–Govt members fail to satisfy Opp’s queries regarding lack of progress in probe into abduction and murder of SP Tahir Dawar
–Bilawal reiterates demand of production orders for Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) session on Friday was adjourned indefinitely as a ruckus broke out between the government and opposition members after a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker’s fiery comments ─ referring to the arrested MNAs belonging to the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) ─ resulted in protests by the opposition.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khurram Dastagir Khan had raised questions over a lack of progress in the probe into the abduction and murder of Superintendent of Police Tahir Dawar, whose body had been recovered from Afghanistan in November 2018 and handed over to Pakistani authorities.
“It has been nine months since, but the government is yet to provide any information about his killers,” he regretted. “On whose hands should we seek his blood?” he asked.
Minister of State for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Shehryar Afridi ─ who had been part of the delegation receiving SP Dawar’s body ─ told the House that Afghan intelligence had wanted to hand over SP Dawar’s body to PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen.
He told his colleagues that SP Dawar had been targeting in three separate attacks, and that his brother had also been killed.
“At the time we were receiving his body [at the border], the Pakistani flag was also disrespected,” he claimed, adding: “I cannot share in this House the things that were said against Pakistan.”
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan chimed in with a fiery speech, saying that “lawmakers who are the reason behind the discord in the House have no right to remain in the NA”.
The state minister accused the two MNAs of harbouring anti-Pakistan sentiments and questioned their loyalty to the country.
Khan accused Dawar and Wazir of being “touts” of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, and called for their expulsion as members of Pakistan’s parliament.
His provocative comments drew a sharp response from the opposition benches as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders, including Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, stood up to register their protest midway through Khan’s address.
The situation soon escalated as lawmakers from other opposition parties, including PML-N, joined in the protest and surrounded the speaker’s dais.
At least 13 PTM supporters were killed and 25 others were injured in an exchange of fire in North Waziristan’s Boyya area, when the Kharqamar checkpost was attacked during a protest on Sunday, in which PTM members were also participating.
‘ANYTHING BUT A DISPLAY OF DEMOCRACY’
Soon after the session was adjourned, members of the opposition convened for a joint media talk outside the assembly.
“All opposition parties are standing together today. What we saw in the assembly a little while ago was anything but a display of democracy; the deputy speaker violated house rules by not letting opposition members speak on these sensitive issues,” said Bilawal.
“A few days ago, you all saw innocent Pakistanis and parliamentarians being targeted on the streets of Islamabad. Our unarmed supporters and MNAs were tortured and arrested. This is the reality of this so-called ‘state of Madina’. This Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government seems bent on bringing back Musharraf’s policies and strongarm tactics through people such as Brigadier (r) Ijaz Shah.”
The PPP chairman vowed to put up a joint front against the PTI-led government. “I had written to the NA speaker about the production orders of Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar. However, we were lied to today and told that no such letter was received. From judges to parliamentarians, this government is targeting everyone through underhand tactics and we will not let this continue,” said Bilawal.
Bilawal, in his letter, had stated that as per Rules 103 and 105 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the NA, the relevant authorities must immediately inform the speaker of the arrest of any member of the Lower House on criminal charges, and the speaker must then announce it to the assembly in session, or via circulation if the assembly is not in session.
Former prime minister and PML-N Senior Vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also criticised the government’s attempts to silence the parliament and judiciary. “This government has set a new low by filing references against judges. This is nothing but an attempt to browbeat the judiciary. The PTI government does not want judges to act independently and is resorting to such pressure tactics.”
“Come what may, we will resist all such attempts with full force. We also stand firm on our demand for parliamentary probes into the NAB chairman issue and the North Waziristan incident.”