Pakistan Senate saw a heated debate on Monday after JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan refused to offer supplication for late former President Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf who passed away on Sunday.
Chairman Senator Sadiq Sanjrani asked Senator Mushtaq to lead the supplications for the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and the late Pervez Musharraf. Senator Mushtaq agreed to lead supplication for the earthquake victims but outright refused to do it for the late Pervez Musharraf.
His refusal triggered a heated debate between the senators from the ruling coalition and the opposition. Senators argued and hurled accusations against each other for supporting dictatorial regimes and violators of the Constitution in the senate session.
پرویزمشرف کےاجتماعی گناہ معاف نہیں ہوسکتے۔انہوں نےقوم کےساتھ ظلم کیاہے۔وہ قوم کاغاصب ہے،سرٹیفائیڈ مجرم ہے۔آج خیبرپختونخوا/بلوچستان میں آگ اسکی وجہ سےہے۔2دفعہ آئین توڑاہے۔عدلیہ پرشب خون ماراہے۔ایسےلوگوں کیخلاف توبعدازموت سزائیں ہوئی ہیں
پرویزمشرف کےلیے@SenatePakistanمیں دعانہیں کی pic.twitter.com/fPi4V2SYYk— Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan | سینیٹر مشتاق احمد خان (@SenatorMushtaq) February 6, 2023
Opposition leader in Senator Shehzad Waseem had moved the Senate for supplication prayer supported by members of other parties. Senator Mushtaq’s refusal triggered pandemonium in the Senate.
“Mr. Chairman, I will offer Fateha prayer for (the victims of) the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, not for Pervez Musharraf,” said Senator Mushtaq Ahmed.
Read more: Understanding Pakistan as a responsible nuclear state
In the ongoing heated exchange, some reminded Senator Mushtaq that his party once supported the military ruler.
Waseem, hitting out at the Senator who refused to pray, said that it is astonishing that people who benefitted from his National Reconciliation Order (NRO) do not even want to say a prayer for the former president. “Both parties in the government took the NRO from Musharraf and he was fine at the time when they took the oath with black bands,” he recalled.
Leading politicians expressed their views on Twitter as well. Maula Bux Chandio of PPP supported the view of not offering prayers for President Musharraf whereas Senator Faisal Javed Khan denounced the action and said that the present government is busy targeting journalists and media freedom that former President General Pervez Musharraf brought into the country.