ISLAMABAD: In a rare display of parliamentary solidarity beyond the party lines, a member of the upper house of Parliament belonging to PML-N has supported PTI’s demand to be allocated reserved seats in the Assemblies, besides demanding the issuance of production orders of two PTI legislators— and resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja— over “massive rigging” in the recent general elections.
“The PTI should get the reserved seats it duly deserves,” Saadia Abbasi from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) said on the floor of the house in Senate on Tuesday.
She alleged massive rigging in the general polls and demanded CEC’s resignation.
The PML-N senator demanded the issuance of production orders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senators Ijaz Chaudhry and Shibli Faraz.
Earlier, PTI lawmakers waged a strong protest against the arrests and continued imprisonments of several female members of the former ruling party. They also demanded that their political party be allocated reserved seats in the Assemblies that were won by the PTI-backed candidates in the February 8 general elections.
The PTI senators encircled the chair’s dais and chanted slogans, “Do justice to women—set them free.”
The former ruling party members then staged a walkout from the house. Apart from PML-N’s Abbasi, Kamran Murtaza from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) and Mushtaq Ahmad Khan from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) supported the PTI’s stance.
Presiding over the Senate session, Deputy Chairman Senate Mirza Muhammad Afridi directed PML-N’s Mushahid Hussain and Palwasha Khan from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to convince the protesting senators to end their protest and join the house proceedings. With the involvement of these two lawmakers, the PTI senators returned to the house.
Taking the floor, PTI’s Ali Zafar said his party’s female members were implicated in false cases “one after another” and arrested. He demanded the removal of these cases and immediate release of PTI female members.
The PTI senators welcomed their colleague Faisal Javed Khan in the house - who showed up at the Senate session after remaining in reported hiding for several months.
Speaking in the Senate, he said, the nation recoded its verdict in favour of the PTI in the recent general elections. He demanded an immediate release of jailed PTI supremo Imran Khan and his wife.
“Those who won only 17 seats in the general elections are running the government—this cannot end trust deficit,” Khan said.
Rubina Khalid from PPP and Faisal Subzwari from Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) spoke in strong condemnation of a recent incident involving the harassment of a woman at the hands of a mob in Lahore on the false allegations of blasphemy. The session was adjourned till Friday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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