The opposition lawmakers in Senate, especially of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Monday lambasted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his controversial statement and demanded to try him under treason charges, terming the move violation of the Official Secret Act.
Speaking on a motion filed by Senators Usman Kakar and Azam Musakhel of PkMAP on current political situation in the country, the opposition MPs severely criticized the former prime minister, terming his statement about Mumbai attacks a "confession" by no other than a man who remained three-time prime minister, in order to save his skin from ongoing graft cases against him.
PTI Parliamentary Leader in Senate Senator Azam Khan Swati, whose speech put the treasury on its toe after he repeatedly said: "Sharif's statement is reflection of Narendra Modi's anti-Pakistan narrative."
Swati said that Nawaz Sharif has been saying that he had kept some secrets close to his chest, and his recent statement could be one such secrets which he wanted to use to save his skin. He demanded that the former prime minister be made accountable for his controversial statement before it is too late, as it is an attack on the sovereignty of the country.
The leader of the House kept objecting during Swati's speech, besides demanding the chair to expunge some of his remarks against his party supremo, but Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla, who was presiding over the session, did not pay any heed.
"Nawaz Sharif cannot be the alternative of the state, as he is a history now. It's a direct hit on our military which has rendered numerous sacrifices in war against terrorism. The Sharifs demand resignation of NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal for tracking down the corrupt but they're mum about his predecessor (Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhary) as he was a corrupt blue-eyed," he added.
Another PTI Senator Mohsin Aziz said if perpetrators of Dawn Leaks had been taken to task, this would not have happened. He continued that it is a violation of Official Secret Act "which we cannot let go."
"A country is like a mother, and there will be no compromise if someone speaks against your mother. By giving such an obnoxious statement, the three-time prime minister has breached his oath, besides putting the security of the country at stake," he added.
He demanded a probe into the matter, saying this is just a small reflection of Sharif's intentions about the country, which gave him identity and respect, in a bid to protect his ill-gotten wealth stashed in foreign banks.
Ghafoor Haideri of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), whose party is also an ally of PML-N, also said that the statement is a direct attack on the security of the country, which his party condemns in the strongest possible terms. He demanded to hold a thorough probe into it to ascertain the motive behind it.
Another JUI-F Senator Talha Mehmood said that such a controversial statement at a time when an interim government is set to take over is beyond comprehension. He said that the country is already on the watch list of the international community and Sharif's statement is like adding fuel to fire to further complicate things for his own vested interests.
Senator Jamaldini of BNP-Mengal stood by Sharif and said that no one has the right to dub a politician as 'traitor' for his statement. Why it is always the politicians whose patriotism is judged and why others are speared, he added in an apparent reference to military generals.
Senator Khushbakht Shujaat of MQM-Pakistan spoke her out, recalling the way her party came under scrutiny over a similar statement by its founder. She said that the PML-N leaders left no stone unturned to defend Sharif, but MQM MPs dissociated themselves from Altaf within no time, which is called patriotism.
She said empty benches on treasury side is self-explanatory as no one is happy with Sharif's statement, adding the time has come for the PML-N leaders to do what the MQM-P leaders did with the MQM founder for his diatribe against Pakistan.
Senator Shibli Faraz of PTI said that the narrative of Nawaz Sharif is no different than that of Modi administration, adding Sharif compromised on the Kashmir issue besides remaining mum whenever India showed its nefarious motives against Pakistan.
He demanded that there should be a thorough investigation into the businesses of Nawaz Sharif's sons in India, saying this could be the reason Sharif has always been very kind to Modi, which was evident from his never ending silence on convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.
Senator Samina Saeed questioned what happened to Sharif after he was disqualified, as things were alright as long as he was in power. She said that the disqualified prime minister must tender an apology or the Supreme Court should start his trial for treason.
PML-N Senator Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (retd) laid emphasis on collective efforts to improve political situation in Pakistan. He noted that the internal situation, in a way, is directly linked to the regional and global developments and it underscores the need for restraint. He also referred to the situation on Indian border and developments inside Afghanistan.
"We have seen martial laws and curbs on media as well but now every one is free to express his views, using his constitutional rights. But with freedom there is a need to exercise caution. Non-state actors have always been active. They have Pakistani face but receive money from abroad and carry out foreign agendas here. Pakistan has been the worst victim of non-state actors," he said.
PkMAP Senator Usman Kakar and Azam Musakhail lamented to what ex-PM Nawaz Sharif said the other day and noted that already ministers, the establishment and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior had talked about the non-state actors and called for controlling them to avert deterioration of Pak-India relations.
They alleged that terrorists were trained in FATA under a bid to make Afghanistan, the fifth province of Pakistan. They called for putting an end to issuance of certificates of patriotism and being rebel. They insisted that the Parliament was the only competent institution to tag anyone with patriotism or disloyalty to Pakistan.
They emphasized that there should be no interference in political affairs, as this would always lead to tug of war among thee state institutions. They called for establishment of a commission to carry out accountability of all without any discrimination, including the military and judiciary and proposed summoning an All Parties Conference.
PML-N Senator Javed Abbasi advocated for playing sensible politics, as dark clouds are hovering over democratic institutions and democracy itself. He lamented that in the past, political parties were disintegrated and new parties were formed in the darkness of night, forcing politicians to be part of them.
"This practice of engineered parties must come to an end. Political parties be allowed to grow and gain strength. No party should be singled out and targeted, as even today, a party is being targeted. There should be no delay of even an hour in holding of elections," he said and added that the Prime Minister and Leader of Opposition should agree on interim setup and desist from leaving this matter to be decided by others.
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