Members of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) arrived at the Sindh Assembly session on Friday to use the floor of the house to castigate the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict barring President Asif Ali Zardari from holding a political office or using the Presidency for political activities. But they were let down by other parties, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), who refused to become party to the Court-PPP dispute.
The PPP on Friday had organised protests throughout the province, as per a decision of the party’s Sindh executive committee. PPP lawmakers wanted to mirror the angst and frustration inside the party’s rank and file, and had come to the house dressed in Sindhi topis and ajraks. Fisheries Minister Zahid Bhurgari arrived to the session with a bunch of black armbands and distributed these among his colleagues. He also offered an armband to Leader of Opposition Jam Madad Ali, but the latter politely turned down the request.
The business of the house continued as per routine, arguments and disagreements et al, till such time that the PPP wanted to present a resolution against the LHC verdict. This plan had to be ditched at the eleventh hour, after PPP’s allies – the MQM, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and National People’s Party (NPP) suddenly left the house in an attempt to distance themselves from the resolution.
PPP’s lawmaker from Keamari, Nadim Ahmed Bhutto, was then instructed to speak on the matter through a point of order. Bhutto argued that “nobody” had any objection when military dictators assumed two offices. He further said that no objections were raised when Zardari filed nomination papers for presidential elections. Despite Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro’s ruling that no discussion will be allowed on point of orders, Stand-in Speaker Shehla Raza provided PPP lawmakers to deliver speeches on the matter.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon was the next, and he argued that the mindset which has not accepted the PPP since its inception has once again attacked the party’s leadership. He said that judgments against the PPP and its leadership have always come from the LHC. The judiciary, however, extended favours to PML-Nawaz chief Mian Nawaz Sharif by restoring his government, and keeping silent about his departure abroad in 1999 despite him being convicted.
Memon, who is already facing a contempt notice for condemning the Supreme Court’s verdict against former NAB Chairman, Deedar Hussain Shah’s appointment, said that PPP workers “do not care” about any contempt of court notice if they are convicted for speaking truth. He said that attempts were being made to push the PPP towards provincial politics from federal politics, in line with the “jaag Punjabi jaag” slogan raised in Punjab. “The party respects judiciary but every institution should also work in its own domain,” he added.
Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq said that no high court can advise the president of the country under the constitution. He said that courts also can not decide who the leaders of the people are because electing leaders is the constitutional right of the people alone. “Judiciary’s verdicts given under the law of necessity since the Maulvi Tameezudin case should be revisited in line with the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case,” he remarked.
Sindh Minister for Katchi Abadis and a party leader from Lyari, Rafiq Engineer said that the LHC decision is tantamount to imposing judicial martial law, and an attempt to depoliticize the country. “Do they (the establishment) want to run the country through technocrats or NGOs,” he questioned. He said that President Zardari allayed the sense of deprivation among Sindhis by giving the ‘Pakistan Khappay’ slogan, but Sindhis are now being pushed to a position of Bengalis.
Haq announced that a resolution against the LHC verdict will be tabled on Monday “when friends from thr MQM, PML-F and NPP would also be present”. But the friends are not in accommodating mood: Leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali, from the PML-F, told Pakistan Today in his chambers that any decision to support a resolution such as this could not be made without the approval of the party’s leadership. “Our leadership has asked us to stay away from others’ fights,” he said.
“We cannot take on-the-spot decisions for matters such as these, we have to consult the leaders of our party.” PML-F’s Nusrat Sehar Abbasi argued that the message being sent to the people is that any pro-PPP verdict should be accepted as a good decision, but if a verdict goes against the PPP, it is automatically a bad one. “These double standards need to be removed,” she said.
On the other hand, MQM lawmakers in Syed Sardar Ahmed’s chambers – all of whom requested anonymity – were also dismissive. “If the PPP respects the judiciary, as is being said in the speeches, then they should approach the Supreme Court first. Let them decide,” one of the MQM MPAs said.
