Tag: National Assembly

  • VIDEO: Govt, Opposition hurl abuses at each other

    VIDEO: Govt, Opposition hurl abuses at each other

    The National Assembly on Tuesday was complete mayhem as Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif addressed the lower house.

    Moments after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president started speaking, he was greeted with loud slogans and whistles from the treasury benches.

    Shehbaz continued his speech and questioned, “Imran Khan Niazi promised 10 million jobs. Where are those jobs?”

    “Where are the $300bn that was supposed to be brought back to the country from abroad?”

    Sharif said that PM Imran Khan’s claims of eliminating corruption from Pakistan were hollow.

    He criticised the budget, saying that it had failed to provide relief to the masses amid spiraling unemployment and inflation.

    Speaker Asad Qaiser kept interjecting, requesting lawmakers on the treasury benches to refrain from shouting while the Leader of the Opposition spoke.

    Amidst the chaos, members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government were seen hurling books at the Opposition and vice versa.

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Ali Nawaz Awan can be seen in one video clip responding to abusive language by a PML-N lawmaker with expletives.

    A woman lawmaker tried to pull the PTI MNA away from the group of legislators who were shoving each other. He can be seen in the video throwing a booklet at the PML-N leader and shouting angrily at him.

    Twitterati condemned the chaos in parliament.

  • Federal budget to be presented today

    Federal budget to be presented today

    All eyes will be on the National Assembly today (Friday) as the federal budget for the fiscal year 2021-22 will be presented in the lower house of parliament.

    According to Radio Pakistan, the federal cabinet will meet in Islamabad today to discuss and approve budget proposals. Prime Minister Imran Khan will preside over the meeting.

    Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, who presented the Pakistan Economic Survey 2020-21 a day earlier, will unveil the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s budget. The session will begin at 4:00pm.

    The upcoming budget for the new fiscal year is likely to be pro-growth with an overall focus on increasing expenditures.

  • ‘We are not rulers and should not act as rulers,’ says PTI’s Noor Alam

    ‘We are not rulers and should not act as rulers,’ says PTI’s Noor Alam

    The government on Tuesday faced an embarrassing situation in the National Assembly when it received harsh criticism from its own members on the issue of load-shedding in various parts of the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP ) province where the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has been ruling for six years, as reported by Dawn.

    Four members of the PTI from KP invited the attention of the Minister of Energy Hammad Azhar to the “shortage of transformers and other electrical equipment resulting in load-shedding in KP, causing grave concern among the public”.

    The notice had been moved by Junaid Akbar Khan from Malakand, Imran Khattak from Nowshera, Sher Akbar Khan from Buner, and Gul Zafar Khan from Bajaur.

    The movers talked about load-shedding in their respective constituencies. Noor Alam Khan, PTI’s MNA from Peshawar, blasted the government not only on the issue of load-shedding but also price hike.

    The Opposition members kept on thumping desks throughout Khan’s speech, making Hammad Azhar angry. The minister, while responding to Noor Alam, alleged that he had delivered the speech for the galleries.

    Noor Alam said the minister did not have the correct information as the officials of his ministry and power companies provided him wrong information. He said on the one hand the government was charging Rs34 per unit from the people and on the other hand, people were not getting electricity.

    Khan said load-shedding and price hike were the two major issues being faced by the people. He said the MNA’s could not go to their constituents as they “abused” the MNA’s when they had no electricity.

    Khan said load-shedding and price hike were the two major issues being faced by the people. He said that parliamentarians could not go to their constituents as people “abused” them due to no electricity.

    “We are here to serve the people of Pakistan. We are not rulers and should not act as rulers,” he said.

    He added there was load-shedding of 22 to 24 hours in some areas.

    In response to Khan’s speech, Azhar blamed the previous two governments for the present situation in the country. He said the PTI government was not responsible for the wrongdoings of the previous regimes.

  • Bilawal slams PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal, calls him ‘office-bearer on paper’

    Bilawal slams PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal, calls him ‘office-bearer on paper’

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday criticised the government over the Ghotki train accident and said that he was shocked at the ‘callous’ attitude of the government.

    Differences between the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also became visible in the National Assembly (NA) session when PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal criticised the chair for giving the floor to the PPP chairman before him. Ahsan Iqbal said that being from the largest Opposition party, it was his right to get the floor first. When Bilawal took the floor again, he hit out at Iqbal and the PML-N and termed him an “office-bearer only on papers”.

    Responding to Bilawal’s remarks, Ahsan Iqbal tweeted, “PTI attacks him [Bilawal] for a will written on a piece of paper. I don’t know why he felt the need to attack me with this piece of paper issue.”

