ISLAMABAD: Opposition on Tuesday walked out of National Assembly session over restrictions to telecast the budget speeches of the members over the PTV. Opposition leader Khursheed Shah, on a point of order, first criticized the government by reciting a poetic verse, then warned Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq to air budget speeches live to ensure opposition’s participation. The opposition walked out of NA under the leadership of Khursheed Shah, and bashed government in media talk afterwards. The opposition members said that people become strong by empowering parliament, and it should be the center of all politics and leaders.
Later Khursheed Shah announced to boycott the National Assembly session and to hold the next parliament session outside the parliament. Talking to media outside the parliament house Khursheed Shah said, “Opposition is steadfast on its demand that its budget speech should be given live coverage.”
Chairman Senate has set the right example in this regard. If opposition’s speech in the Senate is broadcasted live then why not in the National Assembly? He asked. All opposition parties will gather outside the parliament tomorrow, he said, adding that “we will discuss all those issues which we are not supposed to raise inside the assembly.” On this, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s MNA Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that government members are acting a bit ‘foolish’. They are coming in way of their own government, he added. “This is the same opposition leader (Khursheed Shah) they praised in 2014. Why don’t they like him now?” Qureshi remarked. Criticising the government, Qureshi said that when farmers take to the streets to demand their rights then they are baton-charged. Preventing the opposition from expressing its view point on budget is indicative of government’s unsuccessfulness and helplessness.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Sheikh Salahuddin remarked that opposition leader should play an independent role. While, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sahibzada Tariq Ullah said that the government has once again fallen in its own trap. “Opposition has the right to unite over one topic.” Responding to remarks of the opposition members, Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain said that Khursheed Shah has played an integral role in raising different issues. “However, I don’t know what has happened that his behaviour changed over time.” Pakistan Peoples Party never broadcasted the opposition leader’s speech live then why are they demanding it now? “We had more members then in the opposition, but we never created problems for anyone.” During his speech, the opposition members created commotion and started chanting slogans. INP