Rumpus in Senate as PTI protests Imran’s detention
• House condemns India’s Aug 5 action in held Kashmir, Haniyeh’s murder
• Shouting match between PTI & PML-N forces chair to adjourn session
ISLAMABAD: The Senate witnessed a rumpus on Monday with the opposition PTI demanding an immediate release of party chairman Imran Khan, who completed one year behind bars on Aug 5.
Members from both sides of aisle chanted slogans against each other.
The uproar dominated the house as Leader of Opposition Shibli Faraz slammed Mr Khan’s “illegal” detention while speaking on a resolution to condemn the Aug 5 illegal actions of India in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The noisy situation compelled Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani to adjourn the house without taking up most of agenda items.
During Mr Shibli’s speech, the PTI senators, who wore black armbands and carried Mr Khan’s portraits, raised slogans ‘release Imran Khan’, ‘give justice’, ‘mandate thieves’ and ‘prime minister Imran Khan’.
In response, the ruling PML-N lawmakers rose in their seats raising slogans ‘prime minister Nawaz Sharif’ and accusing the PTI leader of being corrupt.
As Mr Shibli raised Mr Khan’s detention after being granted permission to speak on the Kashmir resolution moved by PTI Parliamentary Leader Syed Ali Zafar, ex-chairman of Senate Farooq H. Naek objected to discussing matters not relevant to the resolution.
Chairman Gilani, however, allowed the opposition leader to speak.
Soon after condemning Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination and India’s illegal actions in occupied Kashmir, Mr Faraz said “fake” cases had been instituted against Imran Khan and called the cipher, Toshakhana and iddat cases “shameful”. He then came down hard on the government’s economic policies calling it inefficient and corrupt.
In response to slogans ‘prime minister Nawaz Sharif’, he stated that the former PM had gone into hiding after giving people the slogan of “vote ko izzat do”.
Kashmir, Haniyeh resolutions
Earlier, the house unanimously passed the resolution demanding India must release the Kashmiri political prisoners, halt human rights violations, and implement the UNSC resolutions to enable the Kashmiris to determine their future through a fair plebiscite.
The house “confirms that we will continue to raise our voice against injustice and oppression until the Kashmiri people achieve their inalienable right to self-determination,” reads the resolution.
The house unanimously passed another resolution, moved by Palwasha Khan, expressing grief over Mr Haniyeh’s martyrdom.
The house condemned unprovoked Israeli bombing in Beirut and the recent killing of hundreds of civilians in Palestine.
“The Senate strongly recommends that all countries, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and particularly Muslim countries unite to counter and restrain Israel’s terrorist agenda,” it read.
Condemning Israeli and Indian war crimes, PPP’s parliamentary leader Sherry Rehman called on the world to stop the genocide in occupied Palestine and Kashmir. She said, “Heart-wrenching images of children and women from Palestine are emerging. We have not witnessed such genocide in our lifetime.”
About Mr Haniyeh’s killing, she said, “Had it happened in any European country, the world would have responded differently.”
Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2024