PML-N moves from innuendos to direct attack
For the first time during the last four years the entire opposition boycotted President Mamnoon Husain’s address to the joint session of Parliament. The opposition had earlier boycotted the budget debate when the government refused to broadcast live on state TV the speech of the leader of the opposition. The opposition parties then demanded that Khursheed Shah be allowed to speak on a motion before the President’s address. When this too was denied the opposition parliamentarians left the House raising “Go Nawaz, go” slogans. Their leaders later addressed the media outside the parliament criticising the government for conspiring against constitutional bodies. They particularly targeted PML-N Senator Nihal Hashmi who had threatened those conducting the accountability of the Prime Minister and his scions with dire consequences.
The boycott is indicative of the widening of gulf between the government and the opposition. This comes at a time when the Prime Minister is under intense scrutiny over the Panama issue. Had the government allowed Khursheed Shah’s speech to be broadcast live the head on clash would not have occurred.
The hubris ridden PML-N ministers and party leaders competing with one another for promotion are too keen to take on everyone who is considered a threat to Nawaz Sharif, posing as more loyal to the king than the king himself. Over the last few months a whispering campaign is being conducted to malign the bodies conducting the Sharif family’s accountability.
What Senator Nihal Hashmi did was to speak out loud and clear instead of indulging in innuendos like Khawaja Saad Rafiq who talked about “lohay kay chanay’’ and the weak eyesight of those who could not see all the pages of Nawaz Sharif’s life history. It is ironical that the government is confronting the three SC judges now who instead of sending Nawaz Sharif home provided him the opportunity to exonerate itself. The government is also out to discredit the JIT.
The boycott of the Parliament is not a good omen for the system either. It is for the government to bring the opposition back. The government and opposition must maintain working relations.