News
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
PML-N, MQM trade barbs in National Assembly
* Coalition partners accuse each other of incompetence
* PPP MNAs fail to defuse tension between two parties
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), during the second sitting of the National Assembly’s 28th session on Tuesday, played a nasty blame game and accused each other of point scoring over the volatile law and order situation in the country, especially in Karachi.
The NA witnessed a rare show of ‘concern’ over Karachi security when the PML-N and MQM resorted to exchange of allegations coupled with accusations of incompetence in the management of the affairs of their respective provinces.
The legislators of both parties erupted in a cacophony after PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal brazenly stated that London-based leader of the MQM was a foreign national, but talking of military coup in Pakistan.
The House was echoing with slogans, desk thumping and shouting when adjourned until Wednesday (today), as the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was helplessly trying to defuse tension between its coalition partners.
It may be mentioned here that the issue of lawlessness in Karachi is being highlighted by every political faction since the commencement of the assembly’s second session.
On a point of order, MQM’s Asif Hussain said the Punjab-based party, PML-N, had nothing to do with Karachi except point scoring. Quoting various incidents of law and order in Punjab particularly firing on a passenger van in Hafizabad and killing of two young brothers in Sialkot, he urged the PML-N to pay heed to growing “mal-administration” in the province.
Saying that the MQM was brought up and pampered by military dictators, Ziaul Haq and Pervaiz Musharraf, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal questioned, “Has someone allotted you (MQM) the quota of martial law?” “For which country are you working for” was the next hard-hitting question by Iqbal, which got desk thumping by his party fellows.
Citing the constitutional clauses, Iqbal alleged that MQM’s insinuation for martial law and sedition were tantamount to treason. “MQM chief Altaf Hussain had demanded imposition of martial law in Punjab to end extortion, killings and other crimes. A similar statement by him the last year had invited barrage of criticism as well,” the PML-N MNA said.
In response to the allegations of the MQM, the PML-N referred to an amendment in Article 6 of the constitution through the 18th Amendment and said the demand was tantamount to “treason”.
Earlier, Aftab Ahmed Sherpao, chief of his own political faction, PPP-Sherpao, urged the government to take concrete steps to bring stability in Karachi as he lamented over the approach of gaining political mileage from the problem.
PML-N’s Tehmina Daultana also pointed at the security situation in Karachi and Balochistan saying that “Karachi and Balochistan are burning”.
Later, talking to journalists outside the Parliament House, Interior Minister Rehman Malik appeared disinterested over the slanging match between both the parties, terming it common in politics. He held out an assurance that there would no military action in Karachi.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk