Faizabad sit-in: Rabbani says army role matter of grave concern

Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani on Monday called for building a national narrative to cope with the challenges faced by the country, saying the new trend set by the government to deal with handful protesters through an agreement is a direct threat to the state. He said that the role of military and above all the government's decision to end the protest through a written agreement is not only a matter of grave concern but also a serious threat to politics, democracy and state.
"We never saw such a trend before, and the trend which we are witnessing today is not only dangerous for the political class and teething democracy but it is also quite dangerous for the state," he maintained. He said that the time has come and the intellectuals, politicians, and all other stakeholders must sit together for building a national narrative, in which the Parliament should have a key role. He continued that the role of the government is pathetic as it is not giving priority to an institution (Parliament) which could strength it in difficult times, but even then it will be the Parliament which will 'protect, preserve and defend' the Constitution.
"The Parliament will carry forward the democratic system no matter what. No other system whether it is technocrat setup or General Musharraf (retd) formula, the 1973 Constitution will always remain on the top," he maintained. The writ of the state, which Rabbani acknowledged has been eroded, can only be restored through Parliament in light of the guiding principles put forth in 1973 Constitution.
Rabbani also regretted the absence of Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal from the Senate, saying he reaches the court on a fifteen-minute short notice, but 'it is appalling he had no time for the Parliament.' He said that the Prime Minister should have taken the House into confidence in wake of the incidents that took place during the last two days, due to which a law minister had to call it a day.
"Whatever happened is not a small thing...the Army Chief had to intervene; the MNAs' residences were attacked by the mobs and some had to submit their resignations to sector commanders of the religious outfit, but there is nobody to take the House into confidence," he lamented. He said that the Parliament must not be taken for granted, adding if a court can issue a contempt notice then the Parliament can also slap the minister with a contempt notice for not taking it into confidence in wake of such important developments.
"The Parliament should be informed why the government had to call in the army? What forced it to disperse the mob through an agreement? The PM is out of country...is Jeddah summit more important or this Parliament. He is accountable before this House under the Constitution," he added.
The treasury senators except Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq remained tight-lipped, as opposition senators lambasted the government for its failure to handle the sit-in protesters and paving the way for the military to step in to defuse the tension.
Senator Farhatullah Babar of PPP termed issuance of the press release of the telephonic call of the Army Chief to the Prime Minister unwise, wherein the former advised the latter that sit-in be handled peacefully and avoiding violence on both sides.
He said that the term 'both sides' equates the sit-in participants, who were already declared as terrorists by Islamabad High Court making demands at gun point, with a legitimate government that is constitutionally bound to protect the life, property and honor of citizens.
He said that the army and civil government must speak to one another through available mechanisms and not through media and even if the talk was necessary, there was no need for issuing any press release which could be misinterpreted. He said that violence can only be used by the state and those who have successfully carried out Raddal Fassad know it fully well. He said that a judicial probe should be held in all the sit-ins of 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017 to expose whether or not there were hidden hands behind them.
Senator Azam Swati of PTI said that it speaks volume of the interior minister's incompetence, who is captain of the team but he held his subordinate officers responsible for launching the operation on court orders. He said that the government left no stone unturned in reelecting a disqualified man as head of the party, but it acted as a silent spectator to disperse the protesters, adding fresh election is the only solution to end chaos in the country.
Raja Zafarul Haq hit hard at PTI, saying the party which held 126 days sit-in is now declaring a sit-in unconstitutional. He pacified the enraged Senate chairman, saying the sit-in issue is yet to be completely resolved and the interior minister could not make it to the House due to the issue.
Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif of MQM-P said if clerics like Khadim Rizvi could be set freed, why militant fugitives like Mullah Fazlullah, Sufi Muhammad, etc, are declared terrorists. In an obvious reference to the military, Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini said that politicians, clerics or anybody else cannot confront a single institution which has always been all-time powerful. The house prorogued sine die.