ISLAMABAD:
Sparks flew in the National Assembly on Monday as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) clashed over pressing issues ahead of the third round of negotiations, scheduled for January 16. .
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has questioned the sincerity of the former ruling party, questioning the prospects of meaningful dialogue and the need for continued dialogue.
The heated exchanges between the two sides began when NA opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan expressed concerns over the government’s inaction on critical issues, including the alleged killing of 13 people by gunmen. sniper firing on November 26 in the Blue Zone of Islamabad, for which no Commission has already been constituted.
The opposition leader also claimed that the military detainees on May 9 were subjected to serious torture.
In a pointed remark, he asked whether ministers were writing judgments in the £190 million corruption referral against PTI founder Imran Khan, his wife and others, as they commented on the case despite the postponement of the judgment for the third time. He wonders if the ministers wrote the judgment.
Speaking on another topic, Ayub criticized the government’s priorities, pointing out that a complaint regarding Al-Qadir University had been filed. He said Khan had built universities and hospitals, arguing that investigations should focus on PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s Avenfield Apartments, located in London.
In response, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif criticized the opposition for using the Assembly Question Hour to deliver speeches instead of raising substantive issues. The defense minister questioned whether negotiations with the opposition were possible given their behavior, adding: “I am often accused of opposing negotiations, but how can negotiations take place in such a behavior”.
While questioning the sincerity of the opposition’s negotiating intention, the defense minister argued that their conduct made constructive dialogue difficult. Asif said the government would not bow to pressure and called on the opposition to address its concerns through appropriate channels.
He added that if Parliament is to function, it must operate according to established rules. Asif added that neither the government nor anyone else should give in to opposition blackmail, saying that “their [opposition’s] the intentions are not authentic.
He recalled that the PTI was questioning the government’s authority in negotiations until a few days ago, scolding the opposition if it wanted to talk to the powerful players then it should go ahead.
During the session, members of the Sunni Ittehad Council, under whose banner PTI lawmakers attend Parliament, staged continuous protests. They chanted “Ooooo, oooo” slogans, imitating a phrase recently used by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a speech to describe some protesters.
Meanwhile, PTI MP Iqbal Afridi tried to disrupt the proceedings by pointing out the lack of quorum, but the required number of members were found present, allowing the session to continue. The session then continued as the government and opposition continued to exchange barbs.
The brawl in NA follows mutual accusation by the government and opposition parties of delaying negotiations.
During the first two meetings between the government and the PTI, the government demanded that the PTI submit its demands in writing before any progress could be made. While the PTI has verbally outlined its main demands – the release of party founder Imran Khan, detained workers and supporters, and the formation of a judicial commission to probe the incidents of May 9 and November 26 – the government remained indifferent.
The PTI, in turn, informed the government that it was impossible to finalize its charter of demands without the input of Imran Khan. The lack of a meeting between Khan and the PTI negotiating committee became a major sticking point, prolonging the impasse. This impasse persisted for days until January 12, when the PTI committee finally obtained permission to meet the party chief at Adiala jail.
Despite talks that began on December 23 with the aim of resolving contentious issues, negotiations have yet to progress beyond optics.
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has convened the third meeting of the government and PTI negotiating committees on January 16 (Thursday). The NA Secretariat has issued a notification for the meeting of the negotiating committees during which the PTI is expected to present its written charter of demands at the meeting.
According to a statement issued by the President’s office, the meeting of the government and PTI negotiating committees will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday at Parliament. Initially, the meeting date for the negotiating committees was January 15, but was later changed to January 16 at the request of members.
