Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was condemned in the Senate for allegedly supporting the Taliban and trying to open offices to revive them in the country.
During the proceedings on Monday, the senators wanted to know why Paigam Pakistan and National Action Plan were not implemented but abandoned during the PTI government. Pakistan People’s Party Senator Palusha Muhammad Zai, in a scathing speech at a public venue, slammed the PTI chairman for allegedly supporting militants. He asked in his hard-hitting speech, which was blocked by some PTI legislators, including two PTI women members, “Who settled the terrorists in a systematic plan?”
He pointed out that the PPP and PMLN governments were fighting militants and criticized the PTI leadership, which said “these terrorists are our brothers” and refused to negotiate with them. Later “they should be mainstreamed”.
The senator said that how close Imran was to him can be gauged from the fact that the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) nominated him as its representative for negotiations with the then government. He also criticized Leader of Opposition Senator Dr. Shehzad Wasim’s speech earlier and said that it was Imran Khan who told the world in an interview to foreign media on September 16, 2021 that he should do something to the Taliban. Give time. To prove their credentials on human rights.
He lamented that 70,000 Pakistanis and LEA personnel laid down their lives when Imran Khan made these remarks and also supported Harbiar Murri and spoke against the country’s armed forces in the London court. of
The PPP lawmaker noted that PTI has never condemned any kind of terrorism and pointed out that when Imran Khan was the prime minister, militants returned to Pakistan and should tell them that these terrorists Who settled in the country? On the issue of audio leaks, he said phone calls should not be recorded on personal matters but on matters related to national security.
Syed Waqar Mehdi, in his first speech after being sworn in as a senator, also criticized the PTI chairman and claimed that terrorists were supported and encouraged during the previous government’s tenure. However, he added that a terrorist cannot be good in any form because a terrorist is a terrorist, but Imran Khan’s position has been that a terrorist can be good or bad.
He also said that “Imran Khan’s name was included in the representative committee that the Taliban had formed in the past to negotiate with the government of Pakistan.” Senator Mehdi said that after the recent terrorist incident in Peshawar, the government had decided to call an all-party conference, but Imran himself refused to participate in the conference, which is tantamount to encouraging terrorists.
He said that terrorism is a national problem but Imran Khan is not interested in this issue of national importance. Then, referring to the high-level committees set up to deal with terrorism, he asked “how many meetings of these committees were held by the governments of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan?”
During the Private Members’ Day proceedings, the aristocracy was also accused of “grabbing former national resources” and causing poverty and social and moral degradation in society as a result of its lavish lifestyle.
Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmad, while expressing his motion, warned against the “increasing sale and purchase of alcoholic beverages, their consumption at dangerous levels and the issue of crime arising from it in the country”. Action should be taken before it is too late. He claimed that alcoholism was a disease of the elite which was spreading rapidly throughout the society resulting in a rapid rise in crime rate.
Referring to Article 31 of the Constitution and Quranic orders, he said that instead of creating a favorable environment for its citizens to live according to Islam, the state is doing things contrary to it and the state is not fulfilling its responsibility.
Quaid-e-Azam during his brief tenure after the creation of Pakistan banned alcohol, established the State Bank of Pakistan to abolish usury and established the Department of Reconstruction.
The JI MLA explained how the state provided “facility” to the elite class, with examples such as the Islamabad Guns Club being given 72 acres of land free of charge, and that he also posed a question. , which was referred to a House committee. Worried by the chair.
He further said that Islamabad Club consists of 272 acres of land which was allotted at the rate of Rs.1 per acre and similarly Pakistan Golf Federation has 150 acres of land which was allotted to them at the rate of Rs.2.50 per square feet. is given
He questioned how liquor is being smuggled into Pakistan in the presence of Coast Guard, FC, Customs and other agencies.
Later, speaking on a point of public importance, Senator Mushtaq lamented that terrorists were free to strike all over the country, from Peshawar Police Lines to Karachi Police, and even “Red “Zones” are also unsafe.
“The poor nation spends Rs 3000 billion on army, intelligence agencies, police and judiciary, yet the menace of terrorism is not being tackled, and 2.1 lakh cases are pending in courts while judges are involved in political maneuvers. found involved”. he noted.
He insisted that a meeting of the Senate Committee of the Whole should be convened and the military leadership, ISI, DGs of Military Intelligence and other relevant persons should be invited to find a way out. Otherwise, he added, the Senate is becoming a mere debating club. He expressed regret that Paigam Pakistan and National Action Plan are not being implemented despite widespread support.
Minister of State for Law Shahadat Awan, reacting to his speech, said that there are laws related to import, production, transportation and smuggling of liquor and it is a crime. He said that these laws were in place and were being implemented.
Immediately after the recitation of the Holy Quran, Leader of the Opposition Dr Shahzad Wasim said that the threat of terrorism and the challenges facing the economy are increasing, following the release of audio and video tapes which are available in the market on the occasion. And need.
He also referred to the recent audio tape of senior PTI leader Dr. Yasmin Rashid and said that even the safe line of the Prime Minister is not safe. He lamented that the status of Article 04 and related laws is no more than a piece of paper. “Under what law is all this happening?” There is no check and balance,” he replied.
The Leader of the Opposition said that the government circus was going on, he came down on the ministers and said that they were on freedom of speech, and the defense minister had said that the country was bankrupt. He lamented that the government is focused on its rivals and issues like terrorism and economy are not on its priority list.
During the accusations in the House, Senator Nisar Ahmad Khoro of People’s Party asked who used to speak in support of terrorists and who used to blackmail him by taking the video tape of NAB Chairman. Stop talking about constitution and law. Who will ever say that they and I are on the same page? He made remarks and asked the opposition to think.
He wondered why he (Imran) was criticizing those who forced him to choose one, and why he was making such a fuss that he was no longer alive.
Another PPP lawmaker, Bahramand Tangi, lamented that the opposition leaders were now complaining about the audio leak while Imran Khan had earlier forced the NAB to act on his orders. He alleged that when it was in government, PTI recorded the phones of the heads of the institutions and threatened and blackmailed them.
During the legislative session, PTI Senator Zeeshan Khanzada’s bill to shift the State Bank of Pakistan to Islamabad was rejected by a head count, as 11 were in favor and 17 against.
Similarly, BAP Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri also faced stiff resistance from the treasury benches against the bill to amend the Benazir Income Support Act to increase the support funds keeping in line with the inflation rate and she was on the 17th. The contest was lost by 22 votes.
However, Saleem Mandviwala of the People’s Party assured the protesting senator that his intentions were good and a revised bill could be brought to the House, as it is in its current form, it cannot be taken up.
A bill to further amend the Civil Servants Act, 1973 [Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2023] introduced by Senators Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Hidayatullah, Zeeshan Khanzada and Dilawar Khan was referred to the relevant committee for consideration. was Report: The bill aims to prohibit government employees from continuing to work after retirement, depriving talented and deserving people and using tactics that cause brain drain (such as extending re-employment and getting jobs through different projects). have to do
