ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has termed the outgoing National Assembly as the “worst assembly” for passing government bills that facilitated the government and did not provide relief to the people.
Abbasi’s comments came during his farewell speech in the lower house of parliament on Wednesday.
Emphasizing that not a single piece of legislation in the last five years was meant to facilitate the people, he said: “You look at the legislative record of five years and you will see that all the government bills The aim was not to provide relief to people.”
He further said that it is a matter of shame for everyone because today people have lost faith in the government system which can be restored not by meaningless legislation but by actions.
He said that 10 more years are needed to turn the country’s economy around and everyone is responsible for it. He said that a truth commission can be formed to find out who did what to the country. .
The former prime minister pointed out that several MPs today cornered the home minister for his signatures on government licences. He asked why this process could not be streamlined.
“People say all MLAs are corrupt and we show that they are right,” he said, pointing out that 40 to 53 private members’ bills were passed in the National Assembly in a matter of days.
He said that this raises questions on the credibility of the members of the house.
Addressing the chair, Abbasi said that the Speaker is considered to be the custodian of the reputation and dignity of the House and he should have stopped this practice.
He said that the dignity of the House was at stake, adding that there was an impression that parliamentarians come and go here to loot billions of rupees. He urged the chair and members of the National Assembly to take care of the dignity of the House.
He also questioned whether parliamentarians pay taxes or not while parliament has the power to approve taxation on the people.
He questioned how Parliament could tax the people when they themselves did not pay taxes. He said that it is not leadership that you do not pay taxes but impose on the people.
He said that when a member leaves Parliament House with security and more than 10 private employees with taxes worth crores of rupees, the question arises whether he pays his taxes or not.
Abbasi said that the government is running on loans at 24 percent interest and the same goes for defense expenditure and functioning of parliament.
Stating that elected representatives are not asked about taxes, the former prime minister said he remained in NAB custody but was never asked whether he paid taxes or not.
He said that even in the previous regime, the dignity of the House was irreparably damaged when the detained member was not produced.
He recalled that in the previous regime, every unparliamentary act was committed and foul language was used in the House.
Later, the speaker adjourned the meeting of the National Assembly. The joint session of Parliament, which was scheduled to be held at 5.30 pm on Thursday, was also postponed.
