ISLAMABAD: Opposition members in both houses of parliament continued their protest on Friday over the alleged harassment of their lawmakers, firmly stating that they would never vote for the bill under the current circumstances, despite the government’s claims of reaching an agreement on a draft constitutional amendment bill.
The JUI-F members gave the most pointed speeches, promising not to support the changes bill under “duress.”
The declaration was made the day following long sessions with PTI leaders and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, led by JUI-F emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Additionally, there were rumors that the party was acting as a go-between for the PTI and the government.
Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri warned to call for a general strike if the administration persisted in using “undemocratic and fascist tools” to win support for the changes during his speech in the National Assembly.
“While there are talks of reconciliation, opposition members are being kidnapped,” Mr. Haideri stated.
We will never cast a ballot if you force us to do so, no matter what.
Leaders of the PTI Ali Muhammad Khan and Aamir Dogar also denounced the alleged harassment of other members of their party and their families.
They referred to the modifications as “an attack on the Supreme Court” and were against the concept of a separate constitutional court.
Mr. Khan criticized the government’s decision to strip the chief justice of his appointment authority and questioned how there could be two chief justices.
The PTI leader further questioned the law minister about the source of the draft revisions, raising doubts about the motivations behind them.
Either you converse with us or you argue with us. You speak with us during the day, and our family members are being snatched up during the night, according to Mr. Khan.
Mr. Dogar stated that the government need to announce Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s appointment as chief justice right away if it maintained that the proposed revisions were not “person-specific” in order to favor the current chief judge.
He stated that PTI had received the final copy and that Imran Khan, the party’s founding chairman, will be consulted before any decisions were made.
Senate gathering
The ruling coalition’s Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) voiced protests in the Senate regarding the state of law and order in the region, which put the government in an untenable position.
The party was further offended by a response from Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who attributed the weak state of law and order to PTI.
“Unfortunately, some people ignited the argument over good and evil Taliban who were brought back and established in Pakistan. We are gathering up dead bodies today,” asserted the minister.
However, the opposition fiercely objected to him when he began criticizing the previous PTI government.
Manzoor Kakar of the BAP and other senators from Balochistan brought up the matter in order to alert the administration to the recent attacks on Punjabi laborers and miners.
Mr. Kakar claimed that they were left wondering if his party was in the opposition or the Treasury benches after hearing the information minister’s statement.
Attaur Rehman, a JUI-F lawmaker, said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “expressed ignorance” when his party informed him about the purported kidnapping of opposition members.
“It is unfortunate that those in charge of the nation’s affairs are ignorant of these events.”
His party, he said, backs PTI leaders’ demand to confer with Imran Khan about the draft bill.
Cabinet gathering
The government had postponed the morning sessions of both houses in hopes of reaching an agreement on the draft measure following the special parliamentary committee’s approval.
Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani once declared that the house will reconvene following the meeting of the federal cabinet and postponed the meeting for an hour.
The administration then refuted rumors that the PM was chairing the meeting, as reported by several news outlets.
Later, it was declared that the draft measure would be approved at a special cabinet meeting on Saturday morning. Today, Saturday, is the next planned meeting of the National Assembly and the Senate.
