ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Friday erupted into a chaos due to a verbal clash between the opposition and treasury members over the treatment of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader and former prime minister Imran Khan, with former alleging that Mr Khan was being denied basic facilities and the latter claiming that he was getting a preferential treatment inside the prison and enjoying luxurious conditions “akin to a five-star hotel”.

The opposition members lodged a strong protest and started raising vociferous slogans when first Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal and then PML-N MNA Hanif Abbasi in their hard-hitting speeches narrated the ordeal of their sufferings under the Imran-led PTI government, alleging that Mr Khan was making a hue and cry only to secure a deal.

The house witnessed a rumpus when during the speech of Mr Abbasi, members from both sides of the aisle started sloganeering against each other, compelling Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to immediately adjourn the sitting till Monday evening. The house could not take up any of the 18-point agenda, except the question hour that too remained suspended for nearly half an hour due to a lack of quorum.

House fails to take up any of the 18-point agenda, except the question hour that remained suspended for 30 minutes

While speaking on a point of order, leader of opposition Omar Ayub Khan decried alleged maltreatment of PTI’s founding chairman Imran Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. He alleged that Mr Khan was not being allowed to meet his family and party leaders. He was not even being allowed to talk to his sons, who live abroad, over the phone, the PTI leader said.

He also highlighted the alleged humiliation of the party’s parliamentarians at the hands of the jail authorities and security personnel, stating that he and other PTI parliamentarians were not being allowed to meet their jailed leader. Besides, he asked the speaker to take notice of the humiliation they faced outside the jail, alleging that they had to wait for hours outside the Pindi prison.

In his speech, the opposition leader also highlighted ongoing protest by the employees of the Utility Stores Corporations over the government’s decision to close down the facility, the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan, the alleged political victimisation of PTI leaders and activists, and the damages caused by the recent spell of monsoon rains.

Omar Ayub also castigated the government over the slowdown of internet services calling it media curbs through enhanced surveillance. He asked the speaker to take action against the IT minister over the alleged perjury as during a meeting of the relevant committee, she had claimed that the internet services would be fully restored by August 26, which did not happen.

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He also regretted that the authorities allegedly had put restrictions on the pressers by Baloch activists, including Mahrang Baloch, at Quetta Press Club, and raised his voice against alleged enforced disappearances.

Responding to the opposition leader’s speech, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal asked Mr Khan to prove his innocence in the courts of law, instead of making a hue and cry before the media.

Mr Iqbal alleged the PTI founder was asking for an NRO-like relief. He said almost all senior PML-N leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, remained in jail and proved their innocence before the courts. He said the PTI leaders during their rule used to ask for receipts from the jailed PML-N leaders, but they were not able to provide the receipts the courts had been seeking in corruption cases.

He claimed the best possible facilities like that of a five-star hotel were available to Mr Khan in jail.

A number of PTI members, including the opposition leader, stood up and asked the speaker to give them the floor to respond to the minister’s assertion, but the speaker ignored them and gave floor to another firebrand PML-N MNA Hanif Abbasi.

However, he could not complete his speech due to a strong protest by PTI members over certain ‘personal’ remarks against Mr Khan. The opposition protested over the MNA’s allegation that ‘cocaine and heroin’ was being supplied to the jailed leader, forcing the speaker to expunge some of his assertions. However, it was not clear as to which remarks the speaker expunged and he did not explain it even when asked by Mr Abbasi.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2024