ISLAMABAD: The combined opposition on Thursday disrupted the joint sitting of parliament during President Mam­noon Hussain’s final address, boycotting the session to lodge their protest against the government’s “dictatorial attitude”.

Fuming over the government’s refusal to allow live coverage of opposition leaders’ speeches on the budget, leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) gathered in front of the speaker’s podium alongside legislators from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), chanting anti-government slogans and tearing up copies of the president’s speech.

The treasury benches, however, showed a great deal of restraint and simply responded to the opposition’s din by loudly thumping their desks on cue to applaud the president’s speech.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also remained unfazed by the opposition’s hue and cry, preferring to listen to the president’s speech through a pair of headphones. But thanks to the protesting lawmakers, the first part of the president’s speech was inaudible in the press galleries.

Opposition lawmakers tear up copies of speech

The pandemonium in the National Assembly was also witnessed by a large number of foreign diplomats and dignitaries: the four governors — Iqbal Zafar Jhagra (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Khan Achakzai (Balochistan), Mohammad Zubair (Sindh) and Rafiq Rajwana (Punjab) — Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Naval Chief Admiral Mohammad Zakaullah and Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman.

From the provinces, only the Balochistan chief minister was in attendance.

The session began after a delay of 50 minutes. As they waited for the president to arrive, opposition members led by Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah and Shah Mehmood Qureshi began beating their desks.

When Prime Minister Nawaz Shaif and President Mamnoon Hussain entered the assembly hall, they were greeted by a barrage of anti-government slogans. Some opposition members were also holding posters and placards bearing slogans such as ‘KP ko bijli do’ and ‘Fata residents are also Pakistanis’.

PTI’s Shireen Mazari and independent MNA Jamshed Dasti tore up copies of the president’s speech and threw them towards the speaker’s dais.

Mr Dasti, who was in the front line, managed to grab the attention of the house by loudly catcalling and whistling through his fingers. He also raised a slogan against the president.In the press galleries, meanwhile, all eyes were on the army chief. But despite the rumpus in the house, Gen Bajwa and the other services chiefs maintained a poker face. They keenly observed the opposition’s exit from the house, but did not betray any emotion.

After raising a right din, the united opposition — except the Muttahidda Qaumi Movement — boycotted the joint sitting and left the assembly hall, allowing the president to complete the rest of his speech undisturbed.

The address, incidentally, was said to be far shorter than his earlier speeches to the joint sitting of parliament.

Following the session, opposition leaders took to the media dais outside Parliament House, where they told reporters the government had offered the opposition two hours of time on PTV for their speeches, provided the opposition did not create any disturbance during the president’s address.

“The offer was made as the president arrived in the house, giving us no time to consider it,” said Mr Shah.

He said that despite the opposition’s protest, which began on Thursday, and their parallel budget session outside the parliament building on Wednesday, the government had not given any relief to the protesters.

The opposition leader accused the president of painting a rosy picture of the government and covering its misdeeds. “The president wrongly said that the country’s exports have gone up in the last fiscal year. They actually declined by $6 billion (from $25 to $19 billion),” Mr Shah said.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the president was the custodian of the Constitution and the state, but he had failed to check the government’s misdeeds.

Jamaati-i-Islami (JI) emir Sirajul Haq said the president had failed to enforce the promised reforms merging Fata with KP.

PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan demanded a judicial probe into a news story that alleged that the Supreme Court registrar had tried to influence the heads of the State Bank of Pakistan and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) into nominating particular officials to the joint investigation team.

But decrying the opposition’s protest, Railway Ministers Khawaja Saad Rafiq told reporters: “We were not expecting this from the opposition; we were even ready to give them live coverage on PTV,” he said.

He said the opposition had sent a negative message to the whole world by creating pandemonium in the house, which was witnessed by a large number of foreign diplomats and other dignitaries.

President’s speech

In his speech, President Mamnoon Hussain — by and large — praised the government’s policies and performance, but also pointed out some shortcomings in the power, education and tourism sectors, as well as on the foreign policy front.

“Over the last few years, our exports have been facing problems due to a decrease in prices in the international market. I hope the Ministry of Commerce shall look for a permanent and effective solution to this issue with the help of experts,” he said.

He said agriculture was considered the backbone of our economy. “It is, therefore, necessary to take continuous steps for the development of the agriculture sector and for the betterment of farmers,” he said.

The energy crisis, he said, had severely dented the country’s economy, but no serious work had been done on this in the past.

About tourism, the president said: “I hope the government will pay prompt attention towards this as a large number of tourists from across the world are expected in the wake of improving law and order situation in the country.”

He said Pakistan invited the comity of nations, particularly its neighbours, to agree on the fundamental principle of economic cooperation, which could lead to ending of regional tensions.

On relations with India, the president said Pakistan wanted to resolve all disputes with India through dialogue, but regretted that Pakistan’s overtures had not been reciprocated. “ Instead, the situation has been exacerbated by India by promoting subversive acts of espionage and disruption in the region, which is evident from the arrest and confessional statement of an Indian spy,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2017