ISLAMABAD: Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan has announced on the floor of the house that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is all set to launch a ‘civil disobedience movement’ on the instruction of PTI founder Imran Khan in pursuit of its demands.
In response, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has challenged the opposition’s side to go ahead with its planned move.
Speaking on the maiden day of the 11th NA session on Tuesday, Omar Ayub alleged that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued the “order to kill” during PTI’s protest at the D-Chowk Islamabad on 26 November.
“We can never forget the D-Chowk debacle; it was a repetition of Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Different types of highly sophisticated and lethal weapons were used to unleash highest order of brutality on civilians,” he claimed.
As many 12 PTI members have been martyred, more than 200 are missing, more than 5,000 are arrested and thousands are injured, the opposition leader said, speaking on a point of order. The PTI lawmaker and senior lawyer Latif Khosa would soon lodge a case over D-Chowk bloodshed, he said. At the same breath he said that a negotiation committee has been formed on the order of Imran Khan comprising senior PTI leaders. The panel is mandated to hold dialogue with ‘relevant quarters’ regarding PTI’s demands, he added.
“There is no rule of law in the country— the inflation is unprecedented that has broken the back of the common man— it is our right to launch the civil disobedience movement in the country,” he said.
Responding to the PTI leader’s speech, the defence minister said, the people would not support the PTI’s civil disobedience movement.
“They (PTI) have already launched the civil disobedience movement before and it failed. This time too, their movement will fail. They better stick to their stance and go ahead with this movement,” he said.
Asif contradicted the tally related to casualties and injuries at the D-Chowk protest provided by the opposition. “Their different leaders are giving different figures regarding killings and injuries. They are yet to come up with an exact figure,” he said.
The minister alleged that Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur fled from the D-Chowk and left PTI workers alone.
“Don’t spread provincialism. We will not let you follow the anti-state agenda,” he said, adding that people were getting killed in Kurram and the CM KP failed to ensure peace in his province.
Asif said Pakistan is improving economically, and remittances have recorded an increase of
four to six billion dollars annually.
Hameed Hussain from Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) said people are facing inhuman conditions in Kurram. “People have been martyred. There is shortage of food and fuel. Roads are blocked,” he said, adding that the policy of divide and rule was being followed in Kurram.
Agha Rafiullah from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said the MWM should have protested along with PTI over Kurram issue at D-Chowk.
“General Faiz, in collusion with the PTI, brought terrorists from Afghanistan to Pakistan. He should be charge-sheeted on this issue,” he alleged.
Law Minister Azam Tarar said the issue of Kurram is a provincial matter. “It is the provincial government’s responsibility to restore peace in Kurram. Governor is the federal government’s representative in the province. The provincial government should address this issue in consultation with the governor,” he said.
Abdul Ghafoor Haideri from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) said the law minister himself presented the bill related to the registration of seminaries that was passed by the both houses of Parliament. “All other bills were signed expect this bill. What kind of democracy is this? It’s an insult of the Parliament. It’s an extremely shameful act,” he said.
The NA session was adjourned abruptly after quorum was pointed out that was found lacking. The house could not transact any of the 40 business agenda items on Tuesday, and was adjourned till today (Wednesday).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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