ISLAMABAD: A senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Nabeel Gabol, on Wednesday, said it point blank: the “so-called two-thirds majority was given to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in alms.”
The PPP stalwart lost his cool after coming face to face with PML-N loyalists and the State Minister for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, during a meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior, when the latter boasted that “we have toppled government in the past and we can, again.”
The committee meeting was held with MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz in the chair.
The tone of the state minister for interior angered Gabol who is the PPP MNA from Karachi, and he confronted Chaudhry, saying “the regime given to PML-N has made them arrogant, which needs to be curtailed.”
The PPP stalwart said that the attitude of the state minister and Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman towards the committee members is uncalled for and is not acceptable.
“The attitude of the minister and, surprisingly, the CDA chairman, Muhammad Ali Randhawa who is a government official, towards committee members is simply not acceptable and I’m going to boycott the meeting in protest against their unruly attitude,” he said and staged a walkout from the meeting in protest.
The committee chairman requested Gabol not to stage a walkout from the meeting, but he left the meeting after an exchange of harsh words with Chaudhry.
During the discussion over the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, moved by PPP MNA Shazia Marri, an official of the Law Ministry said that the law already exists and therefore, the ministry did not support this bill.
To this, Marri said that she would move a privilege motion against the Law Ministry official. Talal Chaudhry replied, “Go ahead, I will face it myself.”
The committee made a sub-committee for further examination and discussion over the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
During the meeting when the Law Ministry official said that the Constitution is supreme, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA and member of the committee Shehryar Afridi asked the official to repeat the statement, saying, “It sounds good.”
MNA Zartaj Gul said that we want to understand it. In response, Talal Chaudhry remarked that those who do not understand are made to understand.
Special invitee Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry criticised recent increases in property transfer fees by the CDA, calling them unacceptable. He said that a committee was formed by the prime minister to look into real estate matters in Islamabad. The CDA must withdraw this fee hike immediately, he said.
During the meeting, Chaudhry urged Minister Talal Chaudhry to pay attention, adding, “This is not about Faisalabad, Minister Sahib! This is about Islamabad—please focus and listen.”
The minister for parliamentary affairs also expressed concern over deteriorating road conditions following recent rains, pointing out that even newly constructed roads submerged.
He urged CDA to ensure pending projects are completed, saying that people gather in front of his and chairman committee’s offices in protest.
The meeting was attended by MNAs, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, Syed Rafiullah, Haji Jamal Shah Kakar, Sardar Nabeel Ahmed Gabol, Khawaja Izhar Ul Hassan, Nawabzada Mir Jamal Khan Raisani, Muhammad Ijazul Haq, Mohammad Jamal Ahsan Khan, Nisar Ahmed, Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza, Shehryar Khan Afridi, Jamshaid Ahmed, Zartaj Gul, Sofia Saeed Shah, Shazia Marri, Aliya Kamran, Dr Mahreen Razaq Bhutto and Dr Tariq Fazal Chudhary and senior officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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