ISLAMABAD:
Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq exchanged sharp remarks during the National Assembly’s budget session on Wednesday, while JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman called for restraint amid rising tensions in the House.
Speaking on the floor of the house, Achakzai, who also heads an opposition party alliance TTAP, criticized the speaker for reacting to his speech a day earlier.
“You are the speaker and it is not your role to respond to our speeches,” Achakzai said, adding that he would respond to the speaker’s remarks within the framework of parliamentary decorum.
Referring to comments on one of his speeches, Achakzai said that he had delivered the speech in Pashto in Chaman and suggested that someone familiar with the language should be tasked with interpreting it.
“I had said that neither law nor justice is available and people should resolve their disputes through local jirgas and panchayats,” he said. Achakzai said his party would support the government if it worked for the welfare of poor people, but would oppose it if it resorted to repression.
“If you serve the poor, we will support you. If you shoot people and put them in jail, we will oppose you,” he said. In relation to the wider political situation, the opposition leader called for strengthening constitutionalism and democracy.
“If there really is a constitution and democracy in the country, let’s declare these judges national heroes who resigned in opposition to dictatorship,” he said.
He also suggested that judges sworn in under Provisional Constitutional Orders (PCOs) under military rule should be declared violators of the constitution.
“Let’s make a deal to liberate this parliament,” he added.
Achakzai said his criticism was not aimed at the armed forces and insisted he wanted to prevent the military from becoming controversial. He noted that if the establishment allowed parliament to function strictly in accordance with the constitution, he would publicly appreciate him.
He expressed disappointment at the speaker’s remarks during the previous meeting and warned against further provocation. “I was sorry for your comments yesterday as speaker. Don’t provoke us or you will face difficulties,” he said.
Responding to the opposition leader’s criticism, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq rejected claims that he had acted in violation of the constitution. He said he had left PTI in 1998 and joined PML-N on February 1, 2001 when the party was in opposition.
Meanwhile, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman urged both sides to exercise patience and avoid escalating tensions. “A lot of emotional statements have been made in Parliament. This is a time for tolerance and restraint,” he said.
Addressing the speaker directly, Fazl noted that he had also spoken emotionally during the previous meeting. “Speaker sahib, you also made emotional remarks yesterday which you should not have made,” he said.
