Asif calls for exhuming, hanging Ayub Khan’s body

ISLAMABAD: Reacting to opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan’s speech in the National Assembly on Monday, Defence Minister called for exhuming the body former president FM Ayub Khan and hanging it.

Omar, while kicking off debate on the presidential address in the National Assembly on Monday, said that anyone who suspended or abrogated the Constitution is guilty of high treason.

He said, “Right now Pakistan lacks true democracy, freedom of expression is very less, social media apps are blocked, media is under pressure.” He said that May 9 was made an excuse to victimise PTI founder, leaders and party workers.

The opposition while stressing that there is no real democracy rather fascism in the country and reiterated his demand for formation of judicial commission to probe May 9 episode.

The opposition leader pointed out that President Zardari talked about material damages on May 9 but, he said, that public and private properties worth Rs165 to Rs170 billion ($2 billion according to then exchange rate), were damaged in violence following assassination of Benazir Bhutto. “Whether any leader was arrested or any judicial commission was formed,” he asked.

He said that 63 railway stations, 149 bogies and 29 locomotives were destroyed in a matter of two days. He said that Nawaz Sharif received gift of Mercedes car which he purchased from Toshakhana for just Rs636,888 illegally while gold rings, costly watches and other items were also purchased from Toshakhana. “Should they not land in jail,” he asked.

He said suddenly platelets of Nawaz Sharif dropped and he suddenly recovered when it came to assuming power but his brother became prime minister. Talking about alleged highhandedness of Punjab Police, he said there was no rule of law in the province. He also demanded judicial inquiry into Bahawalnagar incident.

He said that a regional police officer of Punjab was saying that he was under pressure of intelligence agencies. “There is fascist government in Punjab. Our leaders are not allowed to speak freely and they cannot go their homes,” he said.

He said that PTI-backed candidates got vote in the name of party’s founder and for the sake of real freedom saying that they would continue their struggle for achieving the same objectives. He said that he had gone through all speeches of President Zardari which he delivered to joint sessions during his first tenure and the second, but found no difference.

He said whosoever shows disrespect to state and elected institutions could be tried under Article 6 and limits of every institution as per Constitution are defined very clearly. As the PTI backed opposition leader was levelling allegations against Nawaz Sharif, PMLN member Tahmina Daultana rising on her seat started speaking with loud voice challenging his claims.

Meanwhile, the PPP parliamentarian while speaking on a point of order welcomed federal government’s decision to give relief to people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in electricity tariffs.

He demanded that the same relief could be extended to electricity consumers in Pakistan. He said that if such issues could be resolved by force of agitation then he feared people across the country would also opt for the same.

The SIC parliamentarian Zain Qureshi said he along with his family members wanted to hold weekly meeting with his father Shah Mahmood Qureshi, he came to know that Adiala Jail had been closed for one week due to security concern.

He said that by doing this the legal right of all the 7000 prisoners in Adiala Jail to meet their lawyers and relatives had been suspended for one week. He said in the past also, the same jail was closed for two week for the same reason.

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Article 6 should be imposed against those who break the constitution and the imposition of Article 6 should be started with Field Marshal Ayub Khan as his body should be taken out of the grave and hanged.

While addressing the National Assembly session, Khawaja Asif said that action should be taken against those who violated the constitution as Field Marshal Ayub Khan had overthrown a democratic government.

Meanwhile, the members from the opposition benches registered strong protest as Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif demanded that dead body of General Ayub Khan should be taken out from grave and hanged for abrogating the Constitution.

“I agree with the opposition leader those abrogating Constitution should be tried under Article 6 but it should start with General Ayub Khan,” Khawaja Asif said while taking part in debate on the presidential address said.

He said that he agreed with the opposition leaders that whosoever abrogated Constitution should be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution. Earlier, the opposition leader in his speech said that whosoever abrogated Constitution commits treason.

Khawaja Asif said General Ayub Khan toppled a democratic government for the sake of ruling over the country. “The martial law of Ayub was root cause of what problems the country is facing now as his dictatorship derailed country from democracy and changed the history,” he said.

Khawaja Asif’s remarks against Ayub Khan sparked protest from Omar Ayub Khan and other opposition members. “You have changed many patrons like General Bajwa, Lt General Pasha and Faiz Hameed,” he said.

Khawaja Asif said that it was Imran who kept sitting in laps of people in uniform. “Meetings used to take place inside the Speaker House regarding legislation. The ISI people also used to present there then,” he said.

As Speaker wanted to give floor to Barrister of Sunni Ittehad Council, Khawaja Asif while addressing the chair said that he was not doing justice with the treasury benches.

Khawaja Asif noticed that some PTI supporters sitting in visitors’ galleries were raising slogans against while undermining security inside the Parliament House. On that the Speaker said those people would not be seen again here.

Khawaja Asif advised the chair that he should make proper security arrangements in the Parliament House. “They are so deperate people that attacked military installations and memorials of Shuhada and anything can be expected from them,” he said.

Khawaja Asif refused to apologize for use of remarks on floor of the House. “ First they should apologize for dissolving National Assembly and playing havoc with the Constitution,” he said. He said ex Speaker Asad Qaisar had said that he would not seek apology even from his father. “Then we should I apologize from them,” he said adding that he would prefer to die then tendering apology to whom who attacked military installations, GHQ and memorials of Shuhada.

However, he said that he would apologize from the opposition for his every remark if they are ready to tender apology for what they did no May 09, 2023. Khawaja Asif suspended his speech for few minutues saying that he would speaker till the House is put in order.

There was exchange of continuous sloganeer and exchange of personal remarks without permission of the chair. “ I very well remember that he used to flatter Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz on floor of this House,” the defence minister while pointing towards Omar Ayub said.

The Speaker during proceedings of the House on Monday made it clear on the parliamentarians that neither he could be bullied nor he would allow anyone. The National Assembly on Monday passed a motion to constitute the Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming including members from both the Houses of the Parliament.

Minister for Housing and Works Riaz Hussain Pirzada moved the motion under rule 244 (B) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007.

The House passed the motion to constitute the special committee which would make recommendations to the National Assembly on matters pertaining to women empowerment. Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that the House would make best legislation through consensus to empower the women. “We should not only further empower the women through laws but also to support them,” he added.

Ayaz Sadiq paid tribute to the women who struggled for their rights. The National Assembly Secretariat will extend its secretarial and administrative support to the committee. The Minister for Housing and Works also laid the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Ordinance in the House. A resolution was also adopted to extend the same ordinance for further 120 days with effect from June 14, 2024.