    Speaking on the floor, Bilawal said a tragic incident has occurred in Ghotki and lamented that a poor person’s life is not safe during travel via the railways.

    “They (government) do political point-scoring even when an incident like these happen,” he said, adding, “I want to convey a message to the affectees of the crash: We stand with you and demand answers from the authorities.”

    Later in the day, Bilawal tweeted that his request to suspend all other business to discuss Ghotki train accident was denied by Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri.

    “PM, railway minister not in NA to answer why in three years of this government we’ve had more train accidents than any other govt in history of Pakistan. Shocked at callous attitude of govt,” he added.

  • ‘Raiwand’s prime minister’ sent abroad despite conviction: Bilawal

    ‘Raiwand’s prime minister’ sent abroad despite conviction: Bilawal

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, said, “Raiwand’s prime minister” Nawaz Sharif was sent abroad despite being convicted.

    Bilawal said former president Asif Ali Zardari remains in Pakistan, moving from one doctor to another, despite his children telling him to go abroad and seek treatment.

    “If the president [Zardari] is from Nawabshah, he remains on medical bail despite trumped-up charges,” said chairman PPP.

    “I want to ask the prime minister (PM) what sort of accountability and justice is being implemented in the country? I want to ask the PM what kind of rule of law is there within the country?” Bilawal asked, adding that if the premier’s friends are being alleged of a crime, no action is taken against them.

    “This is revenge and political engineering and their ministers themselves accept it has hurt the economy,” added Bilawal.

    “If the prime minister and his sister are blamed for a crime, nothing happens to them,” Bilawal lashed out.

    However, if a former president from Nawabshah’s sister is blamed for something, then she is dragged to jail from her hospital bed, he said, referring to PPP leader Faryal Talpur.

    The PPP chairman denigrated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and questioned its standards of accountability. “This system is a mockery of the Constitution,” said Bilawal.

    “If the Leader of Opposition is from Lahore (Shehbaz Sharif), he is awarded bail, and if the leader of Opposition hails from Sukkur (Khursheed Shah), he is denied the right and treated like a ping-pong ball — back and forth from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) courts to Supreme Court,” Bilawal said.

    The PPP chairman claimed the authorities were repeatedly blackmailing Shah’s children and his wife.

    Bilawal further said that the party would support Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly on the budget despite the inappropriate behaviour of some Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members.

    “I unconditionally say to Shehbaz Sharif in front of the media that all PPP members will be in your support with regards to parliament and this [upcoming] budget despite tantrums [of some PML-N members].”

    He said that PPP members would come and vote on the day of the budget and now it was up to Shehbaz as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly to “do his work and stop the government’s budget.”

    Bilawal was responding to a question on whether the PPP had been contacted on the budget issue and whether it would support the Opposition. He responded that despite the “inappropriate behaviour” of the PML-N and other political parties in the Opposition, the PPP had prioritised national issues and the budget over differences between the political parties.

    “So despite their insults, the PPP went to Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation for dinner so we can rid the people of economic difficulties. Unfortunately, our host was publicly insulted after that dinner by some officeholders of the PML-N,” said Bilawal, adding that flinging statements at guests was not a part of “our tradition, values, and culture”.

    The PPP chairman also lashed out at the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), saying it should have offered resignations the same day or the next when the PPP had “supposedly” refused to listen to its demands and set out for its long march.

    “If they still want to do politics of resignations, then they should have given them by now.”

    Hitting out at the prime minister, the PPP chairman said that the statements since the past few weeks on the state of the economy showed that the “prime minister has no connection to the common man”.

    “The prime minister says Pakistan’s difficult time is over. Not sure about the common man but the IMF’s (International Monetary Fund) difficult time is over, for sure,” he said.

    Bilawal Bhutto said the government’s ministers had come around to accept the PPP’s stance on the economy and expressed the hope that Pakistan would escape the “IMF’s grip” in the budget next week.

    Bilawal similarly hit out at an ordinance for the creation of a new media body and said the PPP would continue to oppose it. He added that the recent attacks on journalists such as Asad Ali Toor or pressure being applied to media personnel such as Hamid Mir through petitions had “exposed the government’s weakness and insecurity”.

  • ‘Jootay se bhi baat aagaye jayegi,’ Khaqan Abbasi won’t apologise for threatening Speaker NA

    ‘Jootay se bhi baat aagaye jayegi,’ Khaqan Abbasi won’t apologise for threatening Speaker NA

    Former Prime Minister, Khaqan Abbasi was served a show cause notice on Wednesday for threatening to hit Speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser with a shoe during an assembly session. During the session Khaqan Abbasi and the Speaker got into an argument over Abbasi’s turn on speaking on the issue of banned TLP’s demand to expel the French Ambassador.

