By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers returned to the National Assembly on Tuesday, a day after boycotting proceedings over the conviction of party leaders in the May 9 riots, enabling the passage of five bills and the introduction of 16 others, including a historic proposal to carve out a new province in Punjab.
The return followed a tumultuous Monday session where PTI members staged a noisy protest and walked out, denouncing the convictions of party leaders linked to the riots that erupted after the arrest of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan.
The unrest, marked by attacks on public property, has deepened the country’s political divide. Tuesday’s sitting began with renewed friction. Led by Asad Qaiser, PTI lawmakers walked out again after Speaker Ayaz Sadiq rejected their request to move a privilege motion against authorities for denying them access to Khan, who remains incarcerated at Adiala Jail.
As PTI members exited the hall, chanting slogans, Sadiq offered to mediate talks between the opposition and the government, a role he said he had played successfully in the past. “I have facilitated government-opposition talks before, but it was the opposition, not the government, that withdrew from the process,” Sadiq said, urging PTI to propose two representatives for negotiations.
He named Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, and veteran PPP lawmaker Syed Naveed Qamar to represent the government. The opposition requested time for internal consultations before responding. Sadiq stressed dialogue as the path to resolving political tensions. “Put this before the government as your demand,” he told PTI lawmakers, suggesting they make access to Khan a condition for talks.
The speaker rebuffed the privilege motion, arguing it was inapplicable unless lawmakers faced obstacles in their parliamentary duties. PTI’s Aamir Dogar countered that denying five lawmakers access to Khan constituted a breach of privilege. Qaiser also protested the exclusion of his private member’s bill, which seeks to grant civilians convicted by military courts the right to appeal in a high court.
Law Minister Tarar acknowledged the bill was under review by the law ministry. “The government could also bring a similar bill,” he said, adding, “Dialogue is the beauty of democracy.” He warned that confrontation would yield no results and urged politicians to resolve issues themselves.
Despite the walkout, PTI lawmakers, including Riaz Fatyana, returned to move their bills, prompting surprise from Sadiq. “We staged a token walkout and returned with the party’s permission,” Fatyana explained.
The assembly passed five bills, including the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the National Institute of Health (Re-organisation) (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Acid and Burn Crime Bill, 2024; the Reservation of Special Seats for Deserving Persons in Universities Bill, 2024; and the Zakat and Ushr (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Many of these had already cleared the Senate. Sixteen bills were introduced, including a groundbreaking constitutional amendment proposing a new province, “West Punjab,” comprising Faisalabad and Sahiwal divisions.
The proposal marks a first in Pakistan’s parliament, which has long debated creating South Punjab and Hazara provinces. Other bills included the Public Interest Disclosures (Amendment) Bill, the Guardians and Wards (Amendment) Bill, the Prevention of Obscenity and Indecency in Digital Media Bill, and the Multi-Vendor Electricity Distribution Bill.
In a related development, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday ordered the confiscation of properties belonging to PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudry, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, a day after their conviction in two May 9 riot cases.
On Monday, ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill sentenced the four to 10 years in prison for the Shadman police station attack and the burning of police vehicles near Jinnah House, fining each Rs600,000. PTI leaders Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed received five-year sentences in the Shadman case. The court acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the same cases.
On Tuesday, Judge Gill ordered Qureshi’s release, stating, “If Shah Mehmood Qureshi is not wanted in any other case, then he should be released.” However, Qureshi remains in custody due to other pending May 9 cases. Last month, the Lahore ATC acquitted Qureshi but sentenced Rashid, Chaudry, Cheema, and others to 10 years for violence on Sherpao Bridge.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
