News
Friday, September 03, 2010
PML-N, MQM take on each other in National Assembly* Nisar says Altaf’s statement shook the very foundation of democracy
* Sattar says MQM does not want confrontation with anyone, ready to speak truth
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Thursday defended the privileged motions against each other and tried to explain their respective positions over the issue of military intervention in politics.
Before the proceedings began, the NA’s Business Advisery Committee decided not to discuss the PML-N and MQM’s privileged motions against each other during the session, which will continue for only two days.
The committee instead decided to focus on the flood situation in the country. However, when the session began opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan asked the National Assembly speaker to take up his party’s motion that had been moved against Altaf Hussain’s statement.
Nisar said that the MQM chief’s statement had “shaken the very foundation of democracy”. “Remaining silent over it any longer will be a great sin. It will be a violation of the oath administered by you (speaker) to every member of the House if we did not respond to the statement in which (Altaf) openly invited ‘others’ to come and act. By doing so, he has breached the privilege of the entire House. Didn’t these same forces ruin the country nine years ago,” he said.
Nisar said that the PML-N had not been taken into confidence over the decision to defer the discussion over the privileged motions and that was why it had also refused to attend the meeting of the advisery committee. “Eighty-nine members of the House signed the motion. All of us want the government to end its silence over the issue, as Altaf’s statement was not against the PML-N. Instead, it was a blow to the credibility of the government,” he said.
“This is not Karachi and I will not be deterred by threats,” Nisar said, when someone from the MQM tried to interrupt him. “I will not hesitate to tell the truth to the nation. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the PML-N had promised in the Charter of Democracy (CoD) not to support any military dictator in future,” he said.
Nisar also criticised the government for delaying the National Assembly session, saying Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had both agreed to summon the session on August 16. However, he said the government had summoned the session in September. Clarifying Altaf Hussain’s statement, MQM’s parliamentary leader Dr Farooq Sattar said that the remarks did not refer to a governmental change, rather they pointed towards the need for changing the system. “Our party believes that this obsolete system of feudal lords must come to an end,” he said.
He said that the country was passing through extraordinary circumstances and there was a dire need of taking extraordinary measures. “The MQM does not want confrontation with any political party, including the PML-N, but if their privileged motion is taken up in the House, then the two privileged motions of the MQM should also be discussed,” he said.
“Allow us to tell the nation about how ‘deals’ were made in darkness. We are not another colony of the ‘throne of Lahore’. We are ready to speak on any issue and we have proof as well,” said Sattar. Later, lawmakers paid tribute to former federal minister for local government and rural development Abdul Razzaq Thaheem, who died on Wednesday night after a protracted illness. The members also condoled with the bereaved family and offered prayers for the salvation of the departed soul.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk