Opposition will approach SC for adjudication of House proceedings, warns Khawaja Asif

PML-N leader Khawaja Asif warned on Friday that the opposition would approach the Supreme Court for a legal interpretation of the Constitution to decide whether the government’s measure to pass bills without holding a debate agreed with the law.

"If we (the opposition) do not receive justice from this House, we will be forced to knock on the door of the neighboring building and ask for an interpretation of the Constitution," Asif said during today's National Assembly session. He was referring to the Supreme Court building, which is next to the House of Parliament.

The former defense minister lamented the "total disregard" of the government's opposition reservations about the proposed laws and said: "A person who comes to power through free and fair elections, […] He would never sit in this seat and do what was done here yesterday. This house is ashamed. "

Yesterday, the session of the lower house of parliament began after Prime Minister Imran Khan held a meeting of the Pakistani parliamentary committee Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in the House of Parliament, where he ordered the legislators of his party to approve all bills, especially the one intended to replace the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) with the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC). The prime minister remained in his chamber in the House of Parliament until the session of the lower house was suspended until today.

Vice President Qasim Suri passed the 11 ordinances in such a hurry that legislators were not given time to hold a proper debate on them. He turned a deaf ear to the members of the opposition who belonged to all the main opposition parties, who broke copies of the bills, threw them toward the vice president and converged on the speaker's podium.

The opposition rejected the approval of the ordinances and described it as "unconstitutional" and promised to file a motion of distrust against the vice president.

During his speech at today's assembly, Asif warned that "democracy would be ruined" if the government maintained this attitude. The PML-N leader also criticized the members of the ruling party and said: "It is because of this naivety that Niazi sahib you have to listen to teasing. "

He also said that the rapid approval of the bills by the assembly was not a "good omen."

"Our federation cannot survive without democracy," said Asif. "Democracy is the only relationship that has held this federation together."

He urged the president of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser, to "become a defender of democracy and the supremacy of the House" instead of a single party.

It also required the PTI to account for the funds it allegedly received from other countries.

"These thieves have been caught today […] They took money from the Indians. There is evidence [that] the money was taken through offshore companies, "he said while the members of the treasure banks protested.

The Electoral Commission of Pakistan (ECP) formed a scrutiny committee to conduct an audit of PTI funding sources after Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of the party, filed a complaint alleging that the party had illegally raised about $ 3 million through two offshore companies. , and that the money was sent through illegal channels in the Middle East to certain "PTI employees" accounts.

PTI has challenged the ECP order in the High Court of Islamabad.

Previously, Defense Minister Pervez Khattak had accused the opposition of "not obeying the law."

"They (opposition parties) talk about democracy [but] they are not even ready to listen, "Khattak said, adding that opposition parties should convince Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to" come to the table "to resolve their complaints.

The session was adjourned until Saturday.

Request for motion of no confidence filed

After the session was closed, opposition leaders filed a resolution of no confidence against Vice President Suri under Article 53 (7) (c) of the Constitution. According to the resolution, Suri "violated the Rules of Procedure and Business Conduct of 2007 and lost the confidence of the majority of the Chamber."

Article 53 (7) (c) of the Constitution says: "The office of the President or Vice President shall be vacant if he is removed from office by a resolution of the Assembly, which has been notified at least seven days in advance. and that it is approved by the votes of the majority of the total members of the Assembly. "

A motion was also filed in accordance with Rule 12 (removal of the speaker or vice president) of the Rules and Business Procedure and Conduct, 2007.