Annoyed with the latest political developments which the party leaders think is the calculated move of “some hidden hands” to isolate the Sharifs, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is poised to embark upon the conventional anti-PPP politics of 90s and has also decided to give a tough time to the government in parliament and will exhibit its changed face in the National Assembly today (Wednesday).
“On Wednesday (today), the PML-N will enter the National Assembly with a new violent face and remove all accusations of various political parties and media outlets of a friendly opposition. The confrontational politics of the 90s is going to be revived with no gesture of compensation, compromise and reconciliation from the PML-N to the ruling coalition,” a PML-N parliamentarian said. He said the PML-N lawmakers had been directed by the party’s central command to be prepared to give a tough time to the PPP government in both houses of parliament.
“The PML-N will resist each and every piece of legislation from the treasury benches. Instead of staging walkouts and observing boycotts of National Assembly sittings, the PML-N lawmakers would go for inflammatory speeches and loud slogans and block the smooth running of the house,” he said. He said Opposition Leader Nisar Ali Khan had directed all PML-N MNAs to ensure their presence in the House so that the government could be given a tough time with full force.
“All party MNAs have also been asked by Nisar to submit maximum calling attention notices and adjournment motions in the National Assembly’s Secretariat on the government’s corruption and failures,” he said, adding that if the PML-N MNAs’ calling attention notices or adjournment motions were taken on the agenda of the sitting of the House, the PML-N would turn it into a pandemonium. The source said despite adopting the role of a strong opposition, the PML-N would try not to cross the limits that could cause the wrapping up of the present democratic order.
Talking to Pakistan Today, PML-N’s Chief Whip in the National Assembly Sheikh Aftab said the party’s parliamentarians would follow guidelines given by Nisar. “So far, he has not given any specific instructions to us on how to act against the government in the House. He will give guideline before the onset of the sitting of the House,” he added. Khurram Dastagir Khan, PML-N lawmaker from Gujranwala, said, “From now onwards, the PML-N will adopt an aggressive approach on legislation and other issues against the government. We will put the government on notice and also on mat,” he said, adding that the PML-N would force the government to mend its ways through frequent walkouts and sloganeering in the House.
He said the PML-N had been a vocal opposition in the last three years “but unfortunately our opposition role could not get registered in the public’s mind”. “Now, we will get our opposition role registered in public mind through active and aggressive posturing in and outside parliament,” he added.
