ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s offer of resignation from his post has started brewing a new crisis for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after the Panama scandal.
An important meeting of all political parties was held under the chairmanship of Ayaz Sadiq at the Parliament House over Thursday’s scuffle in the Lower House between government and opposition members. The meeting remained inconclusive, but there was a consensus that neither side should be allowed to hurl allegations against the other in the august House. Ayaz Sadiq, lamenting the “madness” that broke out during Thursday’s National Assembly session, requested both the government and opposition members to improve the assembly’s atmosphere and avoid such embarrassing incidents in the future. “What happened yesterday is regrettable. It was good neither for democracy nor for the sanctity of parliament,” the speaker said.
Both the parties were guilty of aggression, he said, adding that another meeting of parliamentary leaders would be held on Monday at 3pm to discuss a plan of action to avoid such incidents in the future.
Talking to the media, the NA speaker said that all members were unanimous on a point that Thursday’s incident had hurt the prestige of parliament. The NA speaker acknowledged that he had extended an offer to the opposition parties to tender his resignation. He said that he was ready to send his resignation to the premier if the political parties had any objection over his speakership, or they were not satisfied with his conduct. However, the opposition members expressed confidence in him, he said.
Sadiq said that the membership of Shehryar Afridi had been suspended by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and had it been in his knowledge he would have never allowed the NA session to go on in his presence.
The parliamentary leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z), Jamhoori Watan Party, Pakistan Awami Muslim League and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, and ministers and state ministers of the ruling party attended the meeting.
However, absence of opposition leader Khurshid Shah was a major source of concern for the PML-N ministers and the NA speaker. Sources said that the ministers and Ayaz Sadiq tried to contact Khurshid Shah umpteen times but no positive response was received.
PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PPP leader Naveed Qamar and Sheikh Rashid strongly criticised the NA speaker, and at one point harsh words were exchanged, but the speaker remained silent. The parliamentary leaders of other parties also criticised the NA speaker, saying that they were not being given an opportunity to speak on calling attention notices, privilege motions and points of order. However, Naveed Qamar and Shah Mehmood Qureshi calmed the situation.
Meanwhile, the PTI on Friday submitted a privilege motion against PML-N lawmakers, including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Mian Mannan and Capt Safdar, over Thursday’s brawl in parliament.
The motion, signed by 23 PTI MNAs, has been submitted in the National Assembly Secretariat. The party stated in the motion that the PML-N lawmakers physically moved towards the opposition side and abused them during the NA session.
