ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly on Tuesday witnessed fiery speeches after police arrested several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf lawmakers and leaders in midnight raids on the Parliament House a day after it held a rally in the capital.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq promised legal action against all those involved in violating sanctity of the lower house of parliament and arresting members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) from the premises of the Parliament House in the dead of night, saying he would nominate people – police officials and masked men — among others in FIR as well if needed.
Regretting that the Parliament House is attacked every time during his tenures, the speaker, while pretending as if he came to know about the arrests from the speeches of the lawmakers, said that he has sought video footages of the assembly precincts and would fix responsibility after examining the record.
“A stand will have to be taken,” Sadiq said and then called the leadership of different political parties in his chamber to discuss the future course of action.
The speaker reprimanded the Islamabad Inspector General (IG) of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, demanded immediate release of the lawmakers.
The development comes after lawmakers of opposition and treasury benches delivered fiery speeches against the police and unknown masked men, who entered the Parliament House and arrested several MNAs, including PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, Sher Afzal Marwat, Shoaib Shaheen, Shiekh Waqas Akram, Aamir Dogar, Zain Qureshi, Zubair Khan, among others, allegedly in connection with violation of a recently-enacted law regarding peaceful assembly.
As opposition members demanded action over violation of the sanctity of the house, abusing democracy and disrespecting the privilege of the MNAs, members of the ruling party termed the development a reaction to what happened during the PTI rally on Sunday as well as what the party had sowed over the years, saying the PTI never objected to unlawful practices when in power but were quick to demand action over what it calls undemocratic actions.
Right from the outset, PTI-backed Ali Muhammad Khan lashed out at the government for allowing attack on parliament, especially arrest of the lawmakers by switching off electricity when they had taken refuge in different areas of the house, saying never in the history of parliamentary politics has such action been taken against the members of the house.
Speaking at the top of his voice, Ali, while equating Monday night’s assault with an attack on Jinnah House in Lahore on May 9, questioned if an attack on parliament wasn’t equal to attacking Pakistan and it’s Constitution.
“Today, I am making a case on democracy,” he said. “Last night, what happened to democracy and to this parliament. We are not in Israel, we are in Pakistan.”
Addressing NA speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Khan said: “Your colleagues Sahibzada [Hamid Raza], Shafqat [Awan], Amir Dogar, Shiekh Waqar [Akram] and Maulana Naseem were seeking shelter in this parliament last night [when they were arrested]. Maulana Naseem was picked up from a mosque.
“While what happened on May 9 was wrong, what happened last night was May 9 for our democracy,” Khan said.
“This date (September 9) will be remembered in Pakistan’s history. It is filled with Liaquat Ali Khan’s murder, ZA Bhutto’s execution, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s blood and gunshots at Imran Khan’s body.
“Last night, not from India, Israel or America but [people] from the institutions of my own country [made the arrests]. Who were [ ] those veiled people who entered [parliament] and took our people away?”
“This is an attack on democracy and on Pakistan’s constitution,” Khan said, before adding: “I am making a demand on behalf of the Constitution as I am in parliament, on the basis of 250 million people, as Imran Khan’s soldier.”
“This attack is not on Imran Khan, Amir Dogar, Waqar or anyone. It is an attack on you, on Shehbaz Sharif, on Bilawal Bhutto and on politics,” Khan said while addressing the NA speaker.
In his speech, Sahibzada Hamid Raza revealed that he had spent the night in the Parliament House and narrated how electricity was cut off to make the arrests. Raza said that differences among political parties would remain but sanctity of the parliament must unanimously be protected. He voluntarily offered arrest at the hands of Sargent at Arms – the security officials of the parliament – if he was required in any case.
PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai condemned the way parliament and its members were disrespected a day ago, saying no one will be allowed to play with parliament or democratic institutions. His words against Prime Minister Shehbaz were expunged. Achakzai questioned where were the Sargents when the parliament was attacked, reminding the speaker that it was time for him to abide by the oath that he has taken.
Addressing the custodian of the house, PPPP lawmaker Syed Naveed Qamar said that the reports about arrests were alarming, saying it was a serious attack on the Constitution and parliament. Qamar reminded that when Ali, his party and Imran Khan had reached the gates of parliament, it was called an attack on the parliament and condemned. He wondered if the lawmakers would wait for the day when they would be arrested right from the assembly hall.
