Democracy can be noisy and messy. However, when PTI and PML-Q lawmakers abused, attacked and injured Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari to keep him from carrying out his parliamentary and court-mandated responsibilities, they crossed all limits. It is not enough to condemn the unprecedented violence perpetrated by the PTI-PML-Q lawmakers; those involved should be given exemplary punishment.
The shameful events, which included the alleged help provided to lawmakers by some assembly staffers to smuggle lotas and banners into the House, indicate that the violence was premeditated, and that the PTI, and the only ally it is now left with, in their desperation, had planned to subvert the election process and delay the defeat of their candidate Chaudhry Pervez Elahi who was aiming for the top job in the province. In reaction, some PML-N members too lost their cool.
Sadly, given the dangerous narrative that had been building up, disorder in the Punjab Assembly could not have been ruled out.
And yet, no one could have anticipated the level of hooliganism that was on display.
During the scuffle in the House, speaker and coalition candidate for the chief minister slot Parvez Elahi suffered an injury to his arm while deputy speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari was slapped and dragged from his hair.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a tweet said: “PTI/PMLQ MPAs attack on Dy Speaker inside Punjab Assembly must be condemned in strongest terms possible.
This blatant display of violence & hooliganism is fascism, pure & simple.
IK’s desperation & incitement to violence is rupturing our society. He is attacking democracy itself.”
Political parties have condemned violence in the Punjab Assembly during the election of the chief minister.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said: “Attack on deputy speaker Punjab is not only an attack on the Punjab assembly, it’s an attack on our courts who had ruled he conduct elections today, an attack on our democracy, an attack on our constitution, an attack on our federation and an attack on the people of South Punjab.”
Having said that, some words of censure must be reserved for the new government.
With Shehbaz Sharif ruling in Islamabad and his son in Pakistan’s largest province, what kind of message is being conveyed to the public? Clearly, such concentration of power means that, even after three terms in government, the PML-N leadership is still not ready to repose its trust in party leaders who are not family members.
Sadly, given the dangerous narrative that had been building up, disorder in the Punjab Assembly could not have been ruled out. And yet, no one could have anticipated the level of hooliganism that was on display.
