Deliberation on French envoy expulsion
Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
The opposition law makers in Lower House of Parliament on Friday protested over not allowing them to raise their issues during question-hour and the Deputy Speaker has no option but to prorogue the session.
The NA session was called on to discuss resolution seeking the expulsion of the French envoy from the country but due to opposition’s hue and cry it could not be taken up.
Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri tried to calm down the opposition members and kept on ruling to allow the house to run as per the rules, but the opposition carried out their protest.
The deputy speaker was asked to let former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal speak during the session, which he did not allow.
This caused Opposition lawmakers to become angry, who surrounded the speaker’s dais and raise slogans of “Labbaik Ya
Rasool Allah and Tajdar-e-Khatam Nabuwat (PBUH)”. Some of them were holding up placards as well.
As tensions in the House escalated, the deputy speaker adjourned the session for an indefinite period.
Some PPP lawmakers had attended the proceedings as well. The party’s legislators had boycotted the April 20 session of the lower house.
Later, speaking to media outside the National Assembly, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf slammed Suri’s move to adjourn the session, saying that Opposition lawmakers wanted to ask the government about the agreement that was signed with the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and debate on the resolution presented in the assembly.
“Under which law was the TLP was banned and why was the previous agreement between the government and the outfit not implemented?” asked the former prime minister.
On the other hand, Ahsan Iqbal during media talks also criticized the deputy speaker for not listening to Opposition members. “The government escaped by adjourning the house after we protested.
We wanted to debate the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (PBUH) resolution and the attack on Absar Alam.”
He also lashed out at the PTI regime for curbs on media and freedom of expression, saying that these practices had been going on for a while.
The former federal minister also condemned the Quetta blast in which five people were killed, saying that the government had failed to protect the lives of the innocent.
