided equal rights as enjoyed by the finance minister,” said Khurshid Shah and left the house in protest with all opposition parties’ lawmakers. The government made a failed attempt to woo back the opposition.
The discussion continued for over two hours as neither of the sides agreed to budge from their stated positions. Finally, the speaker asked the treasury benches to open the debate as the opposition members had chosen to boycott the proceedings.
The speaker was not giving the floor to the lawmakers to speak on point of orders, but after the walkout from opposition members, the floor was given to Danial Aziz. The move seemed preplanned as Information Technology Minister Anusha Rahman pointed towards Danial Aziz and asked him to speak.
Once given the floor, Danial Aziz targeted PTI’s chief Imran Khan for not appearing before the courts despite the fact he claimed, Khan was wanted by the courts under the antiterrorist act of 7-ATA.
“While Imran Khan time and again targets the prime minister and his family, he himself doesn’t go before the court despite the fact that he has been declared a proclaimed offender and Islamabad Police needs to take action on it,” said Danial Aziz.
However, Danial was immediately responded by PTI’s MNA Murad Saeed who despite being out of the hall due to boycott, returned to the hall to respond in the same manner to Danial Aziz.
He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s days could be counted on finger tips as the PM and his family members had been caught in Panamagate case.
He said although Hassan Nawaz was trying to escape the legal process, the ruling family could not evade the judicial probe.
“This government has failed to provide relief to masses. Power outages, law and order situation and other issues are still not in control of this government,” said Murad Saeed.
Despite being a lone PTI’s member in the house, Murad Saeed shouting ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogans and later left the house and rejoined his opposition members.
The young niece of Khwaja Asif, Shaza Fatima, lauded the budget terming it pro-poor. She said that this budget would provide relief to the masses.
Another treasury lawmaker Mahmood Bashir Virk lauded the government for presenting a budget for the masses. Throughout the debate, neither the lawmakers nor the ministers bothered to even listen to the debate.
The house also offered fateha for the departed souls of Kashmiri freedom leader Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, Faizan Bhat and other ten innocent youth in Indian Occupied Kashmir at the hands of brutal Indian forces. State Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Aminul Hasnat led the prayers.
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