PML-N goes overboard in protest against PPP in Pak parliament

Islamabad, April 21(ANI): Pakistan's parliament witnessed the noisiest demonstration to date by the country's largest opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N, as the Pakistan People's Party-led government seemed to seek cooperation of the PML-Q, the second major opposition party and a PML-N rival.

Acting Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi ordered deletion of some harsh slogans against President Asif Ali Zardari raised by PML-N lawmakers in a second period of slogan-chanting while storming out of the house after a strong anti-government tirade by opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who accused the government of failing to respond properly to the points he had repeatedly raised during the current session.

PML-N members Abid Sher Ali and Shakeel Ahmed Awan led most of the slogan-chanting over several issues, including the condemnation of the United States, the drone campaign against suspected militant hideouts in the tribal areas and increase in petroleum prices.

In their wordy duel, which was also joined by PPP Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira and PML-N member Khawaja Asif, the two sides traded charges and counter-charges relating to perceived benefits to the PPP leadership from the controversial Musharraf-era National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif's exile to Saudi Arabia in a deal with Musharraf, the delay in the restoration of sacked superior court judges, and nearly three-year association of the PPP with the PML-N-led Punjab government.

But all talks over these points were overshadowed by the severity of the PML-N slogan chanting, to which PPP chief whip and Religious Affairs Minister Khursheed Ahmed Shah responded with the most eloquent speech of the day.

If we start removing each other's clothes like this, then people of Pakistan will not forgive us," the Dawn quoted Shah, as saying as he called for strengthening parliament and recalled cooperation between the two main parties in the struggle against former President Pervez Musharraf's dictatorship.

While urging both sides to abstain from using foul language against each other's leaders, Shah said he offered his apologies if the other side had felt hurt by anything said by his party members.

Later, Chaudhry Nisar said that his party was ready to sit with the other side "even tomorrow" to frame a code of conduct on how they should behave in the House, and promised action by his party against its members if found having used abusive language. (ANI)