Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
The joint sitting of parliament on Monday observed strong and uproar while the lawmakers from PTI and JUI-F shouted against each other, so the Speaker NA has no option but to adjourn the session.
Since ousting the PTI government, the senators of PTI for the first time attended the joint session. Apparently in an effort to strike a conciliatory tone, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf senators joined the joint session of parliament after a hiatus.
The joint session was presided over by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. However, after an exchange of loud sloganeering and consequent ruckus between the treasury and opposition benches, the speaker adjourned the sitting till 11 am on April 10.
The PTI senators entered the Parliament House while protesting, and raising anti-government slogans like ‘laathi goli ki sarkar nahi chalay gi’, ‘Imran teray jaanisar, beshumar’ and ‘Zulm ke ye zaabtay hum nahi maantay’.
Dr Shahzad Waseem said this was the first time that PTI senators had attended the joint session of parliament. “Our members will discuss national issues,” the PTI senator stated. Dr Waseem said the excuse offered for not holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a paucity of funds. He claimed the Constitution has been violated, adding a huge responsibility must be placed on the election commission.
He said the commission did not need directions from anybody; it had been directed by the Supreme Court to hold elections, however it made an announcement at midnight and delayed the exercise. The PTI Leader Shahzad Wasim called for urgent elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as per the spirit of the constitution.
Later, the media representatives walked out from the press gallery in protest. PML-N’s Murtaza Javed Abbasi said the journalists had legitimate demands that should be fulfilled.
The law minister and interior minister did not take action against the violence on media representatives outside the high court, the lawmaker said.
Expressing his views, Minister for Communications Asad Mahmood said they ousted the PTI government, and will never let it in again. He claimed that the establishment also expressed its no-confidence on the PTI and said it could not run the government. He said the ruling alliance had been formed to ensure clean and transparent elections.
The JUI-F member stated that the government could not interfere in the affairs of the election commission. He added that if the parliamentary committees could summon the army chief, it can also call judges.
The decisions of some judges, including former CJP Saqib Nisar, created political instability in the country, Mahmood claimed. He further challenged the PTI to organize a rally without music. He remarked that the party holds its gatherings through women and music. These remarks elicited a strong protest and a hue and cry by the PTI members in the House.
