Had amendments been passed, there would have been martial law: Omar Ayub

ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan Thursday said had the constitutional amendment bill been passed, the country would have gone under the martial law.

Referring to the rulers, he alleged, “All these people are playing the role of puppets. The government officials and their allies have played a negative role in the special committee.”

Talking to reporters at the Parliament House, Ayub claimed that even Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto did not know anything about the draft of amendments. Omar said, “We didn’t have any kind of draft either. We just sat in the committee but the government members in the special committee had no answer to our questions.”

However, he praised the JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman for stating clearly, “This draft is unacceptable to us, as these people want to cut off our hands and feet and hand them over to someone else.” He said Fazl played a positive role in the entire situation which was commendable. If any such amendment comes, we will fight it in parliament, he said.

The opposition leader asked why the constitutional matters were not resolved by forming a constitutional bench in the Supreme Court, making it clear that any type of “super court” was unacceptable. He contended that the incumbent government wanted to build a court above the Supreme Court.

He said the message of PTI founder was that the Lahore meeting will take place in any case.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) asked Omar Ayub Khan to look to his past before accusing PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

“Omar Ayub Khan should remember that he was a part of dictator General (R) Pervez Musharraf government and served as a federal minister under the dictator,” said Murtaza Wahab, spokesperson for PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while responding to Omar Ayub Khan on his remarks about PPP chairman through a video message on Thursday.

Murtaza Wahab said Omar Ayub was a federal minister when dictator General (R) Pervez Musharraf imposed an emergency on November 3, 2007 and sent the Chief Justice and respected judges home. He said the creator of martial law in Pakistan was Omar Ayub’s grandfather General Ayub Khan and during the dictator Ayub Khan’s reign, Pakistan suffered difficulties.

Wahab said parliamentarians should stand for the supremacy and sanctity of parliament instead of accusing each other. “I hope that Omar Ayub Khan should analyze the facts before making the allegation. If he starts analysing the facts, then he will remember November 3, 2007,” he said.