J K News Today Commentary
Jammu
The National Assembly of Pakistan set a precedent that violated all definitions of democracy and parliamentary practices , and the manner in which the treasury benches muzzled the voice of opposition amply demonstrated hollowness of Islamabad’s sermons on civil liberties and right to dissent .
Such were the scenes relayed by the TV channels in which the lawmakers used budget documents as weapons and used the unspeakable expletives to score over one another , made the seasoned diplomats and journalists to say that they have not seen anything like this .
Pakistan’s noted diplomat and columnist Maleeha Lodhi while commenting on one such video from the National Assembly observed put up by prominent journalist Khurram Hussain that she had not seen “ all these years.”
There have been ugly scenes in various parliaments , but what happened in Pakistan’s National Assembly was unprecedented and the ugliest . This speaks the way Pakistan’s “ democracy” functions and how its lawmakers behave.
The problem is more than what cameras captured and relayed onto the TV screens , making people in Pakistan ashamed of their elected representatives . This strategy , as written by Pakistani newspaper was devised by budget cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The newspaper wrote ,” However, surprising it may sound, the decision to give the opposition a tough time was taken during the meeting of the federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, as confirmed by the Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry in the post-cabinet meeting press briefing.”
The newspaper also revealed what happened inside the National Assembly ,” Lawmakers stooped too low on Tuesday as they used foul language and threw budget books at the opponents; creating scenes of rumpus in the National Assembly on Tuesday that made the lower house of parliament look like a fish market.
It was second consecutive day when the treasury benches tried to muzzle the voice of opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, who was to deliver his speech on the federal budget. The rumpus left at least one lawmaker and several sergeants at arms injured.
Right from outset of the session, treasury members gathered around the opposition leader’s desk, blowing whistles; using foul language against the opposition. They also used budget books as weapons despite continual intervention from a helpless speaker.”
When tit for tat approach becomes a norm in the legislature, democracy dies .