He demanded serious inquiry and action, saying “otherwise there will be no limit to where they will stop [as] this is only the beginning.” He said that “we all stand together” against any attack on parliament from anyone. “I don’t see any future here [at parliament] let alone respect,” he lamented, asking the speaker to take action.
Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain, delved into the past and reminded the PTI-backed lawmakers that they reaped what they sow, adding that it was the PTI which attacked parliament and the PM House, barged into the rooms of opposition lawmakers’ families, announced civil disobedience movement, urged people not to pay bills, vowed to deprive Nawaz Sharif from AC in jail, without ever bothering to take the route allowed in law and the Constitution.
The minister said that no one from the PTI has condemned the speeches made in Sunday’s rallies but were now claiming that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was like a sister to them. “Where is law, democracy and the Constitution as well as sanctity of parliament when it is dissolved unconstitutionally,” Tanvir questioned, asking if the voters had chosen them to resign, dissolve provincial assemblies and destabilise the country, make the system hostage and commit May 9.
He held the PTI responsible for introducing a culture of disrespect in society. “No one else has caused the amount of damage that these people (PTI officials) have caused to democracy and the Constitution,” he said amid cross talk from Ali and others.
MQM-P’s Mustafa Kamal regretted the raids on but wondered where this craziness would take Pakistan to, urging both sides of the aisle to show restrain for the sake of the country. While regretting the speeches made against the key officer holders, institutions, women and media officials, he urged the PTI to channel its popularity into positive things as nothing that has happened in the past couple of days contributed positively in country’s progress.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said when the PTI links the existence of Pakistan with its founding chairman Imran Khan and when it is announced that a Pashtuns lashkar would be brought to attack Punjab, then the reaction that came on Monday night becomes justifiable.
The defence minister said that Monday night’s action wasn’t justifiable in isolation but said that it was a reaction of what happened a day before yesterday. “Pakistan’s sovereignty and unity were challenged,” Asif said while referring to the speeches made in Sunday’s rally. “What do you expect after that,” he questioned while asking where it was written in the Constitution that a political party will only hold talks with the army over its grievances.
Ali interrupted once again and it led Asif to say that he was among those who had approved a decision during the PTI cabinet to make him face Article 6. Throwing a gauntlet to K-P CM Ali Amin Gandapur over his statement that he would come along with a force in next 15 days, Asif said that two days have passed and the government side was waiting for him. “We will wait for him on Attock bridge.”
To frequent interruptions and demands that he should behave himself, Asif quipped: “I have learnt how to respect others from you and your leader.” He called the Sunday event as a black day, saying Monday’s action was a reaction to that. JUI-F lawmaker Shahida Akhtar Ali also condemned the raids on parliament and demanded action against all those involved.
Following the speeches, the speaker revealed that he has already sought videos of security cameras installed at different gates so that responsibility could be fixed. Calling himself an unlucky man over attacks on parliament in his tenures, Sadiq said that parliament and lodges were attacked during his previous stint and when the PTI and its political cousin – PAT – had attacked the Parliament House, he himself had lodged an FIR against the incident.
He then invited lawmakers from both the sides to his chamber, which was lauded by defence and law ministers.
Law minister Azam Nazir Tarar, however, reminded that reaction comes when people have toxic ideology, saying poisonous flowers would grow on plants if they are sown with hatred an dpoisonous material.
Later on, a statement from the National Assembly said that the speaker has ordered an inquiry into the raids and arrests, saying IG Police Islamabad was summoned in his office to get details about the action taken on Monday night.
Subsequently, the speaker ordered the IGP to produce all the arrested lawmakers in the parliament and treat them with respect and dignity. He also sought a complete report from the IGP. The meeting was attended by key members of the treasury and opposition benches.
At least 12 PTI MNAs were arrested in addition to another party leader since last night as law enforcement agencies whisked away key leaders from various parts of Islamabad, including the Parliament House.
According to a parliamentary rule, police have to inform the National Assembly speaker before arresting any MNA, but the law enforcers did not seek permission from the custodian of the house before arresting the MNAs.
