- When in Parliament, do as the parliamentarians do
It is time for the PTI to realise that Parliament is a highly prestigious institution in a democratic system while the National Assembly is a forum for serious debate with an aim to evolve a middle ground for contrasting and sometime conflicting views. Every member is allowed to argue his case to convince others of his point of view, failing which an attempt is made to create a consensus through give and take. For this both the government and the opposition have to abide by parliamentary rules, adherence to parliamentary language being one. The National Assembly session is thus different from a public meeting where the speakers rant and rave without being fussy about the words they use.
The fracas in the National Assembly on Thursday indicates that the PTI has yet to realise that the National Assembly is not the Minar-e-Pakistan ground or Karachi’ Nishtar Park. Referring to Khursheed Shah who provided jobs to 800 persons in Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation as a federal minister during the PPP tenure Fawad Chaudhry claimed the past rulers had used the looted money like “robbers do at a ‘mujra’”. Despite repeated attempts by the Speaker to restrain the PTI’s information minister from recourse to offensive language, Chaudhry continued in the same vein calling the leaders of the PPP and PML-N thieves and dacoits. This led the entire opposition to protest and demand an apology failing which they announced a walk out threatening that they would not return till Chaudhary had tendered hi apology.
This was the first major walkout of the opposition from the NA during the PTI tenure. The protest brought together a disunited opposition after Bilwal Bhutto talked to the leader of the opposition Shahbaz Sharif. With a strong opposition in the lower house, legislative work is bound to suffer if the PTI deputies fail to adhere to the rules of game. It is time the PTI MNAs learn to act maturely avoiding recourse to uncalled for provocations. The PTI has just completed the first five weeks of its rule. Unless it adapts to its new role as ruling party it will find it difficult to complete a five year long tenure.
