News Analysis |
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif blasted Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the National Assembly (NA) today for what he described as his insulting comments against the parliament. Imran Khan, in PAT’s protest rally in Lahore, said that he sends a ‘laanath’ on the parliament which elects a man disqualified by the court as the head of a party.
It will also prevent the Senate election and create a political crisis in the country. So, PML-N is trying to align themselves with the PPP by drawing a wedge between PPP and PTI.
Khawaja Asif also said that PTI never had the courage to resign from the parliament even in 2014. He claimed that senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi had personally requested the Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to not accept the resignations submitted by PTI members.
In fact in this specific context "laanath" is a mild word to use. If anyone disagrees, I challenge them to do a public poll on what ppl think of such a Parliament. I can guarantee most will condemn it. https://t.co/ZbaH06m1xt
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 18, 2018
The National Assembly (NA) passed a resolution today condemning Imran Khan and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed for their insulting comments regarding Parliament. PTI members wanted to clarify and give background of Imran Khan’s comments but Speaker, Ayaz Sadiq, in a surprising decision didn’t allow the PTI members to speak.
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In the same rally Sheikh Rasheed, chief of the Awami Muslim League (AML), had announced his possible resignation from the parliament and urged Imran Khan to also resign. Khan responded by saying that he’ll consult his party on this proposal of Sheikh Rasheed.
PML-N realizes that this is a real threat because PPP can dissolve the Sindh Assembly and resign from the National Assembly. PTI will quickly join them thus finishing off all the governments and creating a situation for early elections
In English, Imran Khan’s word ‘laanath’ translates to condemn so in English, Imran Khan is saying that he condemns the Parliament which actually sounds pretty benign but since he has used the Urdu expression of sending the ‘laanath’, the PML-N is basing their response on the use of the word ‘laanath’, agitating and blasting PTI for insulting the parliament.
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Interestingly, PPP has also condemned Imran Khan in the strongest terms for his comments about the Parliament. PPP co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted yesterday against Imran Khan’s comments, making it clear that PPP stands with the Parliament. The leader of the opposition Khursheed Shah spoke in the parliament today, reaffirming PPP’s full support to the parliament. He said, ‘har shakhs ke moun mein khaak who uses such derogatory words for the Parliament.’
The #PPP respects Parliament and will always respect Parliament. Cannot help the behaviour of others but will never endorse disrespecting Parliament.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) January 17, 2018
Political analysts believe that PTI was not serious about resigning from Parliament and nor did PML-N want them to resign. This debate around the Parliament after Imran Khan’s remarks has exposed a potential fault line between PPP and PTI.
He claimed that senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi had personally requested the Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to not accept the resignations submitted by PTI members.
Given the fact that a very important high level meeting took place today in Raiwind where Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif went to meet Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, it is believed that PML-N through its rhetoric and political maneuvering is trying to draw a wedge between PPP and PTI on the issue of the parliament in view of Imran Khan’s comments.
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The reason is that the PML-N is in panic after the brief hint of Asif Ali Zardari that he can finish off the PML-N government whenever he wants. PML-N realizes that this is a real threat because PPP can dissolve the Sindh Assembly and resign from the National Assembly. PTI will quickly join them thus finishing off all the governments and creating a situation for early elections. It will also prevent the Senate election and create a political crisis in the country. So, PML-N is trying to align themselves with the PPP by drawing a wedge between PPP and PTI.