ISLAMABAD: Expressing concern over the prevailing tense situation in the country due to terrorism and religious intolerance, opposition parties slammed the federal government on Monday for its “poor handling” of protesters who had parlaysed normal life in the capital through their sit-in in front of the Parliament House building.

“This is mishandling. This is the federal capital and they (the rulers) need to secure it,” PPP Vice-President Senator Sherry Rehman said, adding that opposition parties would raise the matter during the next session of the National Assembly and the joint sitting of parliament.

Talking to Dawn, Ms Rehman said that the government had taken the decision to call in the army to secure the Red Zone very late when protesters had already played havoc in streets.

The PPP leader regretted that Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had been missing from the scene for the past two days.

“You can’t have the capital under siege like this. It sends a wrong message to the nation as well as to the international community,” she said.

Awami National Party (ANP) leader Afrasiab Khattak also expressed concern over the situation and over the role of law-enforcement agencies in dealing with the situation.

“For peaceful protesters, the LEAs are rough and tough, but the crowd of fascists is welcome to keep judiciary and the parliament under the siege. Hard and soft state,” said Mr Khattak in his brief comment on a social media.

Earlier in the day, five PPP lawmakers submitted an adjournment motion to the National Assembly Secretariat, seeking a discussion on the prevailing situation with a particular reference to the protest march and sit-in by activists of religious parties in Islamabad.

Drawing “immediate attention of the government, especially the minister for interior towards deteriorating law and order situation in the country in general and in Islamabad in particular,” the PPP members termed the situation a “serious threat to life and property of the people living in Islamabad and adjacent areas”.

“The life in the capital city has been brought to a standstill due to sheer negligence of the government which has remained unable to maintain law and order in the city,” the motion said.

“The government has failed to make sufficient prior security arrangements despite knowing the intensity of events. Such security lapses on the part of the government are highly intolerable and needs to be questioned. This is a very sensitive matter of grave concern and needs immediate attention,” the PPP lawmakers said while seeking a debate on the issue.

The motion carries signatures of lawmakers Shazia Mari, Dr Nafisa Shah, Mir Aijaz Jakhrani, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Makhdoom Mustafa Mehmood.

Meanwhile, President Mamnoon Hussain has summoned the National Assembly session on April 7, according to an official announcement made by the National Assembly Secretariat on Monday.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2016