Senators condemn raid on Achakzai’s house

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in the Senate Monday blasted a raid on the house of presidential candidate and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai and alleged that this was done due to his recent speech in the National Assembly on supremacy of the Constitution and the Parliament, which displeased ‘certain people’.

At the very outset, as the House resumed after the two-day break, PkMAP Senator Shafiq Tareen was on his feet to strongly condemn the raid, cordoning off his house and apprehending his guard.

“Mehmood Khan Achakzai made a speech in the Parliament and talked about supremacy of the Parliament, the constitution and the rule of law, which someone couldn’t digest and his house was raided, cordoned off and his guard picked,” he charged.

He urged all other parties to support his party against this highly condemnable act, alleging it was a message that none should talk about democracy and whosoever would speak on the supremacy of the Parliament, the constitution and the rule of law, will face such raids.

Senator Tareen requested the deputy chairman to seek a report on the matter and unmask those, and take action against them. He said they would stage a walkout from the House after colleagues also express their views on this matter. However, the chair insisted that they should take up the agenda first, as a party member had already talked about it. But Tareen’s party Senator Abida Azeem took the floor and said what the state agencies did the previous night was totally wrong and an undemocratic action, which, she claimed, had caused a wave of anger across Balochistan.

She said those who did not talk about democracy and supremacy of the Constitution were endeared and those who talked would face similar action. Some senators thumped desks on her statement.

Senator Abida advocated for investigation and formation of a commission to expose those behind the raid. Tahir Bizenjo of National Party said words were not enough to condemn the incident and asked had Achakzai not been the presidential candidate, even then such raid would have been conducted. Again, members appreciated him by thumping desks.

He contended that Achakzai had not talked something new, as he had only talked about according respect to the vote, which PPP and PML-N had also been saying in the past. “Achakzai’s biggest sin is that he wants all the state institutions to remain within their constitutional ambit and desist from interfering in the other’s matters,” he pointed out.

Senator Bizenjo also said his other biggest sin was that he had never supported a dictator and had been part of the PPP and PML-N movements for democracy, supporting Mian Nawaz Sharif, when he faced a tough time.

Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi withdrew a controversial resolution seeking a ban on major social media platforms in the country to ‘save the young generation from their negative and devastating effects’. The resolution recommended a ban on Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Youtube.

The resolution claimed that social media platforms were adversely affecting the young generation and were being used for promotion of norms against ‘our religion and culture. Meanwhile, the House unanimously passed a resolution showing serious concern over the brutal attack of Israeli army on “innocent and unarmed” Palestinians who had gathered to receive aid including food supplies and medicine.

“This House strongly recommends and urges the international community to take action such that the siege of Gaza be lifted immediately and Muslims countries be allowed all access and cover for delivery of aid,” reads the resolution moved by the entire members of the Senate.