–PPP’s Khursheed Shah criticises Information Minister Fawad over ‘sending miscreants to space’ comments
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) senior leader Khursheed Shah on Tuesday criticised Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry for his earlier comment that clerics that instigated street mobs and violence, as well as certain politicians, needed to be “sent to space”.
As National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser chaired a session, Shah mocked the information minister, adding that he had heard that Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has been tasked by the government to transport the troublemakers to space.
“SUPARCO has sought the data of the last five years,” he added.
The opposition leader added that if the plan went through, the House will empty out because a majority of those who have caused unrest during the last five years are now members of NA.
“We demand the commission only seek data of the last three months,” he added.
Commenting on the scuffle between the government and opposition lawmakers in the assembly on Monday, he conceded that what happened in the House was “unpleasant”.
“We don’t want to create unrest in the assembly. The speaker had called us in his chamber and the opposition was there but the treasury members did not turn up,” he claimed. He added that it is about time the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government quits the politics of “name-calling”.
PTI, PPP LAWMAKERS CONDEMN VERBAL SCUFFLE:
Speaking in the assembly, PPP leader Syed Rafiullah apologised for a verbal clash with PTI lawmaker Abdul Majeed Khan on Monday, however, he added that the speaker should bar treasury members from using provocative language in the House.
The melee had ensued after PPP lawmaker Shazia Marri termed the agreement finalised between the government and protesters as a “surrender document”, and in a taunting reference to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s surname (Niazi), compared the deal to the surrender document signed by Gen AAK Niazi that led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Meanwhile, Khan said that calling Niazis ‘traitors’ is wrong, as “we were not even born at the time of surrender”.
The session was then adjourned till 11am on Wednesday