The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers returned to Parliament on Monday after almost seven months of absence from the National Assembly and provincial assemblies of Punjab and Sindh when its legislators resigned in protest against alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections. Earlier, party Chairman Imran Khan said that core committee of PTI has decided to join the session where PTI will play role as a formidable opposition. Khan made a return to the Parliament on the occasion of joint session convened by the government to debate Pakistan’s role in Yemen crisis.
Parliament’s special session on Yemen was abuzz with slogans of “go Imran go” as Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan, rejoined the house. When the session begun with Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in chair, some of the MNAs from ruling PML-N chanted slogans against PTI and its leader Imran Khan. The slogans also disrupted opening speech by Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly, Khursheed Shah, as speaker requested lawmakers to maintain order in the house.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that it was a constitutional responsibility to ask PTI members about their resignations. Asif further said that PTI should show some morals as they had been abusing the same Parliament they were part of. Aitzaz Ahsan said it was government who had brought PTI MNAs back to Parliament and government must show flexibility rather than pointing fingers at others. He questioned from defence minister that does he want by-elections to be held in 34 constituencies. MQM leader Dr. Farooq Sattar addressed the joint-session of Parliament and said the presence of ‘strangers’ (PTI) affected the constitutionality of the Parliament.
It is a crucial time in the history of the country. If PTI has taken a positive step by joining the Parliament, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should ask members of his party to remain calm during the proceedings of the Parliament.MQM and PTI might have an issue over NA-246 but other members must show some maturity and flexibility.