    After the notice to apologise in seven days, Abbasi said that he only seeks forgiveness from Allah and no one else. On Thursday night, on GEO News’ programme Capital Talk, he told anchorperson Hamid Mir that if he wants to speak on the issue, he challenges the Speaker to stop him from speaking. If the Speaker tries to stop him, the same thing would happen again. When Mir stopped him to say that “you have been the Prime Minister, how can you say such a thing? Will you throw a shoe?” Abbasi replied, “It will be worse than throwing a shoe.” He said he is also nominated in two cases.

    He has said that he will respond to the show cause notice but has not stated whether he will apologise or not.

  • ‘I will throw a shoe at you’: Khaqan Abbasi threatens Asad Qaiser

    ‘I will throw a shoe at you’: Khaqan Abbasi threatens Asad Qaiser

    The National Assembly was set to debate the resolution on TLP demand regarding the expulsion of the French Ambassador today and Speaker Asad Qaiser was presiding on the session. After PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan spoke, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi rose and exchanged heated words with the Speaker over not being given a turn to speak before someone else. Asad Qaiser said, “You always behave like this,” to Khaqan Abbasi to which Abbasi responded, “I will take off my shoe and throw it at you.” Qaiser told him to remain in his limits and told him to fix his language.

    Watch the video here:

    The resolution came after a series of meetings with the TLP and the government. The banned TLP had held the country hostage with violent protests that led to the killing of four police officers and left 800 police officers injured.

    The opposition parties criticised the government over its method of dealing with the TLP and the Pakistan People’s Party boycotted today’s session.

  • PPP to boycott, PDM to attend NA session today

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said that the government will present a resolution in the National Assembly (NA) for the expulsion of the French envoy. This comes in the wake of the successful negotiations between the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the government earlier today.

    The next NA session was scheduled for Thursday (April 22) but it was changed. NA session was called today at 3pm to facilitate the resolution.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari tweeted that the agreement with the banned TLP was not brought to the NA. Government took action against it on the streets and then banned TLP. Bilawal said that the prime minister did not take the NA into confidence at any stage so if the government did not take parliament into confidence, it is the prime minister’s mess. “Clean up or go home,” tweeted Bilawal.

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and its member parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz are attending the NA session. Sources say they will also support the resolution.

    Three demands in the resolution ask for a debate on the expulsion of the French ambassador. It also asks that the European Union (EU), especially France, should be told about the sensitivity of this issue. Discussions should be held with all Muslim countries so as to raise it on international forums. The resolution also says that foreign relations will only be decided by the state and not an individual, group or party through any illegal pressure tactics.

    The resolution presented before the NA today has been approved for debate. PML-N’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi asks for one hour to go over the motion with his party.

    This is a developing story

  • NA body approves bill seeking criminal proceedings against anyone defaming military

    A bill seeking criminal proceedings against anyone who defames the military, has been approved by National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior.

    The bill, under which the said act is punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of Rs500,000 or both, will now be presented before the lower house of the parliament.

    According to sources, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have opposed it as a violation of right to freedom of expression.

    However, it received the votes of a majority during the NA body’s meeting.

    Last year, the National Assembly had introduced the Criminal Law Bill, 2020, to make intentional defaming and insulting the armed forces as a punishable felony.

    According to an insertion 500A in the Pakistan Penal Code Act 1860, anyone who deliberately ridicules or slanders the armed forces or member of the armed forces shall be found guilty.

  • ‘It is better to play cricket with your mouth shut’: Hina Butt berates Hafeez for pro PM tweet

    ‘It is better to play cricket with your mouth shut’: Hina Butt berates Hafeez for pro PM tweet

    Hina Butt has lashed out at Muhammad Hafeez for congratulating Prime Minister Imran Khan and calling his Vote of Confidence a “Masterstroke”.

    Responding to Hafeez’s tweet the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Hina Butt said: “Pakistan was ridiculed in the world for not following corona SOPs and now you are supporting a vote thief.”

    “It is better to play cricket with your mouth shut and do not comment on politics,” she added.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Saturday won the crucial confidence vote in the National Assembly, hanging on to power after his finance adviser Abdul Hafeez Sheikh lost the high-stakes Senate seat election earlier in the week. After PM’s victory, many celebrities took to their social media to congratulate him. Other celebrities who congratulated Khan included Waqar Younis, Gohar Rasheed, Haroon Shahid, Fahad Mirza, Shaan and Feroze Khan.