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Speaker says he is impartial
- Saad Rafique apologises for his use of inappropriate wording
- Says PTI’s privilege motion is aimed at influencing the court
- PTI asks PM to attend next session
The ongoing session of National Assembly adjourned on Thursday on a light mood after leaders from treasury and opposition benches explained their position on the floor, with Khawaja Saad Rafique apologising for his use of inappropriate wording the other day.
Leaders from both opposition and treasury benches kept interrupting each other on Wednesday and turned the floor into a pandemonium, at which the Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq adjourned the session.
Speaker clarifies
Responding to points raised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) parliamentary leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the speaker clarified that all members of this august house were equal to him, adding he respected them all.
Qureshi had alleged that the speaker was not impartial and he favoured PML-N more against opposition parties.
Ayaz Sadiq said like other elected representatives, he was also elected by the people of Pakistan. When de-seated, the Speaker said, “I opted to approach the people’s court rather than knocking doors of any court of law and again remained successful.”
He said he was criticized for not accepting resignations tendered by PTI lawmakers during the sit-ins.
Qureshi raises point
PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend the next session and clarify his position on Panama leaks.
Earlier, speaking on a point of order, Qureshi said he was expecting that the speaker would give the PTI members an opportunity to present their viewpoint on the privilege motion.
“If we were given opportunity to present our viewpoint, such ugly situation would not have emerged yesterday,” Qureshi said.
Saad Rafique apologises
Saad Rafique regretted and apologised that PTI’s elected members were dubbed as ‘hooligans’, clarifying that he only used the word ‘hooliganism’ and did not label his counterparts as hooligans.
“I withdraw my remarks which were uttered in response to PTI members shouting derogatory slogans against Prime Minister Sharif,” he said.
Privilege motion aimed at influencing the court
The Minister for Railways said that the opposition’s move to bring privilege motion in the National Assembly on the issue of Panama leaks appears to influence the case’s hearing in the Supreme Court.
Expressing his views in the National Assembly, he said the matter was subjudice and the motion might influence its hearing.
“Prime Minister Sharif did not issue any false statement in the Parliament regarding Panama leaks. The statement given in the House was short while the one submitted in the apex court was elaborate,” Rafique told the lower house.
Rafique said that the government knew from day one that the Panama issue would go to the Supreme Court as there was talk about the establishment of a commission. He said that there were clear instructions from Nawaz Sharif not to create any hurdle in the Panama case.
Want to contest next elections after proving innocence
“You have taken the issue to the Supreme Court and now we would not let this issue remain undecided. Elections are going to take place in 2018 and we would like to go in these after proving our innocence,” he said.
He said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan, MNA Jahangir Khan Tarin and Aleem Khan too had offshore companies.
“We cannot allow the opposition members to turn the House into Supreme Court,” he said.
He urged the opposition to wait for the Supreme Court’s decision on the issue.
Politics based on agitation or performance
He said PTI’s sit-ins produced no results. He asked PTI lawmakers to shun the politics of agitation, attend National Assembly’s sessions and play a constructive role in the House. “You are drawing salaries and taking honorariums. I request you to do some work as well. You are supposed to take part in legislations,” he added.
The Minister said instead of leg-pulling, the opposition should play a vibrant role.
“When we talk about your performance, you mind that. Kindly serve the people and compete with us on the basis of performance,” he remarked.
