Senate unanimously condemns arrest of MPs from parliament

ISLAMABAD: In a show of solidarity with the National Assembly, the members on both sides of the aisle in the Senate Thursday condemned the outrageous attack carried out on the parliament on September 9, a day after the PTI public rally.

“This House condemns the outrageous attack carried out on the Parliament of Pakistan on September 9, 2024. This shameful act has trampled the honour and prestige of the citadel of democry,” reads the resolution, tabled by Leader of the Opposition Syed Shibli Faraz.

“We also condemn the arbitrary abduction of the ten elected representatives of the National Assembly from the premises of parliament. Amendments and insertions to the relevant rules should be made to protect the blatant breach of privilege and dignity of its legislators,” the House emphasized.

The Senate also recommended penalising those responsible for the “outrageous and heinous crime” to restore the parliament’s esteem and sovereignty.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) termed the arrest of lawmakers from the Parliament House as unacceptable and invited the members from the treasury to stand by it for the sake of democracy and sanctity of parliament. The environment of the House, unlike on Tuesday, was quite congenial.

PTI Parliamentary Leader Barrister Syed Ali Zafar called the arrests of PTI leaders and workers as the darkest and most reprehensible day in the political history of Pakistan under a ‘so-called’ democratic government. He noted, “History teaches us that if you eliminate the freedom to protest for your rights, then history is a witness that if you think that through force and violence you can suppress and silence people, you are completely wrong.”

Ali Zafar warned that one day the volcano will erupt and contended that a revolution will sweep away everything, making parliament, judiciary and all other institutions irrelevant. Then, reading out a message from PTI founder Imran Khan, he asked the people to take to streets to achieve their rights and to ensure supremacy of the Constitution and rule of law.

He added the party founder chairman has asked the people not to care about fake FIRs and arrests, pointing out that he was behind the bars for over a year for their constitutional rights. He also declared that the PTI would hold a rally in Lahore, whether it gets NOC or not, on direction given by Imran Khan, adding his leader has given a clear directive that their party should stand for the supremacy of law.

Ali Zafar said, “We strive to exercise freedom of protest in a peaceful manner. We have been persevering in every situation. But this endurance of ours should not be considered as our weakness. When you cut off the internet or put up roadblocks or throw tear gas and suppress protests, don’t forget that you are not showing bravery, you are only cowards who are interested in power and authority. Remember that those who raise voice for rights and protest are neither terrorists nor traitors.” He said protection of the right to protest was required of every person irrespective of the affiliation of that person to any political party.

PMLN Parliamentary Leader in the House Irfan Siddiqui strongly disapproved the recent incident in parliament and called for an investigation into the arrest of legislators from the Parliament House. The events, he noted, did not elevate the stature of parliament nor brought pride for the government. He added that those responsible should be held accountable once the inquiry concludes. “These are incidents that leave a permanent stain that cannot be wiped out,” he insisted.

PPP’s Parliamentary Leader Senator Sherry Rehman commended the House for showing its integrity by unanimously passing a resolution condemning the incident in the National Assembly premises. She referred to the political path forward shown by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his National Assembly speech a day before and said: “Along with the code of conduct, we must agree on fundamental principles.”

Sherry said she used to tell the PTI government to only take actions they themselves could endure and recalled Faryal Talpur was taken away at night in an armoured vehicle along with other leaders. She, however, stressed that two wrongs do not make a right. She expressed concern over the attitude of PTI members and remarked, “It seems that PTI members are instructed to remain angry at all times and oppose everything in the House. You opposed the NAB amendments, yet today, Imran Khan is benefiting from those same amendments. Despite this, you continue to preach principles and politics to everyone.”

She termed the recent remarks by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur as shameful and said she has never seen a chief minister using such language, especially against women and the journalists. “PTI must apologise for his condemnable remarks and seek forgiveness. Recently, PTI member objected to a woman’s attire in a standing committee meeting, this mindset stemmed from the PTI leadership’s past statements regarding women’s clothing,” she remarked.

Speaking on the occasion, Awami National Party (ANP) leader Aimal Wali Khan deplored that an infighting was underway between the institutions, which would not benefit the country. He regretted the decisions of the Supreme Court are not being implemented while referring to the decision of the apex court to hold general elections and reserved seats of parliament. He noted, “This situation is sabotaging the system, as conflict among the institutions is weakening them and the state.”

“This is a very dangerous situation, which underscores the need for a political dialogue to end ongoing fighting within institutions,” he insisted. He warned that they could lose KP and Balochistan, where the security situation was on the edge, if necessary steps were not taken. He also sought a special sitting of the House to discuss the situation in both the provinces. He said that they must make an example of those who were behind the arrests of MNAs from the premises of parliament to ensure its sanctity.

JUIF Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman, who is the younger brother of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, said that the situation was grim as security forces were standing face to face against each other. He underlined the police had been protesting in Lakki Marwat against defence institutions and this protest was expanded to other parts of the province as well. He called also for a special sitting of the House to discuss the situation in both the provinces.

He said that the incident of arrests of MNAs was condemnable but added that police had also disrespected some elected members of parliament when PTI was in power. He urged the need to respect one another to take forward political process. The House will now meet on Friday morning.