ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Thursday advised parliamentarians to focus on Kashmir issue during the joint sitting of the Parliament instead of indulging in personal accusations.
“Let us show responsibility. Let us focus on the Kashmir issue. If we de-track, we shall be responsible for what will happen in coming days,” he asked the members after PPP and PML-N Senators traded allegations during discussion on situation in occupied Kashmir.
“Let us calm down. If we indulge in personal issue, we shall lose focus on Kashmir. Therefore, it is needed that we unanimously send a message to our Kashmiri brethren and international community,” he added.
The situation at the joint sitting just went odd when PPP Senator Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan criticized the government on Panama papers leak and Senator Mushahidullah from PML-N replied to his charges with claims like PPP’s backing out from support of Kashmiris during Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s tenure.
The criticism turned into argument leading to allegations and counter allegations. The members from the opposition party PPP started chanting slogans and Mushahidullah continued replying to their slogans through his speech.
As Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan had directly criticized the Prime Minister on the Panama papers simply deviating from the topic, so Mushahidullah also accused him to hand over lists of Sikh freedom fighters to Rajiv Gandhi’s government.
The PPP legislators on that point rose to their seats and started clamoring and Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah entered the House and said, if the government was not ready to listen our proposals, then there is no need to be part of the proceedings.
Khursheed Shah stated, ” It is not the time to trade accusations as people of Kashmir are looking towards us. Kashmiris are dying and we are busy in settling personal scores. Let us do it another time and today extend solidarity and support to our Kashmiri brethren.”
He advised the treasury benches to listen with patience suggestion of the opposition and any criticism from their side and it was right of the opposition to identify shortcomings of the government. “If the treasury benches cannot tolerate our view point then we shall have to leave the House.”
But, in time intervention of Jamat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq, Aftab Sherpao, Mahmood Achakzai and Leader of the House in the Senate Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq cooled down the temperature and the PPP members took their seats.
Raja Zafarul Haq said it was unfortunate that de-tracking from the topic disturbed smooth functioning of the House. “It was also demand of the opposition to convene joint sitting and now it is responsibility of everybody to express unity and solidarity with Kashmiri people.”
He regretted if anybody was hurt from the remarks of another colleague. Our unity at the joint sitting is very vital for the cause of Kashmiri people, he said.
Later, on a point of personal explanation Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan denied the charge of providing any list of Sikhs to Rajiv Gandhi’s government and said, if there is any proof then try him in a court of law. “I am always maligned on this charge and of the LPG quota and today I invite the government to register case against me if they find me guilty and cancel that qouta.”
