ISLAMABAD: As efforts are under way to bring back Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif – who has been living in ‘self-imposed exile’ in the UK since 2019 – Federal Minister Javed Latif on Tuesday warned that absence of Sharif in upcoming elections could potentially lead to a violent and bloody confrontation in the country.
Speaking on a point of order in the National Assembly, he said that if Nawaz Sharif is not allowed to participate in the next elections, it could create unrest and division due to his significant following and influence in the country.
He lamented that Sharif was ousted from the political arena during the elections of 2002, 2008, and then 2018, but nobody bothered to take action against those responsible for rigging.
“And if that exercise is repeated in 2023 nobody will accept the election results as Nawaz Sharif is a reality in the country’s politics,” he added.
He also claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan had committed contempt of courts on several occasions but he was left scot-free.
Meanwhile, the house was informed that efforts were afoot to explore new markets for manpower export as agreements with different countries were in pipeline to enhance manpower export.
Responding to a calling attention notice, the parliamentary secretary for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Agha Rafiullah, said that the protectorate of emigrant offices will also be established in all major cities including Sukkur, Bannu, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
He said a summary in this regard has been moved by the Ministry of Overseas and Human Resource Development, which will be passed from the house soon.
As many as eight private member’s bills were introduced in the house. The chair referred the bills to the standing committees concerned.
These include the Islamabad Capital Territory State Counsels Remuneration Bill, 2023, the Drugs Amendment Bill, 2023, the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the ICT Criminal Prosecution Service Bill, 2023, the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Allied Health Professionals Council (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society Bill, 2023, and the Legal Practitioners Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Speaking on a point of order, Agha Rafiullah said that a proper mechanism should be put in place to ensure the appointment of judges on merit.
The judgments of the courts and the military generals harmed the country, he said, adding “we must make the generals and the judges accountable for their wrong policies and judgments”.
He said that a reference should also be filed seeking clarification as if the chief ministers can dissolve assemblies without citing any reason at the whims of one person.
Qaiser Ahmad Shaikh said that there is a need for consensus among all politicians and other stakeholders for economic and political stability in the country.
He said that the people are in a miserable condition due to price hike as per capita income of the people is drastically decreased.
“All political parties should sit together and develop consensus to fix a date for holding the general election on one day in the country,” he added.
The parliamentary secretary for railways, Kiran Dar, informed the house that all pending salaries and pensions to employees of Railways had been paid.
Responding to a notice regarding the delay in payment of pensionary benefits and salary to the employees of the railways, she said that all the employees of the Railways had received their salary and pension today as per the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to pay the salary before Eidul Fitr.
She also said that the dues of retired employees of railways till 2022 had also been cleared.
She said that a sum of Rs3 billion has been spent to rehabilitate railways track damaged in the devastating floods of previous year.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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