Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Tuesday started the session of the House after a delay of about three-and-a-half-hour and abruptly adjourned it after the national anthem to avoid the protest of opposition parties and their resolution against ministers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. The proceedings of the National Assembly were adjourned without taking up any business as the opposition parties stuck to their demand of resignation of the Federal Minister Faisal Wavda and cancellation of his membership of the House.
The session was to start at 4:00pm but it was started at 7:27pm. Treasury as well as opposition members were present almost in full strength in the House but the speaker did not start the session because the opposition members were ready to protest and present resolution against Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda for giving a controversial statement that "if there is any other big person on this earth after Allah, its Imran Khan." They also wanted to protest against Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan's statement about Hindus community.
Speaker Asad Qaisar announced the adjournment of proceedings soon after the national anthem. The Office of the Speaker did not state any reasons for delayed start and adjournment of proceedings. However, the sources said deadlock between the government and opposition benches persists on objectionable remarks of Wavda on a television channel. The issue of the federal minister's statement was raised by members of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and they were also supported by other opposition parties in the House. "We demand cancellation of his membership for use of highly objectionable words," they said.
They also wanted to get a resolution passed by the House to condemn the act of the minister. Salahuddin Ayubi of MMA while taking to this correspondent said, "We want to present a resolution in the House to condemn Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda for giving a controversial statement. This House is for legislation and we want a legal way to proceed against the minister."
"We do not want politics on this issue. It is purely an Islamic issue and we will not tolerate it," he said. He said that delaying the session of the House is wastage of tax money and time. Answering a question, he said, "We also condemn Fayyazul Hassan Chohan for his statement about Hindu community. Hindu community lives in our country and such statements should not be given about them." "Some of PTI members are also ready to support our resolution," he claimed.
The government side, however, feels that Faisal Wavda be given an opportunity to explain his position. After the adjournment of the House, the opposition members of Hindu community of PML-N and PPP raised placards to show solidarity with Hindu community. They also raised slogans against the PTI government. Meanwhile, the PTI government could not get "The Finance Supplementary (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019" passed even in the ongoing third session of the National Assembly.
Finance Minister Asad Umar had presented the Bill in the National Assembly on January 23, 2019. Two sessions have been passed and third is ongoing and it may be prorogued today (Wednesday), but the PTI government has failed to sail the Bill through the National Assembly.
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