- Bilawal urges PM to revive NAP against terrorism, Barrister Gohar pays tribute to forces for successful operation
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly witnessed ruckus and chaos on Wednesday after the opposition was denied the opportunity to discuss the deadly attack on Jaffer Express in Balochistan.
The session, presided over by Abdul Qadir Patel, took a contentious turn when Opposition Leader Omar Ayub demanded the suspension of the Question Hour to debate the tragic incident.
Opening the debate on the President’s address to the joint sitting of parliament on March 10, he stated, “We are against and condemn those who have taken up arms against the state”.
He argued that it would have been more appropriate for the chair to allow a debate on the Balochistan issue by suspending the routine business of the House.
However, Patel declined the request, stating that the matter could be addressed during the debate on the presidential address.
The refusal sparked immediate protests from PTI lawmakers. In a visible display of frustration, Ayub banged the green file containing parliamentary rules and regulations on his desk, while other opposition members joined in by pounding their desks and shouting slogans.
The protest escalated as Ayub and his colleagues staged a walkout, chanting “quorum, quorum” as they left the chamber.
During the opposition’s protest and walkout, party member Sher Afzal Marwat was nowhere to be seen. Once the opposition left the chamber, Iqbal Afridi pointed out the lack of quorum, triggering a headcount.
However, the required number of members was present, allowing the session to continue.
At that moment, Sher Afzal Marwat entered the assembly and rejoined the proceedings. Strikingly, he crossed over to the government benches, sitting among treasury members, including Sheikh Aftab, with whom he was seen chatting amicably.
After the prayer break, when the session resumed, Omar Ayub was finally given the floor. His first grievance was that he should have been allowed to speak on the tragedy earlier.
However, during his speech, assembly members remained engaged in casual conversations, prompting him to point out the irony: “This is a discussion about Balochistan, yet Balochistan’s own members are not paying attention. This is unfortunate”.
He said he expected undivided attention from the house while he spoke, but in contrast, Sher Afzal Marwat was fast asleep, only stirring when his name was mentioned eliciting chuckles across the hall.
Ayub continued his speech for one hour and twenty-three minutes, touching on the Balochistan tragedy and other issues. The National Assembly session was then adjourned until Thursday (today) at 11:30 am.
Revival national action plan against terrorism
During his speech on the floor of the National Assembly, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to revive the national action plan (NCP) to take on the scourge of terrorism.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Thursday, Bilawal Bhutto said “Pakistan’s enemies are operating in tandem and in retaliation we should also close ranks and work as a cohesive team.”
He further said “The prime minister should frame a national action plan as the country has suffered enough from terrorism. The terrorists are exploiting our weaknesses.”
Turning his guns at the PTI, the PPP chairman said “Whatever the national issue this party’s only demand is to first free prisoner no 804. Our supporters and activists have nothing to do with the prisoner no 804. The KP government must fulfil its responsibilities other than focusing on prisoner no 804.”
Bilawal called for national unity and political consensus to effectively combat terrorism in the country, saying Pakistan had paid a heavy price in its fight against terrorism, with sacrifices made by every segment of society, political leadership, ordinary citizens, military officers, and police personnel.
“There is no section of society that has not made sacrifices in this struggle,” he stated. He reminded the House of the unity demonstrated by the nation in the wake of the 2014 Army Public School (APS) Peshawar tragedy.
“Despite our political differences, whether it was the politics of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or other parties, we set aside our agendas to prioritize the national interest,” he said. “We endorsed the National Action Plan (NAP), fought terrorism in all four provinces, and declared that we had broken the terrorists’ back.”
PTI pays tribute to armed forces over Jaffar Express operation
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gauhar on Thursday condemned the recent attack on the Jaffar Express and extended his condolences to the families of the martyred passengers and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Barrister Gauhar acknowledged the sacrifices of the armed forces, stating that the Pakistan Army had successfully conducted the operation to recover the train passengers.
He stressed the need for political unity, urging all stakeholders to “forget the past and move forward.”
